Residents

This certification route is for candidates with postgraduate residency training in a program accredited by the Royal College.

Please note that fees paid for an application for exam eligibility do not cover examination fees.

Residents who have completed training in a Canadian program– Application for Exam Eligibility

If you are a resident registered with a Canadian postgraduate medical education office, in a Royal College accredited specialty or subspecialty program, you can apply for a training assessment by registering with the Royal College and submitting your application through our online platform. You will require a Royal College ID to complete this process. If you do not have a Royal College ID, complete the registration form before registering through our online platform at https://booking.royalcollege.ca/. (Note: Please use Google Chrome as your browser. If you’re an existing candidate/applicant who has a Royal College ID number and has never logged into the system, you can click on “Reset your password” or “Forgot your ID” if necessary. Please read the instructions beforehand.

Our Credentials Unit will confirm your exam eligibility with your program to ensure you have met the specialty-specific training requirements. The Credentials Unit must receive confirmation from your program director and postgraduate dean (with information provided by the competence committee for residents in CBD programs) that you are eligible to sit the examination. The Royal College will then issue your exam eligibility letter after we receive that confirmation. Your eligibility letter is valid for 5 years.

If the Royal College does not receive this confirmation, you will not receive an exam eligibility letter.

An exam eligibility letter is required to register for the Royal College exam. If you are deemed eligible, you will receive an email providing a link to our eBooking system.

Deadlines to apply for exam eligibility

The deadline to apply for exam eligibility occurs the year before you wish to write your exam:

• For spring exams, the deadline is April 30.
• For fall exams, the deadline is August 31.

If you miss the deadline, late fees will be applied.

• Training assessment fees
• Exam fees
• Certification policy (PDF)

Note that trainees in the following programs may submit the same application as residents in Canadian training programs (as these international programs are accredited by the Royal College):

• Internal Medicine – Kazan State Medical University
• Anatomical Pathology – Kuwait Institute for Medical Specialization

Surgical Foundations exam

If you are a Canadian resident in the following surgical specialties, you must successfully complete the Surgical Foundations exam before you are eligible to write the final exam(s) in your surgical specialty:

• General surgery
• Cardiac surgery
• Neurosurgery
• Obstetrics and gynecology (this is mandatory for those who began training on or after July 1st, 2016)
• Orthopedic surgery
• Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery
• Plastic surgery
• Urology
• Vascular surgery