Applicants > Registration Requirements > Language Proficiency

Language Proficiency

All applicants must demonstrate sufficient language proficiency in either English or French to register with the College. This requirement is to ensure pharmacy professionals can communicate effectively with patients, the College, and other healthcare professionals. 

The College’s language proficiency requirements are aligned with the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA) language proficiency requirements, and comply with Ontario Regulation 508/22 under the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991. 

No Further Evidence Required

Graduates of educational programs located in Canada and accredited by the Canadian Council for the Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs (CCAPP) or pharmacy degree programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) with “PharmD Program accreditation” status are considered to have met the College’s language proficiency requirements. 

Further Evidence Required

International applicants, including graduates of pharmacy programs with international CCAPP- or ACPE-accreditation and graduates from the countries approved by the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada for its streamlined pathway, are required to demonstrate their language proficiency as part of their pathway to registration. These applicants must either:  

  • Submit language proficiency test scores that meet the minimum acceptable test scores. For tests taken prior to December 31, 2025, the scores must meet the minimum acceptable test scores for pharmacists or pharmacy technicians. Applicants applying through the Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada must submit their test score reports through their Gateway profile, OR   
  • Submit acceptable non-objective evidence that demonstrates you can speak, read, write and comprehend English or French with sufficient fluency to practice the profession.  

Please see the FAQs below for more information on submitting the required language proficiency evidence. 

Currency of Language Proficiency Tests

Test scores are valid for two years and must be valid when an application is processed. Testing institutions will not provide official confirmation of test results beyond two years from the test date. Acceptable test scores may be extended by one year according to the College’s Language Proficiency Requirements at Registration for All Applicants policy.

All Registrants

As of January 1, 2026, all registrants will be required to maintain their ability to speak, read, write and comprehend English or French with sufficient fluency throughout their registration with the College. Language proficiency concerns may be reported to the College by anyone who interacts with the registrant (for example, a patient, caregiver, colleague, other healthcare professional). College staff will assess the concerns and take appropriate action according to its complaints & reports process. During the annual renewal process, every registrant will be required to declare that they have maintained their English or French language proficiency.  

Resolutions and Policies

The Registration Committee has approved policies related to language proficiency. 

FAQs

  • Language proficiency requirements help ensure applicants and registrants can effectively communicate with the College, patients and other healthcare professionals to support safe and quality patient care throughout their pharmacy careers. Meeting language proficiency requirements is a legal requirement under O. Reg. 256/24. 

  • The English and French language proficiency tests and cut scores were updated to align with NAPRA’s Language Proficiency Requirement Policy. The 2024 NAPRA cut scores were determined through a rigorous scientific standard setting process with panels comprised of pharmacy practitioners, educators and regulators. The new cut scores reflect the evolution of pharmacy practice since the former scores were set in the mid-1990s and now align with other majority English-speaking countries.  

  • The non-NAPRA language proficiency tests are ones that are approved by the Government of Canada for immigration purposes. Ontario Regulation 508/22 of the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 requires the College to accept those tests. The cut scores for the other tests were determined from the 2024 NAPRA cut scores using published equivalence scales, such as the  Common European Framework of Reference for Languages/Cadre européen commun de référence pour les langues (CEFR/CECR) and the Canadian Language Benchmarks/Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (CLB/NCLC).

  • If you completed your language proficiency test between January 1, 2024, and December 31, 2025, you must meet the tests and cut scores for pharmacists (for pharmacist applicants) or for pharmacy technicians (for pharmacy technician applicants).  

    Test scores are valid for two years from the test date. If you do not register with the College within two years of the date of your language proficiency test with acceptable cut scores, you may be eligible to request a 1-year extension of the validity of your test. Please refer to the FAQ about expired test scores.

  • Yes, all components of the test must be attempted in the same session for the results to meet the College’s language proficiency requirement. The College does not accept the TOEFL MyBest Scores.  

    For the OET Test on Computer and the OET@Home formats, the listening, reading and writing sub-tests must be taken together and the OET speaking sub-test must be completed within the same test administration (usually eight days before or after the listening, reading and writing test). 

