Why do we need a Competency Exam?

• A professional competency exam protects the public from less than competent practitioners. This in turn protects the reputation of the profession. A professional competency exam is good for the public and for the practitioners.
• It is international best practice to have a certification exam at arm’s length from the educators and educational programs that provide the training. This reduces testing bias.¹
  
• Because it works! Research confirms that those who perform well on the Physiotherapy Competency Exam experience fewer disciplinary complaints and perform better on continuing competence practice assessments.²
• For fair access to registration. Whether Canadian-educated or internationally-educated, all physiotherapist candidates take the same exam. If you can demonstrate that you are competent, ethical and safe, you can have access to registration.
• Every trusted profession has a competency exam. It inspires respect. The following professions in Canada also have competency exams required for licensure:

Law                             Medicine                        Nursing                                Dentistry
Pharmacy                 Engineering                   Accounting                          Optometry

1. ISO 17024, Standard 5, 2012; NCCA Standard 3:Education, Training & Certification, 2016
2. Nayer, M, Glover-Takahashi, S, What Ontario Physiotherapist Data Says About Risks to Competence, 2017