Information on written exams at hotel sites
Last updated January, 2023
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This page is for those candidates who are taking their written exam at a hotel exam site. Information and FAQs will be updated regularly. We recommend that you bookmark this page, so you can easily return to it for reference.
Step 1: Be prepared for your exam
Step 2: Review the functionality of the exam system interface
Step 3: Practice with the exam interface
Questions about the 2023 exams
Step 1: Be prepared for your exam
Where do I go?
Your appointment letter will indicate the details of your exam, including the date, time and the city where you are registered to write. You can also check our website for dates and locations of 2023 exams.
If there are any changes to locations, candidates and exam stakeholders will be notified by email.
What do I bring?
Please bring the following:
- Government-issued photo ID with a signature. Examples include a passport, driver’s licence or provincial health card;
- Any personal protective equipment (PPE) that candidates may wish to wear for the exams. Some PPE equipment (masks) and hand sanitizer will be available to candidates, and
- Snack and drink.
What am I not allowed to bring to my exam?
- Electronic devices are not allowed in your hotel exam room. There will be a designated area to store all your personal belongings. All electronic devices, including cell phones and digital/smartwatches, will be collected at the time of registration and are not permitted in the exam rooms. They will be returned to you at the end of the examination or sequestering period.
- If you wish to wear a watch for your own timekeeping purposes, please wear an analogue watch. There is also a timer on the exam interface and in the bottom corner of the laptop.
What should I do the day before my exam?
- Check the address of your hotel exam site to determine travel time and route to get there.
- Check your email to ensure there are no new notifications about your exam.
What happens on exam day?
- Check your email to ensure there are no new notifications about your exam.
- Register at the hotel exam site with your government-issued photo ID.
- An admission card will be presented to you at the exam site during your registration. A representative of the Royal College will ask you to sign it.
- You will be escorted by an invigilator to your exam room.
- Approximately 15 minutes before the start of your exam, you will be instructed to log in to the
Practique system, which will be open for you on the laptop provided by the Royal College. Enter the ID and
Password (provided when you arrive at your regional examination centre on exam day) and click “LOGIN.”
Figure 1: A screenshot of the Practique system login screen. The ID and Password fields are highlighted.
- Once you log in to the exam interface, you will be directed to a holding screen (image below).
Please do not click anything on this page. You do not need to select
“Choose exam to take…” or enter a PIN. The examination will begin automatically at the scheduled
time (9:00 a.m. local time).
Failure to wait, clicking on links or using the keyboard may cause a delay in starting your
exam.
Figure 2: A screenshot of the Practique system holding screen.
- Technical support will be available onsite if any issues arise when logging in to the exam platform, if there are functionality concerns or issues during the examination, or when submitting your exam upon completion.
Step 2: Review the functionality of the exam system interface
Control buttons
Figure 3: A screenshot of the Practique system interface. The Control Bar is highlighted.
The Practique system interface has various control buttons that will be used during the exam.
Click “OVERVIEW” to display the list of questions on the left side of the interface. See
below for details on the overview functionality.
Click “LANGUAGE” to toggle the language of the exam content between English and French (only if the exam
is available in French).
Click “FINISH” if you are ready to submit the exam before the allotted time elapses.
Click “CALCULATOR” to do mathematical operations. See below for details on the calculator
functionality.
“TIME REMAINING” displays a countdown of the examination time remaining.
Click “NEXT” and “PREVIOUS” to navigate between questions sequentially.
Overview functionality
Figure 4: A screenshot of the Practique system interface. The Overview pane and flag button are highlighted.
- Click “OVERVIEW” to display the list of questions on the left side of the interface.
- Click on a question number to navigate to that question.
- When an answer is selected, the question number will be highlighted in green in the overview pane.
- The “FLAG” button is for your own tracking purposes, for example, if you want to review a question before submitting the exam. Click on the “FLAG” button in the answer pane; the flag will appear next to the corresponding question in the overview pane.
Calculator functionality
Figure 5: A screenshot of the Control Bar within the Practique system interface, with the Calculator button selected. The Calculator Bar is highlighted.
- Click “CALCULATOR” to view or hide a field where you can perform mathematical operations.
- Insert your cursor into the field and use the number keys at the top of your keyboard to type an equation. Use + for addition, – for subtraction, * for multiplication, / for division, ^ for exponents, ( ) to order operations.
- Both the “Enter” key on your keyboard and the “=” button on the interface can be used to execute the equation.
Viewing and manipulating an image resource
- To open a resource, click once on the thumbnail.
- To open a resource in fullscreen mode, click on the expand button
. Click on it again to exit fullscreen
mode. - To manipulate a resource, use the control options:
Figure 6: A screenshot of an open image resource showing the control options menu.
Move the resource:
Select “PAN,” hold the left mouse button down and move the mouse.
Zoom in/out of the resource:
Select “ZOOM,” hold the left mouse button down and move the mouse forward or backward.
Rotate the resource:
Select “ROTATE,” hold the left mouse button down and move the mouse forward or backward.
Scroll through a multi-page resource:
Select “SCROLL,” hold the left mouse button down and move the mouse forward or backward. You can
also use the arrows. 
Reset the resource to its original state:
Select “RESET.”
- To close a resource, click the “X” button.
Viewing and manipulating a video resource
- To open the video in full-screen mode, click on the three vertical dots in the bottom right corner of
the thumbnail and select “Fullscreen.”
Figure 7: A screenshot of a video resource showing the control options menu. The fullscreen button is highlighted.
- Once opened, click on the play button on the bottom left to play the video.
Figure 8: A screenshot of an open video resource. The play button is highlighted.
- To exit the video, click the minimize button on the bottom right of the video.
Figure 9: A screenshot of an open video resource. The minimize button is highlighted.
Finishing the exam
- If you are ready to finish the exam before the allotted time has elapsed, click “FINISH.”
Figure 10: A screenshot of the Control Bar within the Practique system interface. The Finish button is highlighted.
- A pop-up will appear to confirm whether you are ready to submit the exam. It will notify you of any
unanswered questions, which will be highlighted in white in the Overview menu. Click “Continue exam” to
review or complete your answers.
Figure 11: A screenshot of a pop-up asking the candidate to submit their exam.
- Once you have answered all the questions and are ready to submit the exam, click “FINISH.” The pop-up
should now indicate that you have answered all the questions. Click “Submit exam.”
*Please note that when the allotted time for the exam period has elapsed, the pop-up will appear automatically and you will only have the option to click “Submit exam.”
Video tutorials
These videos show MCQ-format and SAQ-format exams with typical questions spanning various specialties. For example, there are questions with images or multiple images, multipart questions and questions referencing tables. Click on “CC” (closed captions), in the bottom right corner, and select “English” to view the captions.
Watch these videos to review the functionality of the exam system interface:
Step 3: Practice with the exam interface
How can I practice with the exam interface before I write my exam?
Visit the Practique exam demonstration site to familiarize yourself with the interface and functionality, including how to flag items, answer questions and submit the exam. You can access this site as many times as you would like to practice. Please note that Google Chrome is the only supported browser.
- The candidate ID number and password for the examinations are:
Step 4: Practical exams
Learn more about visual material (slides and microscopy) for the practical exams.
Questions about the 2023 exams
If you have other questions about the 2023 exams, please visit our frequently asked questions.
Contact us at candidates@royalcollege.ca and be sure to include your specialty in the subject line and Candidate ID number in the body of your email.
We recognize exams are a stressful experience and that we are in unprecedented times. The Royal College is committed to communicating with you in a respectful, professional and civil manner. Similarly, we ask that the same courtesy be provided to our employees. Thank you!