The CRPO Registration Exam is written by RP (Qualifying) registrants of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario. Your first attempt must be made within 24 months of registration. This page covers the exam facts we have checked against official sources. It also has our free practice sets by topic, worked explanations of sample questions, and a study plan for the 3-hour exam, which you take online with a remote proctor.

RP Exam at a Glance

What changed for RP in 2026

• Oct 27, 2026: Eligibility changed to RP (Qualifying) registrants; 1st attempt within 24 months of registration (previously RP (Qualifying) registrants who completed a recognized/equivalent program; 1st attempt within 24 months).^[1]
• Oct 27, 2026: Other (update 2026-06-16) changed to CRPO implemented adjusted fee schedules effective June 16, 2026, setting the Registered Psychotherapist registration or renewal fee at $641.00 and maintaining the Registration Examination fee at $545.00 before taxes. (previously New CRPO fees took effect June 16, 2026: RP registration or renewal is $641 and the Registration Examination is $545 (before HST).).^[3]
• Oct 27, 2026: Registration opens changed to Late January for spring sitting, late July for fall sitting (previously Exam notices sent ~3–4 months before the sitting (late January for spring, late July for fall)).^[1]
• Oct 27, 2026: Registration deadline changed to End of January for spring exam, end of July for fall exam (previously Final program completion documents due end of January (spring) / end of July (fall)).^[1]
• Oct 27, 2026: Passing score changed to Pass/fail; must reach passing benchmark in both information-gathering and decision-making (previously Pass/fail; must pass both information-gathering and decision-making (not a percentage)).^[2]
• Oct 27, 2026: Score release changed to 6–8 weeks after the exam date (previously 6–8 weeks after the exam).^[1]
• Oct 27, 2026: Retake policy changed to Maximum 3 attempts within 5 years; upgrading activities required before 3rd attempt (previously Max 3 attempts; upgrading may be required before the 3rd; 3rd attempt within 5 years).^[1]
• Oct 27, 2026: Validity changed to 5 years to satisfy all RP requirements (previously Qualifying registrants have 5 years to meet all RP requirements).^[1]
• Oct 27, 2026: Delivery changed to Computer-based online remote proctoring via MonitorEDU in English or French (previously Computer-based, online remote proctoring (COMPASS/MonitorEDU), English or French).^[1]
• Jun 16, 2026: CRPO implemented adjusted fee schedules effective June 16, 2026, setting the Registered Psychotherapist registration or renewal fee at $641.00 and maintaining the Registration Examination fee at $545.00 before taxes.^[3]

What the RP is and how it works

According to College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario, “The first attempt at the exam must be made no later than 24 months following the date that a certificate of registration was issued as a Qualifying registrant.”^[1]

The Registration Exam is the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO) assessment for RP (Qualifying) registrants who are working toward full RP registration. It is offered only through online remote proctoring with MonitorEDU, in English or French. You write it on a computer from your own location, not at a test centre.

Each registrant gets 3 hours. The result is pass/fail. CRPO uses criterion-based (competency-based) benchmarks across all simulations. You must pass both the information-gathering components and the decision-making components, so a strong result in a single area does not make up for a weak result in the other. Results usually arrive by email from both COMPASS and CRPO, 6–8 weeks after the exam date.

Your first attempt must be no later than 24 months after CRPO issues your Qualifying certificate of registration. From that same date, you have a maximum of 5 years to meet all requirements for RP registration. You can take the exam no more than 3 times, and you must complete upgrading activities before a 3rd attempt.

The next sittings are October 26–29, 2026 (fall) and April 5–8, 2027 (spring, subject to change). CRPO staff usually contact registrants in late July for the fall exam and in late January for the spring exam. The final deadline for program completion documentation is usually the end of July or the end of January. Deadlines may vary, so check current dates on the CRPO registration exam page at crpo.ca.

Worked examples: how to reason through RP questions

These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.

Example 1

Question: Why is it important to check for drug allergies before administration?

