Testing Accommodations Policy

Date Effective: November 15, 2022

Date Revised: December 17, 2025

Scope
This policy applies to candidates who have documented needs related to a disability and require Testing Accommodations for the Canadian Physiotherapy Examination (CPTE).

Principles
The Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators (CAPR) is committed to providing equitable and accessible services to examination candidates. CAPR recognizes and complies with its duty to respect the independence and dignity of all individuals who may have additional needs related to a disability by ensuring that the CPTE is accessible to the greatest extent possible while still maintaining exam security.

Testing Accommodations are intended to enable candidates to demonstrate their competence by altering the standard examination environment to compensate for documented needs. Testing Accommodations are not intended to ensure success in the examination for candidates with documented needs; rather, they ensure that candidates are given a fair and equitable chance to succeed in the CPTE.

CAPR considers the following fundamental principles for each Testing Accommodations request:

CAPR’s Duty to Accommodate. CAPR will protect the candidate’s right to demonstrate competence within the context of the CPTE, in accordance with the human rights code of the jurisdiction in which the CPTE is being taken and with the spirit of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Equality Rights:

Every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination and, in particular, without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability [i]

CAPR’s Duty to Protect the Public. CAPR will uphold its mandate to support physiotherapy regulators across the country in their duty to protect the public by ensuring a fair, secure, valid, and reliable exam that assesses whether a candidate has the abilities, knowledge, and skills to conduct safe, effective, and independent physiotherapy practice.

Definitions
For the purposes of this policy:

Disability: any impairment, including a physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication or sensory impairment – or a functional limitation – whether permanent, temporary, or episodic in nature, or evident or not, that, in interaction with any barrier, hinders a person’s full and equal participation in society.[ii]

Note: throughout CAPR documentation related to Testing Accommodations, we use the term “impairment” to mean disability.

Activity/Functional Limitation: a difficulty encountered by an individual in executing a task or action. [iii]

Barrier: anything physical, architectural, technological or attitudinal, anything that is based on information or communications, or anything that is the result of a policy or a practice that hinders the full and equal participation in society of persons with an impairment, including a physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication or sensory impairment or a functional limitation.[iv]

Reasonable accommodation: necessary and appropriate modification and adjustments not imposing a disproportionate or undue burden, where needed in a particular case, to ensure to persons with disabilities the enjoyment or exercise on an equal basis with others of all human rights and fundamental freedoms.[v]

Undue hardship: the nature or requirements of the Testing Accommodation being requested will entail significant difficulty or expense.[vi]

Note: In the context of the CPTE, undue hardship relates to factors such as disproportionate costs, staffing limitations, test centre or platform restrictions, and risks to examination integrity (the fairness, security, validity, and/or reliability of the examination).

Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to outline the standards, procedures, and other considerations related to Testing Accommodations for the CPTE.

Policy

Eligible examinations candidates with a documented need based on a disability may submit a Testing Accommodations request for the CPTE.
Testing Accommodations requests and all required supporting documentation must be received by CAPR by the application deadline of the relevant exam in order to be considered.
All Testing Accommodations requests received by the deadline are reviewed by CAPR on a case-by-case basis in accordance with examinations policies.
All Testing Accommodations requests are confidential and are managed in accordance with CAPR’s Privacy Policy, which meets the principles of the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act [PIPEDA], and the Ontario Personal Health Information Protection Act [PHIPA].
Candidates may submit an urgent Testing Accommodations request in situations of recent injury or illness which occur after the Testing Accommodations request deadline. These requests may be considered by CAPR if received no later than 15 business days before the examination date.
CAPR will officially respond to all Testing Accommodations requests in writing via email.
CAPR is responsible for the cost associated with providing any approved Testing Accommodations.
CAPR will not alter the examination policies (e.g., the examination passing standard, the number of examination attempts) or the content of the CPTE as part of a Testing Accommodation.
All individuals (e.g., a reader, recorder, external Testing Accommodations consultant) involved in Testing Accommodations must sign an agreement with CAPR stating that they will not provide any assistance to the candidate other than that agreed to by CAPR in the context of the testing accommodations, and will not attempt to copy or recall any exam materials, in accordance with CAPR’s Rules of Conduct and Misconduct Policy.
CAPR is not required to grant the same Testing Accommodations to candidates as were granted to them by their post-secondary institution.
The Testing Accommodations Plan granted by CAPR is valid only for the examination date specified.
The offer of a Testing Accommodations Plan for a particular administration of the CPTE does not obligate CAPR to provide the candidate with the same, or different, Testing Accommodations for any future administration of the CPTE.
It is not necessary for a candidate to submit a new Testing Accommodations request when rescheduling from one CPTE date to another. CAPR will review the candidate’s application to verify that all requested Testing Accommodations are still applicable and that all supporting documentation is still valid for the new exam date. Where deficiencies are present, the candidate will be notified. Where no deficiencies are present, an updated Testing Accommodations Plan will be issued to the candidate.
If retaking the exam following an unsuccessful attempt or a withdrawn application, a candidate must submit a new Testing Accommodations Request.
The outcome of a Testing Accommodations Request cannot form any part of the basis of an application for Administrative Reconsideration.

