Registration Exam Instructions, Resources, & Requirements

Information about the development, structure and format of the registration exam can be found in the Entry-to-Practice Registration Examination Resource Manual linked in Exam Prep Resources.

Additional information about the Registration Exam is available by visiting COMPASS’ website and in the Information Guide for Candidates (sent directly to candidates who successfully register to write the Exam by COMPASS).

The exam is administered using an on-line platform, using remote proctoring. This means that the exam may be written at an alternate location provided it meets the minimum standards for a secure testing environment. Regardless of where you plan to write the exam, it is important that the internet connectivity and technical hardware are pre-checked through MonitorEDU at least 5 days before the Exam to ensure all minimum standards are met. Candidates are responsible for using a safe, secure, and private area when writing the exam.

Limited in-person seating is available to candidates with accessibility issues or accommodation needs (whether temporary, transient, or permanent) that prevent remote proctoring.

Candidates have three hours to complete the exam.

If you are unsure about your deadline to write the exam, please see Exam Attempt Deadline Dates near the top of this page.

The exam fee is $545 + HST. The fee to write the Registration Examination is set by and paid directly to COMPASS, the third-party organization that developed and administers the exam. The full amount is required for each subsequent attempt. If you require a receipt for the exam fee, please contact COMPASS directly.

The Registration Exam is offered exclusively via online remote proctoring. Registrants will take the exam from the comfort of their own home, provided it meets the minimum standards for technological requirements as set out in the Candidate Agreement. Registrants will be prompted with this agreement at the start of the exam. For detailed information on the technical requirements, please review the Exam Prep Resources.

Reading examination content aloud is not permitted. Candidates are required to treat their testing environment in the same manner as they would an off-site test centre. It must be silent, private, secure, free from clutter and exam-related materials. For more information, please see pages 31 and 38 of the Registration Exam Resource Manual linked below.

No. A computer is required to take the exam. Additionally, your computer webcam and the camera in your mobile device must both be functional to permit the remote proctor to monitor your activities.

Compass confirms the platform used for the registration examination has been updated to permit the use of a trackpad. The use of a mouse is preferred, as indicated in the online literature.

• Ensure you have administrator rights for the computer you will be using for the examination administration. All pre-testing of connectivity and technical requirements should be conducted with the technology and in the location at which you intend to write the examination.

• Ensure your computer has the minimum technical requirements including Google Chrome (50+), a webcam, and an operating system of Windows 7 or higher, or Mac OSX 10.15.x or higher. (Tablets, iPads, Chromebooks, Linux-operated systems, etc., are not compliant with technical requirements). You will be required to close all applications prior to starting the examination. Some software programs and their extensions may need to be disabled during the administration of the examination for compliance and security reasons. You will also need a mobile phone as a secondary camera and connection point. All technology must be plugged in throughout the administration of the examination.  

• Follow the instructions for required downloads as indicated by MonitorEDU BEFORE the date of your scheduled examination (i.e., download GoogleMeet application and secure lockdown browser at least 5 days before your examination). If you experience difficulties, contact https://monitoredu.com/faq.

• Be prepared to clear your cache following the exam administration.

• REMEMBER: Your remotely proctored examination location and its technical equipment create a de facto individual test centre. You must maintain the same decorum and follow the same restrictions that would be in place if you were writing the examination in a public test centre with a proctor and other test-takers on site.   Ensure you have administrator rights for the computer you will be using for the examination administration. All pre-testing of connectivity and technical requirements should be conducted with the technology and in the location at which you intend to write the examination.

Once you have paid to write the Registration Examination, COMPASS will provide you with the name of a contact person to whom you may explain your circumstances. Exam fees are non-refundable; however, you may, in exceptional circumstances, be permitted to write the examination at the next available sitting (which could be six months or more in the future). Such requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and supporting evidence will be required.Once you have paid to write the Registration Examination, COMPASS will provide you with the name of a contact person to whom you may explain your circumstances. Exam fees are non-refundable; however, you may, in exceptional circumstances, be permitted to write the examination at the next available sitting (which could be six months or more in the future). Such requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and supporting evidence will be required.