  • If you are an international pharmacy graduate who is required to apply through the Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada, upload your CELPIP, IELTS, OET or TEF Canada test score reports to your Gateway account. The Gateway will notify the College, and  staff will verify your test scores online. PTE Core and TCF Canada test score reports must be sent directly to the College by the testing institution.  

    If you are an international applicant who is NOT required to apply through the Gateway, please submit a copy of your test score report to the College noting the following:  

    • For CELPIP, ensure your test results are shared with the College through the CELPIP portal and provide your Registration Number and PIN so College staff can access your test scores online.  
    • For IELTS, ensure the Test Report Form number in the bottom right corner of the report is legible.   
    • For PTE Core, ensure you have shared your score with the College and provide either your Registration ID or your Score Report Code (a 10-character code found at the top of the score report).  
    • For TEF Canada, ensure the Attestation number in the bottom left corner of the report is legible.   

    OET and TCF Canada test score reports must be sent directly to OCP by the testing institution.

  • Test scores are valid for two years from the date of the test. Your test scores must be valid every time you submit an application.

  • When you are ready to submit your application for registration, please e-mail [email protected] if you would like to request consideration for an extension of your test scores. If you recently successfully completed a bridging program approved by the College’s Board, the Practice Assessment of Competence at Entry (PACE), Structured Practical Training (SPT), or the PEBC Qualifying Exam, a College staff member may be able to extend the validity of your scores. 

    If you have not successfully completed a current practice-based assessment or examination registration requirement, your request will be referred to a panel of the Registration Committee. 

    For more information, please see the “Extending the validity of an applicant’s language proficiency test scores” section of the Language Proficiency Requirements at Registration for All Applicants Policy.  

  • Submit supporting documentation directly from your educational institution or employer to [email protected] when you apply for registration as an intern or intern technician. Ask the sender to include your name and OCP number in the email so the evidence can be added to your existing OCP account.  

    For more information, please see the Non-Objective Evidence of Language Proficiency policy and the relevant pharmacist applicant or pharmacy technician applicant registration pathway.

  • There is no restriction on the type of information you may submit to a panel. However, it must be sufficiently reliable and persuasive to demonstrate your language proficiency in English or French. The following is a list of examples you might submit:  

    • Evidence that your elementary and secondary school education were completed in English or French (e.g., an official transcript or letter sent directly from the schools to OCP confirming that the education was exclusively delivered in English or French while the applicant attended the school). 
    • Evidence that your pharmacy degree was completed in English or French (e.g., a letter sent directly from the pharmacy school to OCP confirming that all the lectures, examinations, assignments, laboratories and experiential placements required by the program were exclusively delivered in English or French while the applicant attended the program. Alternatively, you or the program may submit course outlines or syllabi that were current while you were attending the program and that list required and recommended textbooks and references published in English or French). 
    • Evidence of extensive work experience as a pharmacist providing direct patient care and collaborating with other health professionals in English or French, verified by a regulated professional or recognized academic (e.g., a letter sent directly to OCP from your employer describing your role or scope or practice in that workplace, and your English or French fluency when communicating with staff, patients and other health professionals. The letter should also confirm whether the workplace used English or French for written and spoken communication, and for communication with the pharmacy regulatory body (which should be specified in the letter). The letter must also include your employment start and end dates, the business name and address, and the writer’s current contact information). 

    Please note that these examples are provided as guidance only and do not guarantee the outcome of a panel’s decision.

  • No. Since 2006, the College’s language proficiency requirements has included a process that allowed the College to investigate if a registrant was reported to be unable to effectively communicate in English or French. In 2024, changes to NAPRA’s Language Proficiency Requirement Policy and Ontario Regulation 256/24 – General Regulations under Pharmacy Act, 1991 prompted the College to update and more clearly define the language proficiency expectations for applicants and registrants. A declaration confirming a registrant’s ability to speak, read, write and comprehend English or French with sufficient fluency to practise the profession will be introduced as part of the 2026 annual renewal process.  

  • No. Any concerns about a registrant’s language proficiency will be addressed through the College’s Complaints & Reports process. The first step will be gathering information to determine the validity of the concern.  

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