Psychologist Sections A – Introduction, B – Terms, C- Overview of Requirements

Registration Guidelines

UPDATED: April 2019

A  INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this document is to expand upon the information in the Registration Regulation, providing further details about the requirements for registration, the registration process, and the application procedure. It should help give applicants an idea of the steps involved in becoming a psychologist and whether they are likely to meet the requirements for registration.

B  TERMS

Applicant: refers to someone who has applied for registration but has not yet had their application evaluated;

Authorized Supervised Practice: refers to the required supervised practice undertaken by holders of the certificate for supervised practice;

Autonomous member: refers to a holder of a certificate authorizing autonomous practice;

Candidate: refers to someone who at a minimum has met the academic requirements for registration and is in the process of meeting the remaining requirements;

College: refers to the College of Psychologists of Ontario;

Member: refers to a psychologist or psychological associate, registered by the College to practise either autonomously or under supervision;

Registration Regulation: refers to Ontario Regulation 74/15, Registration;

Supervised member: refers to a holder of a certificate of registration authorizing supervised practice.

C  OVERVIEW OF REQUIREMENTS

Non-exemptible Requirements:

In order to be registered to practise autonomously as a psychologist, an applicant must:

  • Have submitted a completed application form and transcripts;
  • Have a doctoral degree in psychology that meets the requirements in the registration regulation;
  • Have completed a period of authorized supervised practice;
  • Pass the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP);
  • Pass the College’s Jurisprudence and Ethics Examination (JEE);
  • Pass the College’s Oral Examination;
  • Have completed any further training, which may be required by the Registration Committee.

Other Requirements for Issuance of a Certificate of Registration:

Good Character

All applicants to the College of Psychologists of Ontario are required to complete a Declaration of Good Character as part of their application. The Declaration of Good Character requires applicants to provide details about their past conduct. Information about the criteria used by the College when evaluating an applicant’s Good Character is found in Appendix E of these guidelines.

Section 3. 1. of the Registration Regulation specifies that an applicant must provide details of any of the following that relate to the applicant:

  • A conviction for a criminal offence or an offence related to the regulation of the practice of the profession.
  • A finding of professional misconduct, incompetency or incapacity, in Ontario in relation to another health profession or in another jurisdiction in relation to the profession or another health profession.
  • A current proceeding for professional misconduct, incompetency or incapacity in Ontario in relation to the profession or another health profession.

Language Fluency

Section 3. 2. of the Registration Regulation specifies that an applicant must be able with reasonable fluency to speak and write either English or French.

Applicants who have submitted a complete application and for whom all required documentation has been received by the College on or before August 31, 2015 will be deemed to have met this requirement upon successful completion of the professional examinations (EPPP, JEE and Oral Examination) required for registration.

As of September 1, 2015, applicants may meet the requirement by:

  1. Providing documentary evidence in the form of a transcript sent directly from the university to the College, indicating that the applicant’s highest level psychology degree was completed in: Canada; the United States of America; the United Kingdom; the Republic of Ireland; Australia; New Zealand or France; or
  2. Providing verification in the form of a signed letter sent directly to the College from the educational institution where the applicant’s psychology degree was completed that verifies that the language of instruction, supervision and clinical practice was entirely in English or French; this may be provided as a hard-copy original document, fax or PDF; or
  3. Providing a report, directly from the language testing agency to the College, as a hard-copy original document, PDF or a fax, that the applicant has achieved the minimum scores indicated on one of the standardized language fluency tests approved by the College. An applicant must meet minimum scores in each area of one test and test results will be considered valid for two years from the date the test was administered.
 

TESTS AND MINIMUM SCORES REQUIRED TO MEET THE LANGUAGE FLUENCY REQUIREMENT – COLLEGE OF PSYCHOLOGISTS OF ONTARIO

English

Test TOEFL internet based test (iBT) IELTS (Academic)  
       
Required score(s) Writing: 27
Speaking: 24
Listening: 24
Reading: 24		 Writing: 7
Speaking: 7
Listening: 7
Reading: 7		  

French

Test Test d’évaluation du français (TEF)    
       
Required score(s) Writing: 349
Speaking: 349
Reading: 233
Listening: 280		    

 

 

 

 
 

OR

  1. Providing to the Registration Committee other compelling evidence of language fluency. This could be, for example, evidence that the applicant was registered and practiced in an English or French practice environment for a minimum of the equivalent of two years full-time, which could be confirmed through proof of registration sent directly from the psychology regulatory body, letters(s) from employer(s) or supervisor(s) etc. All such documentation must be sent directly to the College as a hard-copy original document, PDF or a fax.
  2. Applicants may be exempted from the requirement if they cannot meet it through the means described in 1., 2. or 4. above and has a documented disability1  that would affect their ability to meet the requirement by completing a standardized language fluency test, as described in 3. Such exemption will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Registration Committee.

Eligibility to Work in Canada

Section 3.3. of the Registration Regulation, specifies that, in order to be issued with a certificate of registration the applicant must be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada or authorized under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) to engage in the practice of the profession. Applicants who are not citizens or permanent residents of Canada may meet the requirement by holding a valid work permit, for example. For information respecting authorization to work in Canada go to http://www.cic.gc.ca/ . —————————————————————-

 1 The Access for Ontarians with Disabilities Act defines “disability” as:

a. any degree of physical disability, infirmity, malformation or disfigurement that is caused by bodily injury, birth defect or illness and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, includes diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, a brain injury, any degree of paralysis, amputation, lack of physical co-ordination, blindness or visual impediment, deafness or hearing impediment, muteness or speech impediment, or physical reliance on a guide dog or other animal or on a wheelchair or other remedial appliance or device,
b. a condition of mental impairment or a developmental disability,
c. a learning disability, or a dysfunction in one or more of the processes involved in understanding or using symbols or spoken language,
d. a mental disorder, or
e. an injury or disability for which benefits were claimed or received under the insurance plan established under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997; (“handicap”).

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