This appeal process has been put in place to allow unsuccessful or rejected candidates an opportunity to express any concerns about fairness of the examinations. To activate the review process, the candidate must submit a completed appeal form no more than 30 days after the date of the exam, and explicitly state their reasons for concern, and why they should be granted leniency on the exam requirements.

Exam Policies

Applications

Applications must be submitted by the posted deadline; late applications will not be accepted.

Payment must be made upon submission of application form. If an applicant is deemed ineligible to write the exam, the exam fee minus a $200 administrative fee will be refunded. Payment must be made via the online form or eTransfer to accounting@cnsf.org. Official receipts for tax purposes will be sent via email.

Applicants will be notified (via email by the Exam Registrar) within three weeks of the application deadline if they are eligible to write the exam.

International Applicants

International applicants must meet the eligibility criteria and will be admitted whenever capacity permits.

Refunds

No refunds, for any reason, will be granted after an application is submitted.

Deferrals

If a candidate does not write the exam for any reason, 50% of the paid fees may be carried over one time only, to the next year. There is no need to re-apply and eligibility will be carried over to the next year. If the exam fee changes, the candidate must pay the difference.

Exam Format/Logistics

  • Exams are held in-person only; there is no option to write the exam online.
  • The exam is held over 1 full day (0730 am to 1800). Candidates should expect and prepare for a long day.
  • Morning snack, lunch and afternoon snack (coffee, juice etc are provided).
  • Format - oral and written examination; both are offered in English or French (candidate may only choose ONE language for BOTH sections and must choose at the time of application).
  • CSCN does not accept requests to be examined at a certain time. We will not prioritize nor schedule candidates according to their travel plans.
  • CSCN is not responsible for travel difficulties, such as those imposed by an airline strike or weather. Candidates are expected to make travel adjustments accordingly in order to attend the exam.
  • Candidates must arrive on time as CSCN will not make accommodations for late arrivals.

Evaluation

Results are sent to candidates via email within three weeks of the exam.

In order to pass the entire examination, the candidate must successfully pass all three sections (MCQ, Wavefirm, OSCEs). If a candidate is unsuccessful in one section, or more, of the examination, they must repeat the entire examination.

Repeat Attempts

Candidates who are repeating the entire exam must pay the entire current exam fee.
A candidate may challenge the exam a maximum of three times. All attempts must be made within a five-year period. It is the candidate's responsibility to inform the Exam Registrar before the application deadline that they intend to retake the exam and provide up to date contact information.

Appeals

Please refer to the appeals policy posted on the CSCN website here.

Certificates

Successful candidates will be sent a digital certificate (.pdf) via email within two months of the exam. Paper copies may be requested within six months of the exam. International postage fees may apply.

These policies are subject to change without notice.

Policy on Appeals

Appeals will be considered only for significant procedural irregularities that occurred during the examination process that are serious enough to materially affect the candidate’s performance. Note that some variability in the exam process or conduct is unavoidable, and any irregularities that may occur do not necessarily result in any unfairness or significant impact on a candidate's performance.

Appeals will not be considered for:

  • concerns regarding the content,
  • structure, or
  • grading of the examination.

The appeals process is not a re-grading or re-scoring exercise, and it is not a mechanism for soliciting further details regarding the candidate’s examination performance.

Appeal Submission

Written appeals must be submitted to the CSCN Secretariat within 30 days of the date of issuance of the examination results.

All relevant details must be provided at the time of the initial written appeal, and no subsequent evidence will be considered.

The appeal must:

  1. explain in detail the circumstances surrounding the alleged process irregularity and
  2. explain its alleged impact on the candidate’s performance.
  3. come directly from the candidate (no third-party testimonials will be considered.)

The appeal will be reviewed by the Chief Examiner, who will provide a written decision to the candidate within 60 days of receipt of the appeal.

Disagreements with decision

If the candidate disagrees with the decision of the Chief Examiner, they may advise the CSCN Secretariat within 14 days of the decision that they wish for the appeal to undergo further review by a formal appeals panel, consisting of the Chief Examiner and two other members of the examination committee.

The appeals panel will conduct a re-review of the appeal (no new evidence will be considered) and will provide a written decision to the candidate. The decision of the appeals panel is final, with no provision for further appeals.

Fees for Review of appeal:

Appeal Form

This policy is subject to change without notice.

Review Exam Guidelines and Requirements

Specialty Certification Requirements

Candidates must have an FRCPC or equivalent certificate from the USA (or be senior residents in the 4th or 5th year of an approved training program leading to certification) in:

  • Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation or Neurology (adult or pediatric)

Candidates from overseas may be excused the certification requirement above if they are currently eligible to practice as a specialist in Canada in PM&R or Neurology, or if they are current fellows in a neuromuscular fellowship program in Canada.

Training Requirements

Before applying to write the CSCN certifying examination, the trainee must have....

  1. A minimum of 6 months training, where...
    • at least 3 months training was received within the last 5 years*,
    • the training consisted of either:
      1. One 3-month period of continuous full-time training, or
      2. Three 2-month periods of continuous full-time training.
  2. A minimum of 400 studies (where at least 150 are of moderate to high complexity) covering a full range of neuromuscular diseases performed during training.
  3. A supervising physician who is a current member of the CSCN or the ABEM.
  4. A well-maintained a study log, documenting their diagnosis's (including their complexity) and with confirmed by the supervising physician.
* If training took place more than 5 years ago, no fewer than 200 examinations must have been performed each year since training was completed.

Other Requirements and Guidelines