Applicants
Applicants to become massage therapists in BC may begin practice as massage therapists when they have met CCHPBC’s entry-to-practice requirements.
There are different pathways to entry-level practice. See the respective pages for information about the pathways:
- Applicants from recognized education programs
- Massage therapists from Ontario, Newfoundland & Labrador, New Brunswick, and PEI
- Other applicants – Prior Learning Assessment (PLA)
Applicants From Recognized Education Programs
What is a recognized education program?
Massage therapy education programs recognized by CCHPBCcan be found in the College’s Bylaws. These are programs that meet entry-to-practice standards for the massage therapy profession in BC, and have been accredited either by the College directly, or by the Canadian Massage Therapy Council for Accreditation (CMTCA) at the three or five-year level.
Graduates of recognized massage therapy education programs are eligible to take the licence examination to become massage therapists in BC. See the Licence Examination section for full details of the exams.
Six steps to becoming a massage therapist in BC
Step 1: Apply to take the Licence examination
Step 2: Provide supporting documents
Step 3: Pay examination fee
Step 4: Take the Licence examination
The licence examination is held twice a year, Spring and Fall.
See Exam Components Section for information about the licence examination.
See Exam Dates & Locations Section for dates/times/locations of the next licence examination, and the application deadline.
Step 5: Receive notification of examination results
Applicants receive official notification of results approximately eight weeks after the final component of the examination is complete. You are asked to not phone the College requesting exam results. Results will not be given over the phone.
Step 6: apply for license
Please refer to Licence Application Requirement.
MASSAGE THERAPISTS From Ontario, Newfoundland & Labrador, New Brunswick, and PEI
Massage therapy is regulated in five Canadian provinces: BC, Ontario, Newfoundland & Labrador, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island (PEI).
In accordance with Chapter 7 (Labour Mobility) of the Canadian Free Trade Agreement(PDF), CCHPBC grants licence to Practising massage therapists in good standing from Ontario, Newfoundland & Labrador, New Brunswick, and PEI provided they complete the College’s Jurisprudence (LEP) online course and pass the online exam before being granted a licence with the College.
This Labour Mobility application pathway is only available to massage therapists from Canadian jurisdictions where massage therapy is regulated – Ontario, Newfoundland & Labrador, New Brunswick, and PEI.
Massage providers from other Canadian jurisdictions may apply via the Prior Learning Assessment pathway.
JURISPRUDENCE – Law, Ethics, and Professionalism (LEP) Course and Exam
The Jurisprudence course and exam ensures that applicants from all streams of entry have an understanding of:
- the general legal and regulatory framework governing health professionals in Canada
- the regulatory requirements to become a massage therapist in British Columbia
- how to apply a massage therapist’s professional obligations in practice, with reference to the Bylaws, standards of practice, and Code of Ethics.
Apply for a licence
Please refer to License Application Requirement.
Other Applicants – Prior Learning Assessment (PLA)
Introduction to Prior Learning Assessment (PLA)
If you would like to become a massage therapist in BC and you are NOT:
- a graduate of a massage therapy education program recognized by the College, or
- a massage therapist licensed in at least one of Ontario, Newfoundland & Labrador, New Brunswick, or PEI,
you may be able to apply for CCHPBC’s licence examination after completing a prior learning assessment (PLA). The PLA determines if your knowledge, skills, and abilities are substantially equivalent to those of an applicant in one of the two categories listed above.
Eight steps of the PLA pathway
Step 1: Create and submit an application
Applicant to submit an application with supporting documentation. Applicant will then make application payment for exam/licence and the Online Self-Assessment Test.
Step 2: Take the Online Self-Assessment Test
The Online Self-Assessment Test (OSAT) will give you feedback on whether or not your foundational knowledge is adequate to support massage therapy practice in BC. The OSAT is a multiple-choice online exam that will take up to four hours to complete and must be completed in one sitting. You may only take the OSAT one time. We recommend that you use the OSAT to assess your current foundational knowledge. Dedicate the four hours it takes when you know you’ll be able to focus without interruption. Take it seriously; it’s an important step.
