NOTCE Information

What is the NOTCE (nah-chee)?

The National Occupational Therapy Certification Examination (NOTCE) assesses the written application of academic knowledge and professional behaviour of individuals entering the occupational therapy profession in Canada. Successful completion of the NOTCE is a registration requirement for regulatory organizations (excluding Quebec).

Each province has a provincial regulatory organization responsible for regulating the practice of occupational therapy. Please contact the regulatory organization for the province in which you wish to work to obtain its specific requirements.

Successful completion of the NOTCE does not allow you to practice in the US or internationally without meeting that country’s requirements.

It is strongly recommended that you read the NOTCE Resource Manual to learn about the development of the exam, view the blueprint and obtain a list of helpful resources to prepare for the exam. NOTCE study resources are available and designed for different learning styles.

Further details about the NOTCE can be found by reviewing the NOTCE Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

Who is eligible to write the NOTCE?

Canadian graduates

As a Canadian graduate of an approved occupational therapy education program, you are eligible to write the NOTCE.

You need:

• To register for the exam, and

• Proof of program completion. Confirmation emails are directly provided to the NOTCE department from your university and state that you have completed all the requirements of your program.

Exceptions:

• Candidates who have successfully completed an accredited occupational therapy program at a Canadian university more than two years before the date of the exam or have failed a previous exam will be deemed eligible to write the examination upon the NOTCE department receiving confirmation in writing, directly from a provincial regulatory organization, that the candidate is eligible to write the NOTCE.

• Post-professional programs/degrees offered at certain Canadian universities do not qualify under this criterion. Only approved entry-level master’s degree programs at Canadian universities apply.

Additional notes:

• You may register for the exam prior to your completion date of your program.

• If you need testing accommodations to write the exam, requests will be reviewed/accepted subject to the Testing Accommodations Policy Document.

You may choose to work as an OT under supervision prior to writing the exam. The provincial regulatory organizations oversee provisional licensing and may request proof of your registration to write the NOTCE before issuing a provisional licence. The receipt to your NOTCE registration can be used as proof confirming your registration.

Internationally-educated occupational therapists (IEOT)

There is no reciprocity amongst countries with regard to the NOTCE. Internationally-educated occupational therapist (IEOT) applicants must first have their credentials assessed before they can apply to be registered with a provincial regulatory college and write the NOTCE.

The assessment process is called Substantial Equivalency Assessment System (SEAS) and is administered by the Association of Canadian Occupational Therapy Regulatory Organizations (ACOTRO).  

• If you are currently in the SEAS process and have not received your SEAS final determination, you may register for the exam before the registration deadline. 

• If you do not complete the SEAS process or do not receive registration with a provincial regulatory college before the exam, you may email exam@caot.ca to defer your exam to the next date.

• Once you successfully complete the SEAS process and register with a provincial regulatory college, the regulatory college will send notification to the NOTCE department that you are eligible to write the NOTCE.

CAOT provides information and resources for IEOTs related to a move to Canada.

Format

The National Occupational Therapy Certification Examination (NOTCE) format is as follows:  

• In-person Computer Based Exam (See Manual)

• Live remote proctored exam (See Manual)

• The exam is split into two parts, each having 100 questions.

• Two (2) hours is allocated for each part.

• The total exam consists of approximately 40 case studies.

• The exam questions are selected according to the examination blueprint (see NOTCE Resource Manual).

• The exam is in a multiple-choice format.

• Scoring is one (1) mark for a correct answer; zero (0) for incorrect answer.

• The pass mark is approximately 70% and is based on criterion referencing. The results are not bell curved.

• Exam results are uploaded to your CAOT Profile approximately 6-8 weeks after the written date.