Registration Committee Updates Registration Policies

The College’s Registration Committee has approved updates to registration policies to make it easier for applicants and registrants to understand College expectations.

Key Registration Policy Updates

• The Language Proficiency Requirements at Registration for All Applicants Policy has been updated to include new English and French language proficiency tests and cut scores, and to incorporate a 1-year extension of the validity of acceptable language proficiency test scores. The new cut scores align with NAPRA’s Language Proficiency Requirement Policy as well as cut scores used by other pharmacy regulators in Canada. The changes to the policy come into effect January 1, 2026 (based on the applicant’s test date). Please review the FAQs below for information about the transition period for applicants with test dates prior to January 1, 2026.
• Two new registration policies were created. One outlines how registrants transfer from Part B of the Register to Part A of the Register, and another outlines the process for ensuring registrants demonstrate sufficient English or French language proficiency throughout their registration with the College. The new Language Proficiency Triggers for All Registrants Policy comes into effect January 1, 2026.
• All registration policies related to the Structured Practical Training program have been rescinded. This is because the College transitioned from the Structured Practical Training program to the Practice Assessment of Competence at Entry (PACE) model for pharmacy technician applicants in fall 2024. 

To access all Registration policies, please visit the College’s website. For questions about registration policies, please refer to the FAQs below, or contact our Registration team at [email protected].

Frequently Asked Questions

Why must applicants meet certain language requirements?
All applicants – those applying to become a registrant of the College – must be able to speak, read, write and comprehend English or French with sufficient fluency. This expectation is outlined in law under O. Reg. 256/24 under the Pharmacy Act, 1991. Language proficiency requirements help ensure applicants can effectively communicate with patients and other healthcare professionals to support safe and quality patient care throughout their pharmacy careers.      

What are language proficiency cut scores?
Cut scores are the minimum threshold applicants must meet to demonstrate their language competency. Cut scores determine if an applicant has met the language requirements to practice pharmacy in Ontario.

Why have the College’s language proficiency tests and cut scores changed?
The English and French language proficiency tests and cut scores have been updated to align with NAPRA’s Language Proficiency Requirement Policy and continue to comply with Ontario Regulations 508/22 of the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991. The NAPRA cut scores were determined through a rigorous scientific standard setting process with panels made up of pharmacy practitioners, educators and regulators, and now align with other majority English-speaking countries.

I’m an applicant going through the registration process and recently completed my language proficiency test. Is there a transition period for me before the new tests and cut scores take effect?

• If you completed your language proficiency test between January 1, 2024, and December 31, 2025, you must meet the tests and cut scores outlined on our pharmacist webpage (for pharmacist applicants) or our pharmacy technician webpage (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.
• If you complete your language proficiency test on or after January 1, 2026, you must meet the new tests and cut scores outlined in the Language Proficiency Requirements at Registration for All Applicants Policy.