General questions about the Exam (e.g., eligibility requirements, proposed dates for sittings, fees) can be sent to the College at exam@crpo.ca.

A member who has been notified of their eligibility to write the Exam and confirmed their intention to write, can submit questions directly to COMPASS at info@compassexams.ca

You are eligible to write the exam if:

1. You have been issued a certificate of registration in the Qualifying category, and
2. You have successfully completed your psychotherapy program. CRPO must have received your final transcript/credential assessment directly from the education institution/credential assessment agency.

For more detailed information, please see under Eligibility Requirements above.

No. The status of your clinical experience hours does not determine your exam eligibility status.

The exam is offered twice a year (spring and fall). For the spring exam, the deadline for receiving final transcript/credential assessment is usually by the end of January. For the fall exam, the deadline for receiving final transcript/credential assessment is usually by the end of July. The absolute deadline date for receiving final transcript/credential assessment will be provided to Qualifying registrants when they receive a message from CRPO about an upcoming sitting.

If you had applied to CRPO when you had substantially completed your program, documentation received from the institution confirming that all requirements to graduate have been met is required prior to signing up for the exam. If you have not yet graduated, the documentation must confirm that all requirements have been met and indicate the expected date of graduation. The documentation must be sent directly from the institution to CRPO via email to: info@crpo.ca

If you have not yet graduated, the documentation must confirm that you have met all requirements and indicate the expected date of graduation. If you have already graduated, the documentation must confirm the date of graduation. If your program was outside of Canada, the final credential assessment must be sent directly to CRPO by the third-party evaluator and is required prior to signing up for the Registration Examination.

Applicants who have submitted an application but who have not yet been approved and issued a certificate of registration are not eligible to sign up for the exam. Applications are processed in the order in which they are received.

Registrants will be provided with detailed exam information,  including information about exam eligibility, submission instructions, and exam booking deadlines, and for the next available exam typically 3-4 months prior to the actual exam date. For the spring exam, registrants are typically contacted by CRPO staff in late January. For the fall exam, registrants are typically contacted by CRPO staff in late July. Registrants are sent multiple exam communications about an upcoming exam; therefore, it is important for registrants to closely monitor their email inboxes for important updates. For more details, please see the Steps to Writing the Exam above.

Registrants who have accessibility/accommodation needs for the exam must submit their request for exam accommodations approximately three months prior to the exam dates. For the spring exam, the deadline to submit a complete accommodation request is usually by the end of January. For the fall exam, the deadline to submit a complete accommodation request is usually by the end of July. For more detailed information on accommodations, please view the Exam Accommodations page.

This means that registrants should inform us in advance if their religious observances affect their ability to complete the exam as scheduled, so that COMPASS can make appropriate arrangements. For example, a registrant may need a break during the exam to perform a prayer.

When the exam booking window opens, further detailed information about the withdrawal process and withdrawal deadline will be communicated to registrants. COMPASS will apply a $25 transaction/processing fee for all refunds.

For your convenience, the exam preparation resources are available below under Exam Prep Resources and are also listed below with brief explanations.

• Registration Exam Resource Manual (Download): Main informational guide outlining exam structure, format, technical requirements for remotely proctored exam.

• Pre-Exam Check (Complete Online): You must complete this check with Monitor EDU to test computer hardware and internet at least five days before the exam.

• • The bottom of this page also includes MonitorEDU’s proctoring policy and rules, such as room and desk setup, items that are permitted during the exam, and candidate behavior during the exam.

• Remotely Proctored Online Exam Requirements (Download): Overview of the remotely proctored exam and information about who to contact with questions.

• Technical Requirements and Testing for Online Exams (Download): Overview of technical requirements for remotely proctored exam, including the equipment and room setup needed for your testing environment.

