There are four steps in this process.

• Gain the BoC-approved academic qualifications.
• Hold a student CIPHI membership.
• Complete a 12-week practicum with an approved practicum-training agency.
• Pass the BoC exam that consists of an oral exam and two written reports.

More detailed information can be found in the Candidate Information Package.

There are currently six BoC-accredited educational institutions accepting students in Canada: 

• British Columbia Institute of Technology (Burnaby, BC)
• Cape Breton University (Sydney, NS)
• Concordia University of Edmonton (Edmonton, AB)
• Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning (Kitchener, ON)
• Toronto Metropolitan University (Toronto, ON)
• Université de Montréal (Montréal, QC) (Program is offered in French.)

Members of the Canadian Armed Forces may contact the BoC Canadian Armed Forces representative for more information at cafrep@boc.ciphi.ca.

Yes, all applications to sit a Certification Exam must include proof of current student membership in the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors. 

Membership Application Form

Yes, the CIPHI Board of Certification Practicum Guideline for Training Agency and Trainees (November 2021) outlines the objectives and delivery of the practicum process.

Five years. An applicant who applies to sit the oral exam but has not completed their practicum within the past five years will be required to complete an additional 12-week practicum prior to being approved to sit the oral exam.

No. Animal bite investigation reports are not allowed for the Certification Exam due to a continuous high-similarity percentage detected by the iThenticate software. Due to the ongoing risk of plagiarism, this type of report is no longer permitted. See more on plagiarism.

It is strongly discouraged to share written reports with anyone or to allow the reports to leave your possession or sight for two reasons:

1. You may unintentionally jeopardize academic integrity. Plagiarism/collusion is a serious academic misconduct. No one can be 100% certain of what will happen with the written reports, and all should be aware of the possibility of plagiarism. Your training agency should take reasonable measures to avoid such occurrences.
2. You may deprive the students an opportunity to learn on their own.

The Board of Certification Practicum Guideline for Training Agencies and Trainees requires a mentor to review written reports for the following:

• Accuracy 
• Appropriateness 
• Presence of confidential information
• That the reports were based on inspections completed by the trainee

However, changes or suggestions of all kinds, other than the removal of inappropriate and confidential information, are prohibited, including, but not limited to, spelling, grammar, punctuation, typographical errors, formatting, and inputting or deleting words.

The final practicum written report must reflect the candidate’s report-writing abilities and not those of the mentor.

“Plagiarism is the copying or paraphrasing of other people’s work or ideas into your own work without full acknowledgement. All published and unpublished material, whether in manuscript, printed or electronic form, is covered under this definition. Collusion is another form of plagiarism involving the unauthorized collaboration of students (or others) in a piece of work.” (Source: University of Oxford)

Formal reviews of examinations are part of the evaluation and quality improvement system used by the Board of Certification (BoC) to grant certification. These reviews of examinations identify and address significant irregularities in the conduct of the examination process, including the process of determining that a report has been plagiarized following detection by an electronic plagiarism assessment tool. This assessment tool is a web-based resource used to detect occurrences of plagiarism and searches 24 billion pages on the internet, 120 million articles from journals, periodicals, and books, and holds 250 million archived student papers, including CIPHI BoC report submissions.

Where reports are shown to match a total of 30% or greater to other sources, the BoC member responsible for the initial review will conduct a thorough review to determine if the individual matches are significant and warrant further investigation. If the report has a match of 5% or greater with another source, particularly a previously submitted BoC report, it will be verified in detail.

Where the BoC has found the report to be fraudulent or plagiarized, the candidate will be notified in writing (at the same time as the exam results are sent out to candidates) of the following:

1. They were unsuccessful in their recent BoC examination (both reports and the oral exam will be failed).
2. The BoC has found strong evidence of plagiarism or fraudulence in their report (report name will be given).
3. They forfeit all portions of the exam and may only re-apply for certification in one year (They must skip one examination period.).
4. Should they wish to re-apply, they must submit two new reports which cannot be rewrites of the previous reports submitted.
5. Where the BoC has deemed a candidate to have submitted a fraudulent or plagiarized report for a subsequent examination period, they forfeit all portions of the exam and will not be allowed to sit the examination at any point in the future.
6. Should they wish to appeal the decision of the BoC, they may do so in writing within 30 days, and must pay the administration fee.

Guidelines for the appeal process can be found in the Candidate Information Package and in NOP #6 – Formal BoC Review Panel.

All documents to apply to sit a Certification Exam must be submitted digitally to office@ciphi.ca. Please follow the file format stated in the Candidate Information Guideline found in the Candidate Information Package.

All documentation must be received by the CIPHI Office at least 50 days before the examination date.

The practicum needs to be completed at least 50 days prior to the oral exam date in order to be eligible to sit the oral exam. The Candidate and Practicum Evaluation (mid-term and final) shall be submitted by the candidate to the CIPHI Office no later than 50 days prior to the oral exam.

See Board of Certification Guidelines for Mock Orals.

Yes. The marking scheme is found in the Candidate Information Package. It provides a detailed breakdown of where marks are assigned by the examiners.

Please see the Board of Certification Examination Statistics.

Yes. The marking scheme is found in the Candidate Information Package. It provides a detailed breakdown of where marks are assigned by the examiners.

No, any submission of a written report following a failed mark must be based on a different inspection and cannot be a rewrite of a failed written report.

Yes. each candidate is permitted to attempt the oral and or written segment of the BOC exam a maximum of four (4) times. Certification Exam attempts must occur within five years of the successful completion of a practicum.

A Certification Exam attempt must occur within five years of the successful completion of a practicum. If you do not successfully obtain CPHI(C) within five years of successful completion of your initial practicum, you must secure an additional 12-week practicum and redo both written reports, as well as the oral exam segment of the Certification Exam.

Yes. Applicable provincial tax rates must be added to all Board of Certification fees.
A candidate’s mailing address is used to determine the applicable provincial/territorial tax rate. Please refer to the Board of Certification Price Chart to determine your correct fee and tax amount.

Please see the Candidate Information Package for detailed information about refunds.

A test accommodation is a modification to the standard administration of an exam to address a human rights-related functional limitation.

Accommodation information can be found in BOC Administrative Policies – Policy 11. Candidates seeking exam accommodation(s) are required to submit the following to the CIPHI office:

1. A notation in Form A that an accommodation is being applied for, and
2. A signed letter from the candidate with a description of the functional limitation(s), its severity, and a specific description of the requested accommodation, and
3. Supporting documentation from a qualified professional confirming the need for accommodation

All forms and documents supporting a request for exam accommodation must be received by the CIPHI Office 90 days before the examination date. The board will notify the candidate in writing of the result of the request shortly after receiving the request for accommodation.

There is no cost to accommodation applications.

Complete a BOC Policy 5: Appendix J Certificate Replacement Application for a new certificate.

See the Board of Certification Regulations.

Please contact the CIPHI Office at 1.888.245.8180 or office@ciphi.ca