International Graduates
Entry to practice as an occupational therapist in Canada is regulated provincially. Each province will have specific registration requirements. You must contact the provincial regulatory organization of the province in which you wish to work to find out its registration requirements.
CAOT welcomes National Occupational Therapy Certifiation Examination (NOTCE) applications from occupational therapists who have graduated from international programs recognized by the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT Graduate). There is also an application procedure for occupational therapists who have graduated from international programs not recognized by WFOT (non-WFOT Graduate).
Language requirement:
CAOT does not have a language requirement for exam candidates. Provincial regulatory bodies do have a language requirement for licensing. It is strongly recommended you be able to meet provincial language requirements before attempting the CAOT exam. Click here to find out about provincial requirements.
NOTE: Currently the majority of provincial regulatory organizations require internationally educated occupational therapists to pass the CAOT certification examination.
It is strongly recommended that you read the Exam Procedures Manual to learn about the exam policies and procedures, and that you read the Exam 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.
Exam Resource Manual
What to Expect on Exam Day
Establishing Eligibility
In order to register for the NOTCE, you must establish your eligibility. For this, you first need to know if you graduated from a WFOT approved program.
- To verify whether your educational program was recognized by the WFOT in the year of your graduation, please visit the WFOT web site at and check under the WFOT recognized programs and schools for your country. CAOT refers solely to this web site listing for WFOT recognition status of all programs.
Please click here if you are a WFOT Graduate.
Please click here if you are a non-WFOT Graduate.
If you have any questions, please contact the Exam Services Administrator for further information. exam@caot.ca
