The exam in French
Can you write the CRPO exam in French?
Facts checked against CRPO's and Ontario's official sources on October 22, 2026.
Yes. CRPO's Registration Examination is a computer-based exam offered in both English and French. You tell CRPO which language you prefer when you confirm your eligibility, you confirm it again in the queue on exam day, and you can ask for a French-speaking proctor. The format, timing, scoring and fee are the same in both languages, and every official document you need to prepare is published in French.
Choosing French
CRPO's page on writing the exam says that, when candidates confirm their eligibility for a sitting, they confirm the language in which they prefer to write, English or French. On the day, the Resource Manual's online exam tips list what to do in the queue before the exam starts, including:
- "Identify if you are writing the examination in English or French."
- "Identify if you require an English/French/female proctor."
Your exam is remotely proctored online like everyone else's, with limited in-person seating only for candidates who need accommodation. What to set up and bring is in the exam day guide.
The same exam in both official languages
The exam is the Canadian Professional Standard for Counselling and Psychotherapy (CPSCP): Entry to Practice Competency Assessment, built by COMPASS. The Resource Manual describes it as a national assessment "available in both official languages", and says the test development team continuously generates new test items in both official languages. In French, you get the same ten simulations in three hours, nine of them scored, the same weights from +3 to -3, and the same two totals. The fee is the same: CAD 545 plus HST, set by and paid to COMPASS.
The French terms you will see on screen
The French exam uses the OPAO's own vocabulary (the Ordre des psychothérapeutes autorisés de l’Ontario is CRPO's French name). Learn these in French so nothing on the screen surprises you:
| English | French on the exam |
|---|---|
| Information Gathering (IG) | Collecte d’informations (CI) |
| Decision Making (DM) | Prise de décision (PD) |
| SELECT AS MANY | FAITES AUTANT DE CHOIX |
| CHOOSE ONLY ONE | NE FAITES QU’UN SEUL CHOIX |
| NEXT / PREVIOUS | SUIVANT / PRÉCÉDENT |
| Notepad | Bloc-notes |
| Passing score | Modèle de référence (note de passage) |
| Blueprint | Modèle de test |
The seven domains have official French names too, from Faire une évaluation initiale to Recours à la supervision. The exam format guide gives the full blueprint in both languages.
Preparing in French
Everything official is available in French, so you never need to study in one language and write in the other:
- the Resource Manual (Manuel de ressources pour l’examen d’admissibilité à l’inscription, June 2026);
- the Competency Profile (Profil des compétences d’admission à la profession de Psychothérapeute autorisé);
- the Professional Practice Standards and Code of Ethics (Normes d’exercice de la profession, Code de déontologie);
- the Jurisprudence Manual (Exercice de la profession et jurisprudence pour les psychothérapeutes autorisés);
- the Ontario statutes, whose French versions on ontario.ca are official, for example the Loi de 1996 sur le consentement aux soins de santé.
Use the official French titles. The approved French abbreviation for Registered Psychotherapist is PA, and the Qualifying category is PA (stagiaire). Standard 1.2 notes that "RP(Q)" and its French equivalent are not approved titles.
Who chooses French
CRPO's registration requirements include reasonable fluency in English or French, so French-speaking applicants can register and write the exam entirely in French. Candidates who trained or practise in French often find that the clinical nuance of an option is clearer in the language they work in. If you are unsure, read the manual's sample simulation in both languages and see which one you process faster.
The library module How the Exam Works has a French twin, like every page of the CRPO Exam Lab: the whole lab, including the free practice case and the free diagnostic, works in French with the OPAO's own terms.
Common questions
Is the French CRPO exam a translation of the English one?
The Resource Manual says the national assessment is available in both official languages and that new test items are generated continuously in both. Format, timing and scoring are identical.
How do I choose to write in French?
You confirm your preferred language with CRPO when you confirm your eligibility for a sitting, and you identify it again in the queue on exam day. Contact CRPO if your choice changes.
Can I have a French-speaking proctor?
Yes. In the queue you indicate whether you need an English-speaking or French-speaking proctor, or a female proctor.
Does writing in French change the fee or the results?
No. The fee is CAD 545 plus HST either way, and results arrive by email from COMPASS six to eight weeks after the exam, as a pass or fail.