Considering physiotherapy in Canada
All physiotherapy regulators in Canada, except in the province of Québec, require applicants to have successfully completed the Physiotherapy Competency Exam (PCE) before they are eligible to obtain an independent license to practise physiotherapy in Canada.
An exception applies to the province of Québec, which is managed by the Ordre professionnel de la physiothérapie du Québec (OPPQ).
To be eligible to challenge the PCE, Canadian-educated candidates must graduate from an entry-to-practice physiotherapy program that holds Accreditation status with Physiotherapy Education Accreditation Canada (PEAC).
To obtain a physiotherapy license in Québec, applicants must either hold a master’s degree in physiotherapy from a Québec university or be licensed to practice physiotherapy in another Canadian jurisdiction.
Students that graduate from a Canadian accredited physiotherapy program are eligible to write the PCE. Please contact each education program directly to explore admissions criteria and the admissions process.
If you have any questions about the PCE, please visit the Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators (CAPR) website.
Affiliated PT Programs
Current physiotherapy students in Canada
To become licensed as a physiotherapist, all provincial Regulatory Colleges, except in Québec, require candidates to first pass the Physiotherapy Competency Exam (PCE). The Written Component of the PCE is administered by the Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators (CAPR).
If you have any questions about the PCE, please visit the Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators (CAPR) website.
A list of accredited physiotherapy programs can be found at this link. For further information about levels of accreditation, visit this page. If you are wondering how a probationary accreditation status may impact you, please refer to the Probationary Accreditation Fact Sheet for further details.
Educated as a physiotherapist outside of Canada
All physiotherapy regulators in Canada, except in the province of Québec, require applicants to have successfully completed the Physiotherapy Competency Exam (PCE) before they are eligible to obtain an independent license to practise physiotherapy in Canada.
Aside from the province of Québec, internationally educated physiotherapists that wish to be licensed in Canada must first pass five steps involving two (2) organizations: the Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators (CAPR), and the College of Physiotherapists (CPA).
Stage 1: Review of credentials.
Managed by CAPR
Stage 2: Pass the Physiotherapy Competency Exam (except in Québec).
Managed by CAPR
Stage 3: Receive the license to practice as a physiotherapist in the jurisdiction the physiotherapist wishes to practice.
Managed by CPA
(These steps are different for the province of Québec).