Certification – College of Massage Therapists of Ontario

To practise Massage Therapy in Ontario, you must first obtain a Certificate of Registration from the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario (CMTO). Only the College of Massage Therapists, the provincial regulatory body, can register Massage Therapists. Upon successful completion of a minimum 2200-hour course at a recognized Massage Therapy college, candidates are then required to take a two-part exam with both written and oral-practical components at the CMTO and achieve a minimum mark of 70%. Successful completion of this exam bestows the title of Massage Therapist along with the rights and responsibilities of the profession.

What is the Certification Examination

The Certification Examination has two components: a knowledge component and a clinical component.

The knowledge component (multiple-choice examination) is delivered via computer and consists of 100 questions administered within a period of 90 minutes. The examination is administered adaptively and one implication of this is that no two candidates are likely to be given the same set of items.

The clinical component is an Objectively Structured Clinical Evaluation (OSCE). The OSCE is 60 minutes long. Candidates rotate though four rooms depicting various clinical scenarios. Each scenario consists of a 15-minute encounter with a standardized simulated client. A half-hour registration period precedes the OSCE examination and candidates should expect to be at the exam site for approximately one and three quarters (1¾) hours.

Successful completion of both components is required to pass the examination.

Examination Fees

There is a charge for each time a candidate takes examinations.
Multiple Choice Examination – $ 150.00
OSCE – $ 475.00

The OSCE is administered in Toronto three times a year, in early May, in early August and in mid-November. All applications and documentation must be submitted no later than 30 days prior to the scheduled OSCE examinations. Schools will provide proof of graduation no later than 14 days prior to the scheduled examinations.

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What is the format of the OSCE examination?

The OSCE is a performance exam that requires a candidate to demonstrate certain behaviours in a simulated work environment.

The OSCE uses simulated clients. The simulated clients have been trained for the role they perform in the OSCE. The exam is divided into four OSCE scenarios of 15 minutes each in length. The OSCE requires one (1) hour to complete.

A candidate is expected to treat the OSCE scenarios as real, clinical situations. If the OSCE scenario states that a simulated client is new to the candidate, the candidate will be expected to proceed as though the simulated client is, in fact, new to the candidate. The simulated client may engage in simple dialogue with the candidate. If the simulated client does interact with the candidate, the interaction is part of the scenario, and the candidate’s interaction and behaviour will be evaluated.

Examination results

Candidates will receive their multiple-choice exam results immediately upon completion of the examination. The results will be provided in one of the following forms:

• A pass letter. You will not receive a score, but you will receive an evaluation of your performance by object area; or
• A failure letter. You will receive the scaled score achieved along with an indication of the minimum passing score. Also, you will receive an evaluation of performance by subject matter that will assist you to prepare to retake the examination. You will also be provided with information about how to register to retake the multiple-choice examination.

Approximately four to six weeks after the completion of the certification examination week, you will receive a written notice of your OSCE examination results by mail. Results will not be provided by telephone or facsimile to anyone. You will note on the Examination Application Form that there is a specific section for a delivery address for your results. It is your responsibility to ensure that this address is correct and current.

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Failures

A candidate who fails the examination may apply for a re-examination twice. A candidate who fails a third attempt of the examinations must submit to the Registration Committee proof of remediation and upgrading in accordance with policy guidelines issued by the Committee before the candidate may retake the examinations. A candidate who fails the examinations may not retake them later than two years after the failure, unless the candidate presents to the Registration Committee proof of remediation and upgrading in accordance with policy guidelines issued by the Committee (RHPA- Examination Regulation (Ont. Reg. 712/93)).

(CMTO, Information Guide for the Examination Candidates 1-3)