Exam day | Medical Council of Canada
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Exam day

What to expect on the day you take the TDM Examination.

Arrival/check-in procedures

Consult the check-in details and instructions for the modality of the exam you have chosen, including information about what personal items you need, can bring, and cannot have with you during your exam.

I am taking my exam:

Duration of the TDM Examination

The exam appointment is 3.5 hours and includes:

  • Your check-in (including sign-in, security check, and, if a remotely proctored exam, room check)
  • A tutorial on how the exam delivery application works and a video on test security
  • A 3-hour period to answer all questions (a total of 40 cases, with approximately 100 short answer, write-in questions)
  • An optional survey after the examination

Managing time during the exam

Breaks

There is no scheduled break during the TDM Examination.

You can take an unscheduled break during the exam to access food, non-water beverages, and/or medication. During the unscheduled break, the exam timer will continue to run, and you will be required to undergo security check-in procedures upon your return. No outside contact is allowed during the exam session, including during an unscheduled break.

To take an unscheduled break:

  1. Notify a Prometric staff member as instructed at the beginning of your exam.
  2. Leave the exam room. Your timer on the exam will continue to count down during your break.
  3. Complete the routine security scan and the sign-in process to re-enter the exam. This is estimated to take between 3 and 5 minutes.

Progress and time tracking

The progress bar tracks the percentage of answered questions throughout the entire exam; it does not include the optional survey questions. You can flag questions and return to those questions at any point throughout the duration of the exam. You can also highlight parts of the case or the questions.

The exam application will also track how much time you have left. The exam application clock cannot be stopped once you begin the exam. You will receive warnings as you approach 30 minutes, 15 minutes, and 5 minutes before the end of your exam. Your exam is over when you submit the exam or run out of time, whichever happens first.

If a delay occurs between questions or while items are loading, the test timer stops and only starts when an item loading is fully rendered. No exam time is lost.

When the exam is over, a notice confirming that you have completed the TDM Examination will be displayed on the computer screen. The notice of completion will also be emailed to you once you have completed your exam. This notice will not include your total score or final result.

What to do if you experience an exam day incident

Technical difficulties

Notify Prometric staff immediately if you experience technical difficulties during the exam as they may be able to assist you. If you are taking a remotely proctored exam and are experiencing technical difficulties, visit the Prometric technical support page.

Reporting exam day incidents

The MCC recognizes that, in some instances, candidates may experience exam day incidents (procedural irregularities or extenuating circumstances, such as illness) that may have a negative effect on their exam day performance.

If you choose to start the exam, it will count as an attempt, even if you cannot finish it and your application fee may be forfeited.

It is important to notify site staff immediately of all exam-day incidents.

In addition to notifying staff on exam day, all exam day incidents (procedural irregularities and extenuating circumstances) must be reported to the MCC through your physiciansapply.ca account within 7 days of your exam.

The MCC will not investigate exam day incidents reported more than 7 days after your scheduled exam appointment. Candidates who do not report incidents within the 7-day timeframe will not be eligible to request a reconsideration after results have been released. Survey responses are not monitored for incident reports and are only intended for candidates to provide general feedback.

Conduct and behaviour

You will be monitored by Prometric staff while taking the exam. Prometric will video record (with or without audio) the invigilation of the exam in accordance with the TDM Examination terms and conditions you accepted at the time of application. At test centres where video cameras are installed, notices will be posted informing you that the session is being recorded. Any personal information captured in these recordings will be treated according to the MCC Privacy Policy.

Speaking to anyone other than Prometric staff during your exam is prohibited and access to any communication or transmitting devices, including phones or tablets, during the exam is not permitted. You must complete the TDM Examination on your own; providing or receiving assistance with completion of the TDM Examination is prohibited and a breach of the TDM Examination terms and conditions. If you appear to be giving or receiving information during the exam, the Prometric staff member in charge of the exam can immediately terminate your exam. Prometric staff members must make a full report of all such occurrences to MCC.

All TDM Examination materials are protected by copyright and are to be kept confidential, including the content and questions comprising the TDM Examination. You are permitted to use the TDM Examination materials solely for the purpose of completing the TDM Examination. You must not disseminate, reproduce, share, or reveal to others the exam materials and content (in whole or in part), at any time in any way, even after the exam ends. Comparing exam content and question themes with your colleagues, sharing content with future exam candidates, and posting content online are considered breaches of confidentiality.

Any breach of the TDM Examination terms and conditions will be considered irregular behaviour for which the MCC may take appropriate action, in accordance with the TDM Examination terms and conditions you accepted at the time of application.

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