CAOT Exam
The profession of occupational therapy is regulated in Canada through provincial regulatory organizations. In order to become registered to work, you will need to contact the provincial regulatory organization in the province you wish to practice. One of the requirements you will need to meet is the successful completion of the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT) National Certification Examination. For a contact list of regulatory authorities across Canada, please see the CAOT website.
Working in Ontario
To work in Ontario as an occupational therapist, you MUST first successfully complete the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT) National Certification Examination and then register with the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario (COTO). Please direct any questions you may have regarding registration to the College’s Registration Coordinator at registration@coto.org.
Registering and Working before the Exam
If you wish to begin work in Canada before you write the CAOT exam, you need to submit proof of your eligibility to write the CAOT Certification Examination by filling out a Statement of Candidacy Request Form. To do this, you need to go the CAOT website and download their request form. When you get into the CAOT site, go to Students, then to Information about CAOT certification, and then scroll down to the bottom to Statement of Candidacy Request Form. Upon receipt of your written authorization and only after the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy has confirmed directly with CAOT and COTO your completion of all degree requirements, will CAOT send your statement of candidacy letter to the requested provincial regulatory organization.
Working in the United States
In the U.S., as in Canada, the right to work as an occupational therapist is regulated at the state level. To be able to work in the U.S. you must complete all academic and fieldwork requirements for the occupational therapy degree and meet all the requirements of the appropriate licensing body. In most cases this includes writing the American Board examination, offered by the National Board of Certification of Occupational Therapists (NBCOT). Please visit their website for information about the dates of this examination and other information as how to appropriately begin your work as an OT in the U.S.
The Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy provides a list of all students to CAOT, and COTO who have successfully completed all degree requirements once the final marks have been approved and entered into ACORN by the SGS September grade submission deadline.
Transcripts
Transcripts list student’s final course grades only, in letter-grade format. Students who require a transcript for CAOT certification or other purposes must submit a request through the Transcript Request Form online. The degree conferral notation is added to a student’s transcript three days following November convocation. It is the student’s responsibility to retain their personal site evaluation (CBFE) form, as these scores are not displayed on the official U of T Transcript. Similarly, research projects and individual assignments returned to students are not retained, and we therefore recommend students maintain their own returned copy of such assignments as part of their own professional records. An official U of T Transcript is the only document available as proof of academic performance and graduation.
Alumni Privileges
As a U of T alumnus, recent students are eligible for numerous privileges from U of T Alumni Services.