1. To prevent potentially life-threatening allergic reactions
2. To determine the correct billing code
3. To complete insurance paperwork
4. To satisfy pharmacy inventory requirements

Answer: A. To prevent potentially life-threatening allergic reactions

Explanation:

Checking for drug allergies before giving a medication is a basic patient safety step. A known allergy can trigger a severe reaction such as anaphylaxis, which can be fatal. Option A states that purpose. Option B is wrong because billing codes are an administrative matter and say nothing about whether a drug is safe for this person. Option C is wrong for the same reason: insurance paperwork does not protect the patient. Option D is about stock control, not clinical risk.

The rule to remember: safety checks before an intervention exist to protect the client. Choose the option about preventing harm over any administrative reason. Psychotherapists do not give medication. Still, knowing a client's medications and allergies helps when you work with prescribers.

Example 2

Question: Person-centered therapy, developed by Carl Rogers, emphasizes which core therapeutic condition?

1. Confrontation and challenging irrational beliefs
2. Unconditional positive regard, empathy, and congruence
3. Structured homework assignments and psychoeducation
4. Analysis of transference and countertransference

Answer: B. Unconditional positive regard, empathy, and congruence

Explanation:

Carl Rogers held that change happens when the therapist offers unconditional positive regard, accurate empathy and congruence (genuineness). Option B names those core conditions. Option A, confronting and disputing irrational beliefs, belongs to Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy and related cognitive approaches. It does not fit Rogers' non-directive stance. Option C, structured homework and psychoeducation, is typical of cognitive behavioural therapy. Option D, analysing transference and countertransference, is central to psychodynamic work.

The rule to remember: link each model to the main way it creates change. Person-centred therapy works through the relationship itself, and the therapist follows the client's lead instead of directing, challenging or interpreting.

Example 3

Question: What happens after successfully completing the accreditation process?

1. The candidate must retake exams annually
2. The candidate receives certification to practice
3. The candidate must complete another internship
4. The candidate is required to attend regular workshops

Answer: B. The candidate receives certification to practice

Explanation:

An accreditation process ends with a credential that formally authorises a person to practise. In Ontario, that credential is registration with CRPO. Option B is right because finishing the process means the candidate has met the educational, experiential and ethical standards and receives the credential. Option A is wrong because a credential is not kept by resitting exams every year. The regulator sets separate renewal requirements for that. Option C is wrong because supervised training comes before the credential, not after it. Option D goes too far: ongoing learning may be expected, but workshops are not what finishing the process gives you.

The rule to remember: the result of an accreditation process is the credential itself. An answer that adds a new hurdle after completion is usually a distractor. For Ontario details, read CRPO's own requirements.

How to use these practice tests

We write our questions with AI tools, and they are not real exam questions. Use them to find gaps in your knowledge, then check the details against CRPO's official material.

1. Start with the official rules. Read the CRPO registration exam page and the current Resource Manual. They explain the format: simulations, pass/fail results, and separate benchmarks for information-gathering and decision-making.
2. Take a baseline. Work through the RP practice test and note which topics you miss.
3. Drill clinical judgment. Spend most of your time on Patient Assessment and Evaluation, Therapeutic Modalities and Techniques and Professional Ethics and Standards. The exam asks you to gather information and then make decisions.
4. Cover the rest. Add Documentation and Record Keeping, Emergency Response Procedures and Patient Communication Skills.
5. Review every miss. For each wrong answer, write down why the correct option is right and why the option you chose is wrong.
6. Rehearse test day. Do a timed session of 3 hours to practise pacing. Set up your computer, camera and room as MonitorEDU instructs, well before your sitting.

Sources & last verified

1. College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario — time limit, retake policy, validity, delivery (official source). “Each registrant is allotted 3 hours to write the exam.” Verified Oct 27, 2026.
2. College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario — passing score (official source). “Using the criterion-based (competency-based) benchmarks across all simulations, candidates must pass both the information-gathering components and the decision-making components of the Examination in order to…” Verified Oct 27, 2026.
3. College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario — other (official source). “New rate as of June 16, 2026, without HST [...] Registered Psychotherapist Registration or Renewal $641.00 [...] Registration Examination* $545.00” Verified Oct 27, 2026.

How we verify: editorial & fact-checking policy. Report an error: contact us.