CCEB Written Examination — Information & Free Practice

About CCEB Written Examination

CCEB Written Examination · CA

Key exam facts

Provider

Canadian Chiropractic Examining Board (CCEB) develops and administers the examination.

Format

Online live remote proctoring, with approved testing-accommodation exceptions. Standard MCQs have four options; case-based items have three options per item, with three items per case. Images and videos may be included.

Exam questions

Total questions: 255; The total includes the scored and unscored questions.

Time limit

Two three-hour answering sessions (morning and afternoon), six hours in total; approved accommodations may vary.

Passing score

An administration-specific cut score set by the modified Angoff method. Each scored item is worth one point; both sessions are combined. No fixed percentage cut score is specified; curved grading is not used.

Exam fee

CAD $1,750 for the Written Examination, payable through the online application portal. Fees are subject to change without notice.

Topics covered

• Neuromusculoskeletal Expert (27%)

  • Demonstrate proficiency in determining a differential diagnosis of the patient.
  • Demonstrate proficiency in conducting a history.
  • Demonstrate proficiency in performing an examination.
  • Demonstrate proficiency in determining the need for and selection of or referral for appropriate imaging modalities and laboratory analysis to order to arrive at an appropriate differential diagnosis.
  • Demonstrate proficiency in interpretation of results of diagnostic testing.
  • Demonstrate clinical reasoning by considering the relative influence of all determinants in the formulation of a differential diagnosis.
  • Develop and manage an appropriate plan of patient care.
  • Prioritize issues that need to be addressed.
  • Consider risk management strategies that address patient safety.
  • Obtain informed consent.
  • Implement measurable and effective patient-centered management that supports ongoing care, follow up investigations, response to treatment and further consultation.
  • Adapt to unanticipated clinical findings.
  • Demonstrate the proficient delivery of therapeutic interventions.
  • Implement safe and effective interventions consistent with the established differential diagnosis and treatment goals and expectations.
  • Recognize and respond to adverse events.
  • Provide evidence-informed conservative care for NMS conditions.
  • Deliver appropriate chiropractic adjustments/manipulations as identified in the treatment plan.
  • Identify segmental dysfunction of the spine and/or other articulations.
  • Analyze and interpret findings indicating the need for chiropractic adjustment/manipulation.
  • Identify indications, contraindications, and risk factors for the chiropractic adjustment/manipulation, explain the anticipated benefits, potential complications and effects to patients.
  • Apply chiropractic adjustment/manipulation to patients while ensuring patient safety.
  • Identify the effects following the chiropractic adjustment/manipulation.

• Communicator (24%)

  • Establish rapport and trust with patients, their families and/or caregivers and/or support persons, colleagues and other health professionals.
  • Engage in responsive, non-judgmental and culturally respectful dialogue, during written (including electronic) communication, verbal, and non-verbal communication.
  • Facilitate an environment which optimizes patient comfort, safety, confidentiality and privacy.
  • Share information in an empathic manner that respects patient privacy and confidentiality.
  • Recognize the physical and psychosocial needs of patients.
  • Identify barriers and adapt communication approaches that enable shared decision-making and promote patient engagement in their care.
  • Synthesize relevant information and perspective of patients and families and/or caregivers and/or support persons, colleagues and other health professionals.
  • Gather and document relevant information and perspectives of patients and families, colleagues and other professionals.
  • Document clinical information and encounters in an accurate, readable, complete, timely and accessible manner in compliance with regulatory and legal requirements.
  • Communicate in a collaborative, responsive and responsible manner that is meaningful to the recipient.
  • Recognize when values, biases, or perspectives of patients, chiropractors or other health care professionals may have an impact on quality of care, and modify the approach to the patient accordingly.
  • Participate in a continuing dialogue (with patient and/or referrer) while maintaining informed consent as part of the evolving process of patient engagement.
  • Assist patients, their families and/or caregivers and/or support persons to identify, access and make use of information and communication technologies to support their care and manage their health.
  • Utilize communication skills and strategies that help the public to practically apply evidence-informed health information.
  • Manage conflicts, misunderstandings and sensitive conversations in a professional manner.
  • Address challenging communication issues effectively, such as obtaining informed consent and addressing anger, confusion and misunderstanding.
  • Provide clear and accurate explanation about the plan of care, recommendations and prognosis for the goals of proposed interventions, as well as the risks and benefits of proposed interventions within a structured report of findings.
  • Demonstrate appropriate and responsible use of technology for communication.
  • Implement steps to comply with relevant regulation and acts that relates to security, confidentiality and privacy issues with the use of electronic communication and data collection.