• Candidate Agreement (Download): On exam day, you will be asked to read and agree to a similar agreement prior to starting the exam.

• Online Exam Tip Sheet (Download) 

• Competency-Based Case Study Workbook (Download): Workbook designed to build information-gathering and decision-making skills using a competency-based, case study approach.

• Supervision Tool (Download): Tool designed to assist RP (Qualifying) to work with their Clinical Supervisor to prepare for the exam.

• Navigational Tutorial (Complete Online): It is recommended that you complete the interactive navigation tutorial to help increase familiarity with navigating the exam platform and using its features. The navigational tutorial is made available to all booked writers once the booking window has closed.

• • This resource is not available on the CRPO website. COMPASS will provide a link to the navigational tutorial directly to registrants who have successfully booked/purchased an exam seat.

• COMPASS Practice Exam (Complete Online): It is recommended that you complete the optional, single-use COMPASS Practice Exam to help increase familiarity with the exam structure and format, technical requirements, and remote proctoring.

• • This resource is not available on the CRPO website. The fee is set and paid directly to COMPASS. For more information, please see the practice exam FAQ below.

The practice exam, offered by COMPASS, is an optional exam resource available for purchase to help registrants increase familiarity with the registration examination style and format.

The practice exam is only available for purchase at the same time you purchase your exam seat.

After the booking window has closed, only registrants who have purchased an exam seat will receive confirmation email from COMPASS that includes a link to schedule their practice exam. This scheduling link will not appear elsewhere.

The practice exam has a defined administration timeframe and is available for one-time use only, with specific date options provided by COMPASS when you schedule it.

For full details, please visit COMPASS’s website here.

We strongly encourage registrants to review all the exam preparation resources that are available below.

Candidates will also receive an additional electronic information guide directly from COMPASS once they have successfully registered to write at the next sitting. In addition to a review of the structure and format of the exam, the information guide outlines the administrative procedures associated with writing it.

Outside of the Exam Prep Resources linked below, CRPO and COMPASS do not endorse specific authors, exam preparation courses or study materials in relation to the exam.

We have been made aware of other preparation courses that are being offered to exam candidates, but we cannot comment on their quality, veracity or usefulness. Individuals and programs offering exam preparation courses must ensure they are not inappropriately using COMPASS’ copyright protected materials.

Candidates do not receive a ‘grade’ but will be notified of a pass or fail.

Results will be available six to eight weeks after sitting the exam. COMPASS will notify candidates of the results directly by email. Results will also be sent to CRPO.

Registrants generally perform well on the exam. The average pass rate on the exam over the past 8 years has been 85%.

A Qualifying registrant who attempted but did not successfully pass the Registration Exam can continue to practise with clinical supervision while preparing to retake it at the next available sitting. Upgrading activities may be required if you fail the second attempt and before the third and final attempt can be made.

Registrants that have failed for a second time, are required to undergo the completion of the CRPO Supervision Tool with their supervisor and to develop a learning plan for consideration by the Examination Committee.

The registrant must complete the learning plan activities to the satisfaction of the Registrar prior to writing the exam for the third time. Evidence of completion of the learning plan must be provided to CRPO within six months of the date the learning plan is approved by the Examination Committee.

Note: Staff will send a notice that outlines these next steps in the upgrading process to registrants who have failed for a second time.

For more information, please see the CRPO Supervision Tool and Third Exam Attempt Policy linked below.

If a Qualifying registrant fails their third exam attempt, their certificate of registration expires; if they want to re-apply to the College, they will have to complete a new psychotherapy education program prior to re-applying for registration. Please see section 6(6) of the Registration Regulation. The Registration Regulation also states that the third and final attempt is permitted only after the Qualifying registrant has completed upgrading activities, if any, required by a panel of the Examination Committee. The third attempt must be made no later than five years after the date of initial registration for registration in the Qualifying category, unless additional time is permitted by the Examination Committee, in exceptional circumstances.

For more information, please see Qualifying Expiration Policy and Process linked below.