At the end of the OSAT, you will immediately receive your results.
There is no passing grade here. The OSAT is a true self-assessment, which means whether you proceed to the next step is entirely up to you.
If you feel confident in your results, please proceed. If not, or if you are unsure, stop here and re-assess your goal of becoming an massage therapist in BC. If you are committed to the goal and your foundational knowledge is not adequate to proceed, look into one of the accredited and recognized massage therapy education programs for instruction.
Step 3: Submit documents for review
Step 4: Pay and complete the Clinical Competence Assessment (CCA) – Theory
The Clinical Competence Assessment (CCA) is a two-step assessment process that consists of a theory component and a practical component.
The theory component is a three-hour multiple-choice exam, including 150 questions about foundational health sciences and massage therapy practice. The written component is based on CCHPBC’s entry-level requirements outlined in two documents:
You must pass the theory component to be eligible to attempt the practical component of the CCA.
Step 5: Pay and complete the Clinical Competence Assessment – Practical
The practical component is hands-on and in-person. It takes place in a clinical setting, much like what a massage therapist would use in clinical practice. You will be required to palpate muscle anatomy and perform manual muscle testing, and you will palpate anatomical structures on the human body. You will conduct clinical interviews and assessments based on case interviews, and you will perform an appropriate massage treatment for one of the case scenarios selected based on your findings during the clinical interview and physical assessment. Your assessors will be massage therapists skilled at determining entry-level competence. Study thoroughly to prepare for the CCA by reviewing your prior learning and the College’s recommended resources for entry-level requirements.
Step 6: Receive notification of examination results
You will receive official notification of results approximately three weeks after the assessment. There are two possible results:
- Not substantially equivalent. Your PLA application on the Applicant Portal is closed. Please enroll at an accredited and recognized massage therapy education program if you wish to pursue your goal of becoming a massage therapist in BC.
- Substantially equivalent/Passed. The PLA is complete and you are now eligible to apply for the College’s licence examination.
Step 7: Apply for the College’s licence examination
The College’s licence examination is generally held twice a year: once in spring and once in fall. For more information, see Licence Examination.
- If you have any questions regarding the above, please email applications@cchpbc.ca.
Step 8: Apply for licence
Please refer to License Application Requirement.
Licence Examination
Entry-level massage therapists are prepared as generalists to enter practice safely, competently, and ethically:
- in situations of health and illness,
- with people of all genders across the lifespan, and
- in diverse practice settings.
The following two types of applicants must complete all three Exam Components defined in the Exam Components section of CCHPBC’s licence examination in order to be eligible to register with the College:
- Applicants from Recognized Education Programs
- Other Applicants who have been deemed eligible through the College’s Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) process.
Massage Therapists from Regulated Provinces – Ontario, Newfoundland & Labrador, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island (PEI) – complete one of the three components of CCHPBC’s licence examination. These applicants will be enrolled in the College’s online Law, Ethics and Professionalism (LEP) course, and must successfully complete a proctored online exam based on the course material. For more information, see Massage Therapists From Ontario, Newfoundland & Labrador, New Brunswick, and PEI.
After successfully completing the registration examination and meeting all other entry-to-practice requirements, individuals may register with CCHPBC and become massage therapists in British Columbia.
For more information on how to apply for application examinations, Application for licence examination
The licence examination for entry-level practice has three components:
- Clinical Knowledge and Theory exam,
- Law, Ethics and Professionalism course and exam, and a
- Performance-based assessment.
More information about these three components can be found here.
Entry-level practice requirements for massage therapists in BC are outlined in the following documents:
Licence Application Requirement
Application Process
Massage therapists who wish to apply for licence in BC must provide the following (CCHPBC Bylaws 6.0, 6.8):
1. Information confirming Licence Applicant’s identity and legal name
2. Business contact information (including phone number and email address)
3. Information demonstrating the Licence Applicant meets Eligibility Standards for Massage Therapy: Full licence class, including conditions and requirements found in Schedule 4: Part 2 Massage Therapy.
