Rules of Conduct

physiotherapist in black scrubs making notes on a clipboard while answers questions from his seat on exam table

Rules of Conduct

The contents of the Canadian Physiotherapy Examination (CPTE) are confidential and proprietary. The CPTE and its contents are the exclusive property of the Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators (CAPR). The CPTE is made available to candidates by CAPR for the sole purpose of assessing readiness for safe, effective, and independent physiotherapy practice.

CAPR maintains strict security over CPTE content before, during, and after the exam to eliminate unfair advantages among candidates and to avoid costs related to security breaches.

Candidates must familiarize themselves with and agree to the Rules of Conduct when applying for the CPTE to be permitted to participate in the CPTE. 

Candidates are expected to be aware of the legal, ethical, and professional implications of their participation in the CPTE. It is assumed that candidates are participating in the CPTE in a good faith attempt to pass, and for the sole purpose of fulfilling requirements for registration with a Canadian physiotherapy regulator. (See the Code of Ethical Conduct for physiotherapists in Canada. Candidates are expected to maintain the same strict confidentiality with CPTE content that they would with patient information.)

Candidates must always maintain professional behaviour and must not engage in any activity that would be considered illegal, such as assault, harassment, or theft. In this regard, candidates are expected to:

  1. Be respectful towards other candidates, CAPR, and exam proctors at all times.
  2. Cooperate and comply with instructions from CAPR and exam proctors.
  3. Report any breaches of exam integrity and/or security to CAPR.
  4. Not engage in cheating.

Cheating in the CPTE includes any breach or attempted breach of examination integrity and security that is aimed at, or could reasonably be seen to, affect a candidate’s results, the results of another candidate, or the results of a potential future candidate. Any behaviour in contravention of the Rules of Conduct will be considered cheating.

To protect the integrity, security, confidentiality, reliability, and validity of the CPTE, candidates must NOT:

  • Engage in any behaviour(s) before, during, or after the CPTE that may disturb other candidates, affect their chances of passing, or cause them anxiety. 
  • Engage in suspicious behaviour; this may include, but is not limited to,
    • making any sounds such as whispering,
    • speaking (other than during the oral section), or reading the exam out loud,
    • excessive eye or body movements,
    • not sitting upright,
    • looking away from the computer screen, and;
    • fidgeting with items present in the testing environment, including pieces of clothing.
  • Impersonate another candidate in order to take the exam on their behalf.
  • Engage, or solicit another to engage, any other person to take the CPTE on their, or another candidate’s, behalf. 
  • Solicit or accept examination content from candidates who have previously attempted the exam.
  • Memorize, record, copy, recreate, reproduce, disclose, publish, transmit, or share contents of the CPTE, in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, verbal or written, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose.
  • Start or restart their exam before being instructed to do so or continue the exam after being told to stop.
  • Take a break without prior authorization from exam proctors or exceed the maximum allowable time for a break.  
  • Bring reference materials into the testing environment, whether in an obvious manner   or a concealed manner, or any other item that has not been expressly permitted, including electronic devices.
  • Access or attempt to access reference materials or electronic devices during the exam, when permitted to temporarily leave the testing environment, or at any time that they are not in view of exam proctors (i.e., during a break or in the event of an exam interruption).
  • Interact with other candidates, or any other individual, to give or receive help, or for any other purpose during the exam.
    • Candidates are permitted to interact with exam proctors and examiners only. Candidates cannot ask exam proctors or examiners questions related to CPTE content; if a candidate finds an item or a case unclear or ambiguous, they should determine the most reasonable answer to the question based on the given information.
  • Remove or attempt to remove any item or material used in the CPTE from a testing environment.
  • Modify or fabricate exam results letters or any other CAPR documentation to give a false impression of having passed the exam or to misrepresent exam status.

Potential Outcomes

CAPR will investigate any candidate suspected of breaking the Rules of Conduct under its Misconduct Policy.