NOTE: This change will apply to individuals applying for registration with the CRTO. It will not affect current Members.

Applicants for registration must be mentally and physically competent to practise respiratory therapy. The previous version of the regulation did not specify the requirement for “physical” competency.

NOTE: This change will apply to individuals applying for registration with the CRTO. It will not affect current Members.

RT education programs will be approved by the Registration Committee based on criteria defined by a CRTO Council-approved policy (e.g., based on the program’s accreditation status). Graduates from unapproved Canadian RT programs will be referred to the CRTO’s entry-to-practice assessment process.

NOTE: This change may affect Graduate Members and applicants for registration who are required to complete the Health Professionals Testing Canada (HPTC) Respiratory Therapy examination.

New Limit on Exam Attempts 

Individuals who fail the exam three (3) times will not be eligible to rewrite until they submit a study plan for approval by the CRTO Registration Committee. Once the Study Plan is approved and the CRTO has confirmed the individual’s eligibility to rewrite, they may attempt the exam one more time.

If the individual is unsuccessful in this fourth (4th) attempt, they will not be permitted to challenge the exam again until they have re-enrolled and again successfully completed an approved RT educational program.  

NOTE: The CRTO is offering an extension for individuals who were in the process of completing the exam before the new Registration Regulation took effect.  

This extension specifically applies to current applicants for registration and Graduate Members who submitted their applications to the CRTO before January 1, 2025, and who did not pass the January 2025 exam (or earlier). These individuals will be granted three additional attempts to pass the exam, regardless of how many times they have previously attempted it. However, if they have been unsuccessful in three or more attempts, they will need to complete a CRTO-approved study plan before each subsequent exam attempt.

This extension will expire after the July 2026 exam. After that date, no individual will be permitted to take the exam more than four times.  

NOTE: These changes will apply to individuals applying for registration with the CRTO and Members registered in the General Class of Registration (RRTs).

Applicants for Registration

Effective January 1, 2025, to meet the currency requirement, applicants for registration must:

• have completed their education program (or assessment) within three years before the date of their application for registration, or
• have practiced Respiratory Therapy for at least 1,125 hours within those three years.

Members Registered in the General Class (RRTs)

To provide direct patient care or supervise respiratory therapy practice, RRTs must have practiced for at least 1,125 hours in every three-year period after they receive their certificate of registration. Members who don’t have the minimum practice hours* will have other options to satisfy the currency condition (e.g., refresher courses).

This new condition will not affect Members renewing their registration in 2025. The CRTO is now drafting policies and guides that will support the implementation of the new condition, and we will keep Members updated as these documents are developed.

*When considering minimum practice hours, it is essential to keep in mind the following:

1. 1. There is a wide range of activities that fall within the scope of practice of Respiratory Therapy. It does not necessarily mean providing direct patient care. We encourage you to review the “Am I Practising?” CRTO webpage and Fact Sheet. And as always, if you are unsure, please contact us.
   2. Remember – the 1,125 hours can be accumulated in a few consecutive months of practice or be spread out over three years. For example, this translates to:
      • 375 hours per year; or
      • 31.25 12-hour shifts per year; or
      • 2.6 12-hours shifts per month.
   3. If a Member does not have the minimum practice hours, there are other things that you can do to satisfy this requirement (e.g., completion of a refresher course). 
   4. If a Member cannot provide evidence of keeping current with the RT standards of practice, the CRTO Registration Committee may apply certain conditions to their certificate of registration. For example, to ensure that the Member has the necessary current knowledge and skills to practice safely and competently, the Committee may require that the Member be supervised until they can demonstrate currency.