• Professional (16%)

  • Demonstrate a commitment to the patient, profession and society through ethical behaviour.
  • Exhibit appropriate professional behaviours and relationships with colleagues, mentors, and other health professionals.
  • Respond appropriately to ethical issues and conflicts of interest.
  • Identify and describe the elements of appropriate, ethical and healthy business practices that could help develop and sustain a successful chiropractic practice.
  • Understand ethical business skills and practices.
  • Understand quality improvement processes for business practices.
  • Demonstrate elements of reflective practice.
  • Demonstrate an ongoing ability for critical self-appraisal, including an examination of one’s own strengths, weaknesses and biases.
  • Implement appropriate learning opportunities and/or remediation strategies.

• Collaborator (15%)

  • Demonstrate an understanding of the chiropractic scope of practice and those of other health professions.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of relevant provider’s scopes of practice in order to best address the patients’ needs and health goals.
  • Co-manage and/or refer to the appropriate health professionals when applicable.
  • Value and engage the patient/family/support persons in patient care.
  • Actively engage patient/family/support persons as team members in planning patient care.
  • Demonstrate respect for patient, family and community cultural and social values in the provision of clinical care.
  • Adapt to a variety of patient types and populations.
  • Work effectively with chiropractors and other health professionals.
  • Engage in respectful, shared decision-making with chiropractors and other health professionals when required or when applicable.
  • Negotiate overlapping and shared responsibilities with chiropractors and other health professions when required or when applicable.
  • Implement strategies to promote understanding, manage differences, and resolve conflicts in a manner that supports a collaborative culture.
  • Utilize both verbal and/or written communication in situations of referrals and co- management.

• Scholar (10%)

  • Demonstrate skills as a knowledge broker that include contribution to the creation, critical appraisal, dissemination, application and/or translation of health care knowledge into practice.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the scientific principles of research and evidence- informed practice for health care.
  • Demonstrate the ability to identify and retrieve relevant scientific literature, and to critically appraise and evaluate the applicability of health-related literature and research.
  • Summarize and communicate to professional and lay audiences the findings of relevant research and/or scholarly evidence.
  • Identify ethical principles for research and incorporate them into obtaining informed consent, considering potential harms and benefits, and considering vulnerable populations.
  • Identify and develop strategies to address knowledge gaps in clinical care.
  • Demonstrate attributes of a lifelong learner including strategies to integrate new evidence-informed knowledge into practice.
  • Establish and maintain evidence-informed clinical knowledge, skills, and attitudes, appropriate for the practice of chiropractic.
  • Demonstrate the application of knowledge of the clinical and biomedical sciences.
  • Execute the practice of chiropractic in an evidence-informed manner considering best current evidence, patient preference and clinician expertise.

• Health Advocate (5%)

  • Advocate for health, healthy lifestyle at home/work/recreation, injury prevention, and quality of life for individual patients and communities within and beyond the clinical environment.
  • Explore relevant personal and social determinants of health with the patient.
  • Encourage patients and their families to adopt healthy behaviours.
  • Recognize, support and assist in implementing evidence-informed public health practices and initiatives.
  • Identify and address barriers and facilitators to adopting healthy behaviours.

• Leader (3%)

  • Identify and describe the elements of leadership in professional practice.
  • Understand the roles and governance structures of regulatory and professional organizations relevant to the chiropractic profession.
  • Demonstrate engagement through community, professional, volunteer or other activities.
  • Understand how to contribute to the improvement of health care delivery in teams, organizations and systems.

How to prepare

Work through the topics, read the explanation after each answer, and revisit the areas where you miss questions. Use the official outline and reference materials below to guide your study.

These independent practice questions are not actual exam items and do not guarantee a passing result.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources and references

• CCEB Examinations Candidate Handbook

  p.4, Competency Profile Definitions

• CCEB Examinations Candidate Handbook

  p.5, Written Examination blueprint

• CCEB Examinations Candidate Handbook

  p.6, Written Examination

• CCEB Examinations Candidate Handbook

  p.10, Scoring of the Written Examination

• CCEB Examinations Candidate Handbook

  p.6, Written Examination, session-duration sentence

• CCEB Examination Fees

  Exam Fees, Written row

Confirm current exam arrangements with the exam provider.