Practice Based Competency Assessment (PBCA) Program - College of Physiotherapists of Manitoba

The Practice Based Competency Assessment (PBCA) is the clinical evaluation chosen by Council in Manitoba. The PBCA is an evaluation of entry to practice competence across several domains. The evaluation consists of chart audits, scored interviews with the candidate and supervisor(s), evaluation of the ACP forms, a jurisprudence exam and an evaluation of a practice reflection. The full evaluation process will take 4-6 weeks to complete. This does not include processing time, the time between completion of the evaluation and review by the Board of Assessors and the time required to communicate the result to the Examination Candidate following the committee’s meeting. Scores are based on standardized expectations, criteria and outcomes. In order to move the Active Register, an Examination Candidate must pass an approved Clinical Evaluation. A candidate will not be eligible to practice physiotherapy in Manitoba if they fail three attempts at a clinical evaluation or exceed 2 years on the Exam Candidate register, whichever comes first.

Eligibility Criteria for Assessment

Applicants must have been registered on the Exam Candidate Register in Manitoba for a minimum of 6 months.
Applicants must have successfully completed 1200 hours of supervised practice in Manitoba. These hours must be confirmed using the Request for Verification for Practice Hours form .
Applicants must not have any outstanding or unresolved complaints or be subject to any unresolved discipline proceedings at the time of application.

Clarification

Practice Hours – Verified Practice Hours – the 1200 hours will need to be verified by your employer using the Request for Verification for Practice Hours form . A majority of these hours need to be in direct patient care. If verified by the employer, a minimal number of hours can be submitted pertaining to mentorship activities and formal education.

Practice – the 1200 hours and minimum 6 months practicing must occur in Manitoba

Timeline – an Examination Candidate must have worked a minimum of 6 months in Manitoba to apply, however there is a maximum time allowed on the Examination Candidate Register (2 years)

Complaint – An examination candidate who has any outstanding or unresolved complaints or is subject to any unresolved discipline proceedings prior to an application will need to have all aspects of the complaint resolved prior to an application being accepted. An examination Candidate who has already started the PBCA process and has a complaint filed against them will PAUSE the ability to proceed through the PBCA process. Please note, the PBCA process is not deemed complete until the Board of Assessors has reviewed the final report and the communication regarding the results of this review have been sent to the applicant. The process will resume once the Complaints process has been resolved and any required remediation and/or undertaking has been completed.

Application

Applicants meeting the eligibility criteria will submit required information to the CPM office for processing. Required documentation includes a completed Application Form, Request for Verification of Practice Hours form submitted by all employers and the final 1200 hour ACPs from all supervisors completed within 4 weeks of the application date.
CPM will verify the application and applicant eligibility within 5-7 business days or receipt of the application. Ineligible applicants will be informed in writing by CPM.

Council passed a motion on October 15, 2024 that all Examination Candidates must pay the associated non-refundable fee for the PBCA clinical assessment at the time of registration. The non-refundable fee for 2024 is $1250. (At the time of registration you will receive an invoice for both the license fee and the fee for the clinical evaluation)

Note: If you initiated or completed registration as an Examination Candidate on or before October 24, 2024, you will be invoiced for the PBCA when you have completed 800 hours under supervision or on March 1, 2025, whichever comes first.

** Please note: The PBCA fee may be waived if an applicant for an Examination Candidate license can show proof of registration for the next available sitting of an alternate clinical evaluation approved by Council. This would include the Ontario Clinical Evaluation (OCE) or the Alternate Clinical Evaluation British Columbia (ACEBC).

Scoring:

Candidates must pass 4 of the 5 components AND have an overall score of 80% or higher for an overall pass. It is mandatory to pass the candidate interview and Jurisprudence Examination portions of the assessment for anyone registering as a new Examination Candidate on or after July 1, 2024. A failing score on the candidate interview or jurisprudence examination would result in an automatic failure.
Scoring will also consider any red or yellow flags identified in practice. If there are significant safety and practice concerns identified (one red flag or multiple yellow flags) by the evaluator, this may lead to failure of the assessment regardless of the overall score.

The Practice Based Assessment (PBCA) will evaluate five (5) components weighted as follows:

Candidate Interview: 35% (Mandatory passing score required)
Supervisor Assessment (ACP form and Supervisor Interview): 15%
Chart Audit: 25%
Practice Reflection: 5%
Jurisprudence Exam: 20% (Mandatory passing score required) (this component will become effective for new Examination Candidates registering on or after July 1, 2024)

**if you were registered before July 1, 2024, the scoring will not include the Jurisprudence Examination and the Supervisor Assessment will be worth 35% of the overall score.

Once the PBCA process is complete, the final report is submitted to the College by the assigned Evaluator. This final report will be taken to the next Board of Assessors meeting for the committee’s review. The Board of Assessors (BOA) is a College committee that reviews the Practice Based Competency Assessment final reports and will pass a motion regarding an Examination Candidate’s
ability to apply for a full Active license. This decision will be communicated to the Examination Candidate within 7 business days of the BOA meeting date. The Board of Assessors meets regularly, and the PBCA final report will be taken to the next scheduled meeting date.

If an Examination Candidate successfully passes the PBCA based on the Board of Assessor’s decision, they can apply for Active licensure with the College. The required documentation for this process will be communicated to the Examination Candidate. If the Examination Candidate does not successfully pass the PBCA, they will need to continue under Supervised Practice until they have successfully passed a Clinical Evaluation.

PLEASE NOTE: An individual will not be eligible to practice physiotherapy in Manitoba if they fail three attempts at a clinical evaluation or exceed 2 years on the Examination Candidate register, whichever comes first.

The 2025 Board of Assessor’s meetings are scheduled for:

TBA