Comparability Evaluation Pathway Policy

Scope

This policy applies to individuals educated outside of Canada who are applying to the Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators’ (CAPR) credentialling process through the comparability evaluation pathway.

Principles

CAPR provides credentialling services on behalf of the Canadian physiotherapy regulators to ensure safe and effective physiotherapy practice in Canada. CAPR is committed to maintaining an efficient and equitable credentialling process that supports all applicants’ readiness for safe and effective practice. This process is designed in accordance with the Pan-Canadian Framework for the Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Qualifications’ principles of fairness, transparency, timeliness, and consistency.

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to outline the assessment criteria and process for the comparability evaluation pathway. This comparability evaluation pathway:

  • Determines whether an individual educated outside of Canada possesses the knowledge and skills (obtained through education and training) that are comparable to a graduate from an approved Canadian physiotherapy program.  
  • Determines eligibility to sit the Canadian Physiotherapy Examination (the exam). 

Definitions

“Approved Canadian physiotherapy program” means a physiotherapy education program recognized by Canadian regulators as meeting the entry-to-practice education requirements for registration in Canada.

“Entry-to-practice degree” means a university-level physiotherapy degree, equivalent to at least bachelor’s degree in Canada, that meets the academic requirements for registration as a physiotherapist in the jurisdiction where the program was completed and is approved, recognized, or accredited by the physiotherapy regulatory authority in that jurisdiction.

“Supervised clinical practice” (sometimes called clinical internship, clinical placement, or practicum) is the component of an entry-to-practice physiotherapy program in which students gain supervised and evaluated practical experience across diverse professional settings. Supervised clinical practice provides opportunities for students to learn and apply physiotherapy knowledge, skills, behaviours, and clinical reasoning. It serves to develop professionalism, practice expertise, and the skills necessary for safe, competent, and autonomous entry-level practice. Supervised clinical practice excludes academic classroom hours or practice on students or staff of the physiotherapy program. (Adapted from the 2019 National Physiotherapy Entry-to-Practice Curriculum Guidelines).

“Targeted remediation” is a process for applicants whose evaluation identifies gaps in their knowledge and skills compared to graduates from an approved Canadian physiotherapy program. Applicants receive custom and targeted remediation plans designed to address their learning needs. Remediation plans will outline the learning activities applicants must complete before they can become eligible for the exam.

Examples of learning activities include:

  • Completion of learning modules or review of specific practice resource documents.
  • Completion of online, evaluated coursework about profession-specific subjects.
  • Completion of an approved Canadian bridging program.

Policy

Each application for the comparability evaluation pathway is evaluated on an individual basis. To determine if an applicant has knowledge and skills comparable to those of a graduate from an approved Canadian physiotherapy program and is eligible for the exam, an applicant must successfully complete the following steps:

1. Demonstrated Fluency in English or French

Applicants must demonstrate proficiency in English or French. See Policy 2.2 Language Proficiency for details.

2. Document Review

Applicants must have their academic credentials reviewed by CAPR, demonstrating that the following criteria are met:

  • Completion of a university-level, entry-to-practice degree (or equivalent credential by another name) in physiotherapy from a recognized institution authorized to issue credentials that are equivalent to a university-level, entry-to-practice degree in physiotherapy in Canada.
  • Completion of supervised clinical practice as part of the entry-to-practice program.

3. Completion of a Canadian Healthcare Course

Applicants must successfully complete a CAPR-approved course on the Canadian healthcare system and the role of physiotherapists within it.

Only applicants who meet the document review criteria, language fluency criteria, and the Canadian healthcare course qualify for the Physiotherapy Evaluation Tool.

4. Physiotherapy Evaluation Tool

Applicants who meet the above criteria are required to complete the Physiotherapy Evaluation Tool. This multiple-choice evaluation determines if an applicant’s knowledge and skills are comparable to those of a graduate from an approved Canadian physiotherapy program.  

Outcomes of the Physiotherapy Evaluation Tool are:

  • Comparable: The applicant’s knowledge and skills are comparable to those of a graduate from an approved Canadian physiotherapy program. Applicants who receive the result of ‘comparable’ are eligible to attempt the exam.
  • Partially comparable: The applicant’s knowledge and skills are partially comparable to those of a graduate from and approved Canadian physiotherapy program. Applicants who receive the result of ‘partially comparable’ must complete specified targeted remediation prior to being eligible to attempt the exam.
  • Not comparable: The applicant’s knowledge and skills are not comparable to those of a graduate from and approved Canadian physiotherapy program. Applicants who receive a result of ‘not comparable’ are not eligible to attempt the exam.

5. Targeted Remediation

If the Physiotherapy Evaluation Tool identifies that an applicant’s knowledge and skills are partially comparable, a remediation plan will be developed for the applicant.

Applicants must meet all specified remediation requirements before they can become eligible to attempt the examination.