4. Declaration or other information demonstrating the Licence Applicant is of good character and will practise Massage Therapy in an ethical manner
5. Confirmation of compliance, with requirement to have professional liability protection or liability insurance coverage in an amount of at least $5,000,000 per claim or occurrence
6. Criminal Record Check Authorization, and, in the case of a Licence Applicant who has practised a Health Profession in another jurisdiction, an authorization for a Criminal Record Check in that jurisdiction and/or a criminal record report
7. Current first aid certification as required for Massage Therapy class of licence in accordance with Schedule 4: Part 2 Massage Therapy
8. Original documentation, notarized copy, or other evidence satisfactory to the Registrar of graduation from a Recognized Education Program for the licence applied for as specified in Schedule 4: Part 2 Massage Therapy confirming graduation no more than three years prior to the date of Application;
9. Proof of successful completion of the jurisprudence Examination and any other Examinations required and approved by the Licence Committee;
10. Information, in a form satisfactory to the Registrar, dated within 60 days from the date of the Application, from the Extra jurisdictional Regulator in each jurisdiction in which the Licence Applicant is or was, at any time, licensed for the practice of a Health Profession, confirming that: Regulator in each jurisdiction in which the Licence Applicant is or was, at any time, registered or licensed for the practice of a Health Profession, confirming that:
(i) the Licence Applicant’s authority to practice a Health Profession has not been revoked, suspended, limited, restricted, or subject to conditions in that jurisdiction at any time, or specifying particulars of any such revocation, suspension, limitation, restriction, or conditions;
(ii) the Licence Applicant is not the subject of a current proceeding, including any investigation, inquiry, review or appeal, that could result in the Applicant’s authority to practice a Health Profession being revoked, suspended, limited, restricted, or subject to conditions in that jurisdiction, or specifying particulars of any such current proceeding; and
(iii) no proceeding of the type described in subparagraph (j)(ii) was not initiated or completed because the Licence Applicant voluntarily relinquished their authority to practice a Health Profession;
11. information confirming the Licence Applicant’s English language proficiency in a form satisfactory to, or in accordance with, the English Language Proficiency policy established by the Registrar. Details of this requirement are currently being finalized and will be published soon.
12. payment of any outstanding amount owed or owing by the Licence Applicant to the College, including without limitation any amount accrued or accruing to a Former Regulatory College prior to its amalgamation with the College;
13. the applicable Fees set out in Schedule “2”
14. additional information or records that the License Applicant is ordered to provide.
Recommended Resources & Entry-Level Requirements
Recommended resources
CCHPBC’s licence examination assesses entry-level readiness for practice.
Candidates should review the College’s list of Recommended Resources For Examinations(PDF). Graduates of recognized education programs are expected to have the depth and breadth of knowledge represented by resources named in this list.
The College understands that massage therapy theory, evidence, and education are in flux, and that educators offer resources that support their curriculum choices and desired learning outcomes.
Licence examination candidates are advised that the College’s standardized examination relies on the resources listed in Recommended Resources For Examinations(PDF).
As in all fields, there is no single authority, and on occasion there is variation in how knowledge and skills are presented in the resources included in this list. Exam material is selected in a manner that minimizes variation.
Entry-level requirements
Entry-level requirements for beginning massage therapists in BC are outlined in two documents:
- Inter-Jurisdictional Practice Competencies and Performance Indicators for Massage Therapists at Entry-to-Practice (PCs-PIs) (PDF)
To learn more about Inter-Jurisdictional Practice Competencies and Performance Indicators for Massage Therapists at Entry-to-Practice (PCs-PIs)
If you have any questions regarding the above, please email applications@cchpbc.ca.