CPSA Policy

Registration Assessments
Policy
POLICY TITLE Practice Readiness Assessment (PRA)
Ensure physician applicants not meeting the full requirements of

PURPOSE the General Register are ready for independent practice in
Alberta.
This policy applies to physicians who are eligible for registration

on the Provisional Register Conditional Practice with CPSA and
who have Alberta Health Services’ (AHS) sponsorship for a clinical
position.
SCOPE
The practice readiness assessment (PRA) is composed of two
parts that applicants must pass in succession before receiving an
Alberta medical practice permit:
 Part A: Preliminary Clinical Assessment (PCA)
 Part B: Supervised Practice Assessment (SPA)
 The applicant must pass both the PCA and the SPA (in
succession) in order to be eligible for independent practice on
CPSA’s Provisional Register Conditional Practice.
 The PRA is a high stakes pass/fail process. It ensures
physicians who don’t have their Canadian credentials have the
knowledge and competency to practise medicine safely in
Alberta.
 The PRA is not a training experience or a process to identify
remediation needs to be addressed prior to independent
practice.
NOTES  Due to limited resources, a physician has two attempts to pass
a PRA in any Canadian jurisdiction.
 Ongoing AHS sponsorship is required in order to be eligible for
any PRA.
 If the candidate’s conduct becomes the subject of a complaint
under Part 4 of the Health Professions Act, the PRA process
may be put on hold until the complaint has been resolved. A
final decision on the outcome of the PRA will not be made until
the information resulting from the complaint and the final
outcome of the complaint are available for consideration as
part of the application for registration.
LAST REVISED: SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

APPROVED BY COUNCIL: SEPTEMBER 10, 2020
Contact: 780-423-4764
POLICY STATEMENT
Physician applicants who do not meet the CPSA General Register requirements must fulfill
the following in order to undergo a PRA:
1) Meet the eligibility requirements for the Provisional Register, Conditional Practice; and
2) Obtain AHS sponsorship.
During the PCA portion of PRA, applicants:

1) Are assessed while working under the direct supervision of an independent CPSA-
approved assessor and are not the patients’ most responsible physician. The applicant
must remain under direct supervision for the duration of the assessment.
2) Are typically assessed in a clinical location that is independent of where the physician
has been sponsored to work
3) Must satisfactorily complete all required components of the assessment.
4) Undergo the assessment for three months. The assessment may be terminated at any
time if CPSA’s Deputy Registrar or designate has sufficient evidence to make a
practice-ready decision, be it a pass or fail.
i. In the case of a specialty PCA, a minimum of eight weeks is required. If,
following the eight-week mark, the applicant has performed well in all the
expected competencies, the CPSA may consider completing the PCA early.
During the SPA portion of PRA, applicants:
1) Are assessed by a CPSA-approved supervisor, who provides indirect supervision of the
candidate.
2) Are typically supervised in the clinical location that the physician has been sponsored
to work at.
3) Are the patients’ most responsible physician and can bill Alberta Health for provision of
medical services.
4) Must satisfactorily complete all required components of the assessment.
5) Undergo the assessment for three months. The assessment may be terminated at any
time if CPSA’s Deputy Registrar or designate has sufficient evidence to make a
practice-ready decision, be it a pass or fail.
The role of the physician assessor/supervisor is to conduct the PRA and to gather evidence,
the final outcome of the PRA is that of the Deputy Registrar of Registration, or designate.
The PRA will be individualized to reflect the scope of practice and practice setting that the
physician has been sponsored to work in.
Failure of any part of the assessment process will result in a refusal of registration on the
Provisional Register Conditional Practice.
The PCA may be waived if:

 The applicant has successfully completed postgraduate training in Canada but do not
have certification with the Canadian Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) or the Royal
College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC).
Practice Readiness Assessment (PRA) Policy 2

 The applicant has a full-time academic appointment in a faculty of medicine in Alberta.
 The applicant has completed family medicine or speciality postgraduate training in the
USA in an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited
programme, has the MCCQE1 or equivalent alternative such as the USMLE
examinations, and American board certification in their discipline of training.
 The applicant has completed postgraduate training in family medicine that is deemed
equivalent by the College of Family Physicians of Canada and provides a letter from
the CFPC that they have been found eligible for certification without examination.
In order to become a PRA-AB Assessor, physicians must:

 Be registered in Alberta for independent practice.
 Be in good standing with CPSA.
 Be experienced in the assessment of physicians or physician trainees. Lead assessors
have five years of practice experience in Canada, while secondary assessors have at
least three years within a scope of practice similar to the proposed placement.
 Have national certification (CFPC or RCPSC) in the specialty or sub-specialty they are
assessing or an active faculty appointment. Secondary assessors can have
recognized equivalency in the specialty or subspecialty they are assessing.
 Have AHS or Covenant Health privileges. They must also be recommended by their
Department Head/Zone Medical Director, or have completed a satisfactory CPSA
peer review.
 Have recent experience in teaching and assessing medical students and residents.
 Appreciate the privilege of self-regulation.
 Demonstrate common sense, objectivity and the ability to make unbiased decisions.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
 Eligibility Requirements for Provisional Register Conditional Practice
 Practice Readiness Assessment information
 Medical Council of Canada (MCC) National Assessment Collaboration’s (NAC)
Practice-Ready Assessment (PRA) programs
RESPONSIBILITIES
The Registrar is given the authority to determine applications for registration under sections
28 to 30 of the Health Professions Act (HPA). Section 20 of the HPA allows the Registrar to
delegate functions and duties to another person. The Registrar has delegated his duties and
responsibility under Part 2 of the HPA to the Deputy Registrar responsible for registration.
APPROVAL
Council governing the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta
AUTHORITY DOCUMENTS
 Health Professions Act

 Health Professions Act: Physicians, Surgeons, Osteopaths and Physician Assistants
Profession Regulation
 CPSA Bylaws

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Registration Assessments

POLICY TITLE Practice Readiness Assessment (PRA)

Ensure physician applicants not meeting the full requirements of

This policy applies to physicians who are eligible for registration

LAST REVISED: SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

During the PCA portion of PRA, applicants:

The PCA may be waived if:

Practice Readiness Assessment (PRA) Policy 2

In order to become a PRA-AB Assessor, physicians must:

Practice Readiness Assessment (PRA) Policy 3

Practice Readiness Assessment (PRA) Policy 4

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