The Practice Based Competency Assessment was Manitoba’s clinical evaluation for assessing entry-to-practice competence in physiotherapy in the absence of the national exam. The PBCA is only available to Examination Candidates who registered with the College using the two-exam pathway on or before December 31, 2025. The Council approved Entry to Practice Examination transitioned to the national examination (the Canadian Physiotherapy Examination) as of January 1, 2026. The Practice Based Competency Assessment evaluates multiple domains through:
- Chart audits
- Scored interviews with the candidate and supervisor(s)
- Review of Canadian Physiotherapy Assessment of Clinical Performance (ACP) forms
- A jurisprudence exam
- A practice reflection assessment
The PBCA process takes 6-8 weeks to complete, not including additional time for processing, review by the Board of Assessors, or communication of results to the Physiotherapy Examination Candidate after the committee meeting. Scores reflect standardized expectations, criteria and outcomes.
Once the examination candidate has successfully completed PBCA they must register on the Active Practice Register.
Candidates who fail three attempts at a clinical evaluation or remain on the Examination Candidate Register for more than two years (whichever comes first) will be ineligible to practice physiotherapy in Manitoba.
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 is $1250. In the event of an unsuccessful attempt at the PBCA, the Examination Candidate must pay for the second attempt within the timeline specified by the Board of Assessors or show evidence of registration for the next available approved entry to practice examination to remain on the Examination Candidate register.
Scoring, Components, Submission Deadlines and Weighting
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. 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)
Submission Deadlines:
An applicant must submit and complete all components of the evaluation before the Board of Assessors will review the final report and a final score will be provided.
Please Note:
- The failure to meet the specified deadline for a mandatory pass component of the PBCA (Applicant Interview or Jurisprudence Exam) will result in a score of zero on the component and subsequently an automatic failure of the PBCA.
- All non-mandatory components must be complete for the final report to go to the Board of Assessors. Submission of a non-mandatory component after the submission date specified in the College correspondence will result in a score of zero and a subsequent failure of that component.
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. The Examination Candidate registration will expire 30 days after notification of successful passing of the PBCA is received from the Board of Assessors. If the Examination Candidate does not successfully pass the PBCA, they will need to continue under Supervised Practice until they have successfully passed an approved entry to practice examination.
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 2026 Board of Assessor’s meetings are scheduled for:
September 29, 2026
October 28, 2026
November 18, 2026
December 2, 2026
Submit your Application for Practice Based Competency Assessment Form by email or fax:
Email: info@manitobaphysio.com
Fax: (204) 474-2506
Resources
Detailed information on the process will be provided to Applicants and Supervisors once the PBCA evaluation process has started. The information below provides general information on the evaluation process only:
If you have any questions about the PBCA Program or the Assessment Process, please contact the College at: