Credential Assessment

Provincial credential assessment services assess academic credentials for a fee. Contact a regulatory body or other organization to determine if you need an assessment before spending money on one that is not required or recognized.

The assessment will tell you how your education compares with educational standards in the province or territory where you are planning to settle can help you in your job search.

• British Columbia - International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES)
• Alberta - International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS)
• Saskatchewan - International Qualifications Assessment Service The Government of Saskatchewan provides this service through an interprovincial agreement with the Government of Alberta.
• Manitoba - Academic Credentials Assessment Service – Manitoba (ACAS)
• Ontario
  • World Education Services Canada (WES)
  • Comparative Education Service (University of Toronto)
  • International Credential Assessment Service (ICAS) of Canada
• Québec - Service des évaluations comparatives d’études (SECE)
• Northwest Territories - International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS). The Government of the Northwest Territories provides this service through an interprovincial agreement with the Government of Alberta.

Canada-Bound International Medical Graduates (IMGs)

You can start the licensure process from outside Canada by:
1. Confirming that your medical degree is from a recognized medical school.
2. Taking an online self-assessment exam.
3. Submitting your credentials with the Medical Council of Canada’s (MCC) Physician Credentials Repository.
4. Taking the Medical Council of Canada Evaluating Examination (MCCEE).

Most health-care organizations refer to physicians who have received their medical education abroad as International Medical Graduates (IMG).

1. Confirm that your medical degree is from a recognized medical school
Visit the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research’s (FAIMER) website. Your medical school, the name of the medical degree and the year of your graduation must be listed on the FAIMER International Medical Education Directory to be accepted in Canada.

2. Are you exam ready?
IMGs can test their readiness for the Medical Council of Canada Evaluating Examination (MCCEE) through the Medical Council of Canada Self Administered Evaluating Examination (SAE-EE). IMGs who take the SAE-EE will receive the number of questions correctly answered as well as a percentile table that compares their performance to the results achieved by other MCCEE candidates.

• Fees: C$64 per examination

3. Submit your credentials
IMGs can use the MCC’s Physician Credentials Repository to establish a confidential professional electronic portfolio of their credentials prior to arriving in Canada. IMGs can request that the Repository share their portfolio with provincial/territorial medical regulatory authorities, certifying and qualifying bodies. The MCC requires IMGs who are applying for the first time to the MCCEE to open an application with the Physician Credentials Repository and send a certified copy of their final medical diploma. The diploma must be successfully source verified through the Repository for the candidate to be eligible to the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination (MCCQE) Part II.

• Fees: To open a Repository account, IMGs are charged a one-time account fee of C$270. C$110 is charged for each medical document submitted for source verification.

Note: Document fees are in addition to the account fee.

4. Take the Medical Council of Canada Evaluating Examination (MCCEE)
IMGs must pass the MCCEE to apply for a residency position through the Canadian Resident Matching Service. The MCCEE is offered in more than 500 sites in 80 countries.

For a list of countries where the MCCEE is offered please visit the MCC website. If IMGs have obtained Canadian or American board specialty certification, they may apply to the Medical Council of Canada for an exemption from the MCCEE.

• Fees: First-time MCCEE candidates are charged C$1,615; C$1,365 is charged for IMGs who reapply for the MCCEE.

Note: The MCC requires all first-time MCCEE candidates to open an application with the MCC’s Physician Credentials Repository and send a certified copy of their medical diploma.

Exams available once in Canada
All provinces have the right to request additional assessments to qualify for residency positions in their province. These assessments may include the National Assessment Collaboration Objective Structured Clinical Examination (NAC OSCE), which is only administered in Canada. Candidates must take the MCCEE before being eligible to take the NAC OSCE, and certain jurisdictions may add region-specific eligibility criteria or may require the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination Part I (MCCQE Part I) for certain provincially funded training positions.

IMGs may be required to pass the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination (MCCQE) Part I and Part II (additional fees apply). Candidates may also take a self-assessment exam to help prepare for the multiple-choice component of the MCCQE Part I. This self-assessment is offered over the Internet and can be completed prior to arriving in Canada. The MCCQE Part I and the MCCQE Part II are administered in Canada and are the same requirements for graduates from Canadian faculties of medicine. All jurisdictions also require a minimum of two years of postgraduate training for licensure.

When IMGs pass the MCCQE Part II, they are awarded the Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada. The Licentiate is required for candidates to meet the Canadian Standard for licensure, as defined through the Federation of Medical Regulatory Authorities of Canada.