FAQs
Do I need to write the NOTCE?
This answer requires you to consider a few elements such as where did you graduate from and where do you want to practice? The National Occupational Therapy Certification Examination (NOTCE) can serve as eligibility criteria for CAOT membership as well as registration for a provincial regulatory organization.
OEQ members: please read ACOTRO’s Labour Mobility Support Agreement and connect with a regulator (of destination) to confirm the need to write the NOTCE.
Occupational therapists are regulated health professionals in all Canadian provinces. Each province has a provincial regulatory organization responsible for regulating the practice of occupational therapy. When you apply to become registered to work as an occupational therapist in a specific province, it is important to note that each provincial regulatory organization has its own set of regulatory requirements. Please contact the provincial regulatory organization for the province in which you wish to work to obtain its specific requirements (eligibility requirements ).
If you do not pass the NOTCE, it is the provincial regulatory organization that will determine the conditions under which you may be employed as an occupational therapist. It may specify how many times you may attempt the examination for registration purposes.
There is no reciprocity amongst countries with regard to certification exams i.e. a successful outcome of the NOTCE will not allow you to practice in the US or elsewhere without meeting their requirements, including their certification exam.
How do I set up an account and profile to register for the NOTCE?
The NOTCE is administered by the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT). To register, pay and receive your exam results, you must have a CAOT profile. If you are a CAOT Student Associate or a Provisional Associate, you already have a profile so please don’t set up a duplicate. If you don’t have profile, create one on the Login page of www.caot.ca.
Can I write the NOTCE on a date other than those listed?
No. Please see Dates and Deadlines. If you must postpone or withdraw from the exam, you must wait until the next scheduled exam sitting.
Who creates the NOTCE?
The exam is developed by NOTCE’s Certification Examination Committee (CEC). The CEC consists of occupational therapists from regions across Canada and an expert in test and measurement in education. At least two of the committee members must be bilingual (French/English). Committee members represent occupational therapy practice in the areas of clinical, academia, management and consultation. The tasks of the CEC are, but not limited to:
Generate the exam
Review existing and new exam questions
Review and update documentation
Ensure reliability and validity of exam
Initiate relevant research
Provide a public annual report and semi-annual reports to the CAOT Board of Directors.
Are there any resources to help me prepare for the NOTCE?
The following NOTCE resources are published exclusively by CAOT. The NOTCE department does not endorse or authorize any other preparatory exam or any resource(s) outside of these preparation tools. These exam preparation resources were designed to be reflective of the NOTCE and were developed with the same guidelines.
The NOTCE Resource Manual, a FREE resource with over 100 practice questions, walks you through the development of the NOTCE so you can better understand how the examination is constructed and feel confident that your knowledge is being evaluated based on reliable and rigorous principles. Sample cases and questions, with answers, start on page 12.
The NOTCE Online Prep Class assists candidates to prepare for the NOTCE through online group discussion of practice questions.
The NOTCE Study Guide and Practice Exam are resources made up of sample questions reflective of the NOTCE. The Guide contains 165 practice questions, answers and rationale. Once you purchase the Guide, you receive one-time access to the NOTCE Practice Exam, with 200 practice questions. Answers are not provided but you will receive a result at the end of the practice exam. This two-part resource is available for purchase from the CAOT Store.
The "Ready for Work" Bundle includes
NOTCE Study Guide and Practice Exam
Bonus: Access to the original NOTCE Study Guide and Practice Exam provides you with an extra 200 practice questions!Full year of CAOT membership and CAOT Professional Liability Insurance
Note: Your CAOT registration/insurance will be begin once you have passed the NOTCE. Contact membership@caot.ca if you require your insurance earlier.Three CAOT Practice Evidence Webinar credits (valid for two years)
Can I practice as an occupational therapist before writing the NOTCE?
Provincial regulatory organizations may have provisional registration category where you can practice occupational therapy under supervision while you wait to write the exam. Please contact the appropriate regulatory organization where you wish to practice to find out about any provisional registration that they may offer. The provincial regulatory organization may require that you submit proof of your NOTCE registration as part of the requirements for provisional registration.
How do I submit proof of my NOTCE registration to my provincial regulatory organization?
Once you have registered for the NOTCE, you will receive a receipt that you can forward to your provincial regulator body. This receipt is located on your CAOT profile. You may download the pdf copy to send by e-mail.
How many NOTCE attempts do I have?
