Applicants must be able to speak and write English with reasonable fluency.
The Registration Regulation under the Massage Therapy Act, 1991 states that applicants for registration must have sufficient language proficiency to be able to communicate and comprehend effectively both orally and in writing (O.Reg.30/24.4). Candidates to the CMTO must meet the College’s language fluency requirement before attempting the Certification Examinations.
Rationale:
Effective communication is essential for the provision of competent, safe, high quality Massage Therapy services. Language fluency enhances public protection by ensuring that registrants can communicate effectively with clients and other members of the health care team. The College of Massage Therapists of Ontario Certification Examinations are not designed to test language fluency and do not require any writing activities. Therefore, applicants of the Massage Therapy program at Ontario College of Health and Technology are required to meet the college's language fluency requirement prior to being admitted to the program. The same language proficiency requirements are enforced by the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario for any candidate attempting the Certification Examinations.
All activities (lectures, seminars, laboratories, etc.) at the Ontario College of Health and Technology are conducted in English. It is essential that every student possess strong English writing, comprehension and speaking skills in order to be successful with the program curriculum and any other components of the program (student clinic and outreach). Our language fluency policy for admission to the program contains the same expectations as those of the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario for registering for the Certification Examinations.
Decision Criteria:
An applicant may meet the language fluency requirement by providing proof, acceptable to OCHT of one of the following:
| Requirement | How to meet the Requirement | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. The candidate’s first and primary language is English or French | Signing a self-declaration indicating that their first language and the language they primarily use now is English or French. | ||
| 2. The candidate has completed high-school in English or French (minimum of three years’ education required; completion of a single high-school course is not accepted) | Signing a self-declaration indicating that their secondary school education (i.e., three years) was completed in English or French and identifying the name and location of the school. If the applicant completed their education outside of Canada in a country where neither English nor French is the primary language of communication and employment, they may be required to provide verification from the school regarding language of instruction. | ||
| 3. The candidate has completed a standardized English or French language test approved by the CMTO within the previous 24 months and achieved the required scores set by the CMTO (see Approved Tests and Minimum Scores table below). | Providing test results from an approved standardized language fluency test demonstrating that they have achieved the minimum scores determined by the College (see Approved Tests and Minimum Scores table below). This report must be submitted directly from the language testing agency to the College. An applicant must meet College-approved minimum scores in each area of one test and test results will be considered valid for two years from the date the test was completed. | ||
| Providing an original transcript from a recognized Massage Therapy education program showing successful completion of at least two full courses in English or French comprehension or health-related communications. The courses must be part of the Massage Therapy curriculum and each must be either 3-credits or 30-hours in length.Note: | |||
| The two courses in English or French must be part of the Massage Therapy curriculum for all Massage Therapy students. Courses that are mandatory only for students for whom English or French is not their first language do not meet the requirement. | |||
| 4. Providing other compelling evidence of language fluency. | Other compelling evidence could be, for example, evidence that the applicant completed a university degree in English or French. |
After completing the program at OCHT, in order to challenge the CMTO exams, the RMT candidate can also prove language fluency by successfully completing the program at OCHT, due to the fact that OCHT a) Had a minimum language fluency requirement for admission that includes only the options in paragraphs 1. and/or 2. above, and/or a third-party language assessment that evaluates reading, writing, listening and speaking
Methods of Demonstrating Criteria:
Possible Outcomes:
Established: July 30, 2018
Revised March 7, 2025
Meeting the Language Proficiency Requirement of the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario.
The CMTO has a strict language policy. Their policy can be found at www.cmto.com. The CMTO’s decision criteria is as follows:
Decision Criteria:
A candidate may meet the language fluency requirement by providing proof, acceptable to the College of one of the following:
Ontario College of Health and Technology has provided sufficient evidence to the CMTO to meet decision criteria #4. Upon graduation from OCHT, the CMTO requires the candidate to submit a completed transcript and copy of the diploma of any student not meeting Decision Criteria 1, 2 or 3. The CMTO (via prometric) will then determine if the candidate meets Decision Criteria #4 and will contact the candidate to inform them that they can attend the CMTO OSCE and MCQ.