Pan-Canadian Examinations

The application window for the upcoming Spring 2025 Pan-Canadian Examinations will open in December 2024. The following schedule and fees apply to the Spring 2025 examinations:

	Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners Examination	Acupuncturists Examination
Application Fee (Non-Refundable)	$300
Examination Fee	$1295	$942
Examination Date	April 28 and 29, 2025	May 1 and 2, 2025
Deadline for Applications and Special Accommodation Requests	January 15, 2025
Deadline* for Withdrawal or Changes to Applications	February 14, 2025

*The examination withdrawal dates are subject to change and will be confirmed prior to the application deadline

Test centre locations are arranged by CARB-TCMPA, and are subject to change due to availability. You will be asked to select two preferred locations from the list of available options in the application. If you are not booked into your preferred location, it is because that location is not available and CARB-TCMPA has selected the closest location with availability on your examination day.

Title and Designation	Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner and Acupuncturist (R. TCMP & R. Ac)	Acupuncturist (R. Ac)
Examination Required	Pan-Canadian Examination for Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners	Pan-Canadian Examination for Acupuncturists
Eligibility	Education Program Successful completion of a post-secondary TCM program that is aligned to the entry-level competencies. The program must consist of at least four years of full-time education, or education that is of equivalent duration.	Education Program Successful completion of a post-secondary TCM Acupuncture program that is aligned to the entry-level competencies. The program must consist of at least three years of full-time education, or education that is of equivalent duration.
	Clinical Training Program Successful completion of a program of supervised clinical experience which covers at least 45 weeks and involves at least 500 hours of direct patient contact.
	For more information, please refer to the Education Equivalency Guideline.

Note: Practical instruction and supervised clinical training must be provided in person.

Step 1: Submit an application. 

Review the Sample Application.  Then create a Portal account and apply online from within your Portal. You will be required to pay an application fee to submit your application.

If you require any in-person testing accommodations, please complete the CARB-TCMPA PCE Accommodations Request Form. Once completed, the form should be submitted to accommodations@carb-tcmpa.org. 

Please note that the College is not directly involved in the review and results of accommodation requests and is not responsible for any delays in the accommodations process. 

 

Step 2: Ensure all supporting documents are submitted by the deadline. 

Your school will need to submit the following documents to the College directly via email to registration@ctcmpao.on.ca by the application deadline:

1. A letter confirming successful completion of the program or a copy of your graduation certificate.
2. A copy of academic transcript of marks.
3. A letter confirming successful completion of at least 45 weeks of clinical experience in the TCM profession which involves at least 500 hours of direct patient contact. The letter must include a detailed description of the supervised clinical experience, showing the number of hours in direct patient contact and number of weeks spent in clinical training/experience. The letter must include the name of the supervisor and CTCMPAO registration number (if applicable).
4.  A detailed curriculum for your program including a list of courses and a description of the content of each course completed during your education and training, including the number of hours.

 

Step 3: Application review.

College staff will review your application and will contact you via email if follow-up is required. You will receive an email from the College regarding your application status approximately 4 weeks after the application deadline.

 

Step 4: Pay your examination fee.

If you are deemed eligible, you will receive an email notifying you to submit the examination fee. To pay the fee, sign in to your portal, go to "My Profile", and then "Outstanding Fees." Please note that you will not receive your admission ticket until the examination fee has been paid.

After the fee has been paid, CARB-TCMPA will send you the time and location details for your examination, approximately two weeks prior to the examination.

Step 1: Submit an application. 

Review the Sample Application.  Then create a Portal account and apply online from within your Portal.  You will be required to pay an application fee to submit your application. 

If you require any in-person testing accommodations, please complete the CARB-TCMPA PCE Accommodations Request Form. Once completed, the form should be submitted to accommodations@carb-tcmpa.org. 

Please note that the College is not directly involved in the review and results of accommodation requests and is not responsible for any delays in the accommodations process. 

 

Step 2: Ensure all supporting documents are submitted by the application deadline. 

School Documents

Your school will need to submit the following documents to the College directly via email to registration@ctcmpao.on.ca by the application deadline:

1.  A letter confirming successful completion of at least 45 weeks of clinical experience in the TCM profession which involves at least 500 hours of direct patient contact. The letter must include a detailed description of the supervised clinical experience, showing the number of hours in direct patient contact and number of weeks spent in clinical training/experience.
2. A detailed curriculum for your program including a list of courses and a description of the content of each course completed during your education and training, including the number of hours.

Credential Evaluation and Authentication Report

All internationally educated graduates must submit a credential evaluation and authentication report with a course-by-course evaluation from the World Education Services (WES). Applicants are responsible for paying the WES evaluation fee to WES directly. For more information regarding the documents needed to submit to WES, please visit the Required Documents section of the WES website. To apply for the credential evaluation, please visit the WES website.

Important Note: You must have graduated from your program prior to the application deadline. Do not submit an application if WES or your school cannot provide the documents stated above by the application deadline. Your application will not be considered and the application fee will be forfeited.

 

Step 3: Application review.

College staff will review your application and will contact you via email if follow-up is required. You will receive an email from the College regarding your application status approximately 4 weeks after the application deadline.

 

Step 4: Pay your examination fee.

If you are deemed eligible, you will receive an email notifying you to submit the examination fee. To pay the fee, sign in to your portal, go to "My Profile", and then "Outstanding Fees." Please note that you will not receive your admission ticket until the examination fee has been paid.

After the fee has been paid, CARB-TCMPA will send you the time and location details for your examination, approximately two weeks prior to the examination.

1. When will I hear back after I submit an application?

   You will receive an email from the College regarding your application status approximately 4 weeks after the application deadline.

2. Can I defer my application to the next exam administration?

   No. If you cannot write the examination you’ve applied for, your application will expire and you will need to re-apply for a future administration. Please note that application fees are non-refundable.

3. I am registered in another country as a TCM Practitioner and/or Acupuncturist. Do I still need to write the Pan-Canadian Examination?

   Yes. You will still need to apply for and write the Pan-Canadian Examination.

4. When will I receive information regarding the examination location and time?

   CARB-TCMPA administers the examination and will send you an email regarding the exact location and time of the examination approximately two weeks prior to the examination.

5. When will I receive my results for the examination?

   You will receive your results approximately six to eight weeks after the examination.

• CTCMPAO Pan-Canadian Examination Application Guide
• The CARB-TCMPA Candidate Handbook
• The Canadian Alliance of Regulatory Bodies of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists (CARB-TCMPA)
• Entry-Level Occupational Competencies for the Practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Canada (2018)
• CARB-TCMPA PCE Accommodation Request Form

• Examination Results Classified by Ontario Schools - Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner
• Examination Results Classified by Ontario Schools - Acupuncturist
• National Examination Results