As of October 1st, 2014 exam candidates will have a total of three opportunities to successfully pass the NOTCE. Candidates who have already attempted the NOTCE prior to October 1st, 2014 will have three more opportunities to write the exam. If a candidate does not succeed in passing the NOTCE after three attempts, the candidate will no longer be eligible to write the NOTCE.
The rationale for this rule involves preventing undue exposure to the content of the exam, practice effect, fairness for those who are unlikely to be successful after many rewrites, and consideration of other exam policies in Canada.
Please note, provincial regulators will have limitations on the number of times you can write the exam based on having a restricted/provisional license. Please contact your provincial regulator for more details.
How do I withdraw from the NOTCE?
All requests for withdrawal from the exam must be made in writing to exam@caot.ca at least two (2) weeks prior to the exam date. The deadline for any withdrawal is two (2) weeks prior to the exam date. You can make a request for withdrawal if there are extenuating circumstances as follows:
Extenuating circumstances
All requests for withdrawal due to extenuating circumstances must be in writing with supporting documentation. Refunds or postponement may be provided at the discretion of the Director of Standards. Circumstances that fall into the category of extenuating circumstances include illness and a death in the family. Requests and supporting documentation to be sent in writing to exam@caot.ca.
Important: Before postponing or withdrawing from the NOTCE, please check with your regulatory body as they may not provide an extension to your current status.
What is the refund policy for withdrawal from the NOTCE?
Candidates who withdraw their application will be refunded 50% of the examination fee they have paid if the NOTCE department receives written notification of such withdrawal a minimum of 14 days prior to the exam date. Candidates who have not withdrawn their application in writing at least 14 days prior to the exam date will forfeit the entire exam fee.
Candidates who are unable to write the examination due to extenuating circumstances may apply for a refund. Such candidates must submit written evidence of the circumstances to the NOTCE department. The amount of any such refund will be at the discretion of the Director of Standards.
When do I get my NOTCE results?
Exam results are uploaded to your CAOT profile (My Account) approximately 6-8 weeks after the written date. During the scoring process, all unsuccessful exams are hand-scored a second time to ensure accuracy. Once your exam results have been received, they are final and they cannot be appealed. If the candidate wishes to have their results manually re-scored, you may request this service at a cost of $65.00 plus taxes.
How is the passing score of the NOTCE determined?
All items are equally weighted. Correct responses are worth one (1) mark; incorrect responses are worth zero marks. The passing score for the NOTCE is a scaled score of 290. Candidates who correctly answer more items than are required to pass the examination will obtain scaled scores that are between 290 and 450. Candidates who did not correctly answer enough items to pass will obtain scaled scores between 100 and 289. The passing score for the examination is determined through a systematic process of rating item difficulty conducted by subject matter experts. The number of correct items needed to pass varies slightly for each exam sitting. In order to achieve a passing score of 290, the pass mark (near 70%) is based on criterion referencing. The results are not bell curved.
What can I expect on exam day?
The NOTCE in-person computer based exam manual will provide you with information about what to expect on exam day. If you are writing the live remote proctored exam, see the following online exam manual.
What can I do if I see someone cheat during the exam?
If this unfortunate situation arises during the exam, please notify the onsite invigilator. Someone who is found to be cheating will have their exam cancelled, results nullified and will also be reported to the regulators in Canada. No candidate may copy the work of another candidate into his or her answer sheet. No candidate may communicate with any other candidate in any way while the exam is in progress. See policy on NOTCE Results Invalidation.
Am I able to receive testing accommodations to write the NOTCE?
Requests for testing accommodations will be reviewed subject to the Testing Accommodation Policy Document
To apply for testing accommodations, please complete Form A through the NOTCE registration process:
Depending on your request, supporting documents can be one of the following:
Form B (completed by a health professional, sent directly to exam@caot.ca)
OR
Letter from your university (accessibility department, (sent directly to exam@caot.ca)
OR
Letter from your religious leader, (sent directly to exam@caot.ca)
Can I request for reconsideration or appeal my NOTCE attempt?
See NOTCE Reconsideration and Appeal Policy for procedures.
What happens if I fail the NOTCE?
Provincial regulators in Canada have been notified of your exam results. However, it is your responsibility to meet any requirements your regulator has regarding examination results notification. If you have failed your exam, you are required to contact your provincial regulatory body to determine your registration status and your eligibility for future examinations. If a candidate does not succeed in passing the NOTCE after three attempts, the candidate will no longer be eligible to write the NOTCE.