Potential Outcomes:
Each Testing Accommodation requested as part of the overall Testing Accommodations request is evaluated individually, and one of the following outcomes is provided.

The requested Testing Accommodation is approved.
- The supporting documentary evidence is current (meets CAPR’s validity timeline), describes the documented impairment(s), describes the impact of the functional limitation(s) on the candidate’s ability to take the CPTE, and provides a rationale for the requested Testing Accommodation that is in alignment with the candidate’s functional limitations; and
- The requested Testing Accommodation is reasonable and does not cause undue hardship to CAPR.
The requested Testing Accommodation is modified.
- The requested Testing Accommodation is not in alignment with the documented impairment(s), functional limitation(s), rationale(s), and/or recommendation(s) provided in the supporting documentary evidence. Where this occurs, the Testing Accommodation offered by CAPR is that which is in alignment with the supporting documentary evidence.
  
  and/or
- The requested Testing Accommodation is not reasonable, and/or causes undue hardship to CAPR. Where this occurs, the Testing Accommodation offered by CAPR is that which is reasonable and/or does not cause undue hardship to CAPR.
The requested Testing Accommodation is denied.
- The supporting documentary evidence is not current, and/or does not adequately describe the documented impairment(s), and/or does not describe the impact of the functional limitation(s) on the candidate’s ability to take the CPTE, and/or does not provide a rationale for the requested Testing Accommodations that is in alignment with the candidate’s functional limitations; and/or
- The requested Testing Accommodation is not reasonable, and/or causes undue hardship.

Procedure

Eligible examination candidates must submit a complete Testing Accommodations request and related supporting documentation through the Client Portal by the application deadline of the relevant examination. This includes:

A complete Testing Accommodations Request form.
Supporting medical documentation that contains recommendations for the appropriate Testing Accommodations based on a comprehensive assessment of the candidate conducted by a regulated healthcareprovider. This can be communicated through:
- The Healthcare Provider Form, and/or
- A complete psychoeducational, neuropsychological, or psychological assessment report (for the relevant conditions)
Any additional supporting documentary evidence deemed relevant by the regulated healthcare provider.

Assessment reports and supporting documentary evidence must be based on a clinical assessment completed by a regulated healthcare provider with the legislative authority to diagnose and manage the candidate’s impairments. Evidence provided must be based on a clinical assessment which has been conducted within the validity timelines outlined here. CAPR will not review documentary evidence that does not fall within these timelines.

A complete Testing Accommodations request must be received by CAPR by the examination deadline of the relevant exam. When a late request is received, the candidate is informed that it will not be reviewed, and is provided with the options available to them (take the exam without Testing Accommodations, reschedule to another exam date that allows sufficient time for the Testing Accommodations request to be processed, or withdraw from the exam), as well as information about the fees associated with these options.

Upon receipt of the complete request, CAPR will appoint the Examinations Operations Lead to conduct a review of the request and the documentary evidence. Additional staff will be consulted for unique requests. An external Testing Accommodations consultant may be consulted for complex cases.

Should additional information or documentary evidence be required, CAPR staff will inform the candidate via email, and outline the deadline for providing this information. All requested additional documentation must be received by CAPR via mail or email by the deadline outlined.

NOTE: Delays in responding to requests from CAPR staff (either in submitting additional documentation or in reviewing and signing the Testing Accommodations Plan) will delay the outcome of the review of the candidate’s request, and the implementation of the Testing Accommodations. A failure to provide the required documentation within the specified timelines will result in CAPR being unable to provide the requested Testing Accommodation(s).

Upon completion of the review of the request, CAPR staff will contact the candidate via email and provide a Testing Accommodations Plan for review and signature. The Testing Accommodations Plan must be signed and returned to CAPR via email by the deadline outlined. No further action will be taken by CAPR staff until the candidate returns a signed Testing Accommodations Plan.

Upon receipt of the signed Testing Accommodations Plan, CAPR and the test delivery partner will implement the plan.

A candidate can withdraw their Testing Accommodations request at any time. If proceeding with the exam, the candidate must send an email stating that they are making an informed decision to challenge the exam without Testing Accommodations.

Limitations on CAPR’s ability to offer certain Testing Accommodations

Some Testing Accommodations (including, but not limited to, requiring a paper copy of the exam, a reader, etc.) are not available via remote proctoring. Accordingly, candidates requiring such Testing Accommodations must be physically present in Canada when attempting the CPTE. Where such Testing Accommodations are approved, CAPR will arrange an appropriate testing space on the candidate’s behalf. The candidate will be required to take the exam from this location.

[i] https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/csj-sjc/rfc-dlc/ccrf-ccdl/check/art15.html

[ii] Accessible Canada Act S.C. 2019, C. 10 https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/A-0.6/page-1.html#h-1153392

[iii]Federal Disability Reference Guide https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/disability/arc/reference-guide.html#h2.3-h3.4

[iv] Accessible Canada Act S.C. 2019, C. 10 https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/A-0.6/page-1.html#h-1153392

[v] United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities/article-2-definitions.html

[vi] The Duty to Accommodate, Canadian Human Rights Commission. https://www.chrc-ccdp.gc.ca/en/about-human-rights/what-theduty-accommodate