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Scheduling

When and where the NAC Examination is offered and how to select your exam centre preferences.

Upcoming NAC Examination sessions and important dates

The National Assessment Collaboration (NAC) Examination is a half-day exam offered in administrations twice a year, in the spring and fall (typically in May and September).

Results will be available about 8 weeks after your exam date. Results are accepted by residency programs directors regardless of where you take the exam. As such, you do not have to take the examination in the province where you will apply for residency.

Upcoming NAC Examination dates and centres

Spring 2024

Saturday, May 4

Alberta
Edmonton 

Manitoba
Winnipeg

Ontario 
London
Ottawa (FR)
Toronto

The exam is offered in English at all exam centres. Exam centres also offering the exam in French will indicate (FR) beside them.

Fall 2024

Saturday, September 7

Centres to be announced

Sunday, September 8

Centres to be announced

Exceptionally, for the September 2024 session, results will be available approximately 7 weeks after the session’s last day.

Dates and centres are subject to change.

Important dates for the May 2024 session

Application opening date
The first day you can apply for the next NAC Examination session.

November 28, 2023

Application closing date
The last day you can apply for the next NAC Examination session.

December 19, 2023
at 11:59 p.m., ET

Test accommodation documentation deadline
All documentation to support a test accommodation request must be submitted to ensure requirements can be met during this exam session.

January 5, 2024

Withdrawal with partial refund deadline

February 12, 2024
at 11:59 p.m., ET

Centre choice change deadline
After this deadline you will not be able to change your centre preferences.

February 15, 2024
at 11:59 p.m., ET

Scheduling conflict request deadline

February 19, 2024

Centre assignment release
You will be notified in your physiciansapply.ca account of your centre assignment about six weeks before your exam date(s). It is not possible to request changes to your centre assignments.

End of March 2024

Result release
When you can expect to receive your results in physiciansapply.ca.

Early July 2024

Dates are subject to change.

Get notified when application for an upcoming session opens

Selecting your exam centre preferences

During the application process, you will be asked to choose up to 3 exam centres in order of preference to take your NAC Examination. You can update your exam centre preferences in physiciansapply.ca until the centre choice change deadline.

The MCC will make every attempt to accommodate your centre preference(s) during the centre assignment process.

Considerations when making your exam centre selections

  • You do not have to take the exam in the province you will be applying for residency.
  • If you select a centre that offers both English and French, your exam will be in the language you selected when applying. Candidates that choose ‘English or French’ as their language selection will be assigned by the MCC a language to write their exam in.
  • If you choose only one centre in your preferences, your likelihood of being assigned to that centre does not improve.

I agree/do not agree question

You will also be asked in the application process whether you would accept being assigned to any other available centre if the MCC is not able to accommodate your preferences. You can also change your answer to this question up to the centre change deadline.

If you agree to accept

If you agree to accept assignment to any other available centre outside of your choices, should the MCC not be able to accommodate your preferences, you may be assigned to any available centre across Canada.

If you do not accept

If you do not accept assignment to any other available centre outside of your choices, and the MCC is not able to accommodate your centre selections, your application would be withdrawn. The application fee minus the examination withdrawal fee, would be returned to the credit card used at the time of payment, otherwise a credit will be applied to your account.

> View NAC Examination fees

How to view and change your centre choices

Once you have selected your centre choice preferences, you will be able to view and change your centre selections through your physiciansapply.ca account, until the centre change deadline.

To view and/or change your centre selections and/or “I agree/I do not agree” question:

  1. Login to your physiciansapply.ca account.
  2. Click on Examinations in the left panel.
  3. Click on the appropriate exam in the centre panel to open the Current Examination panel.
  4. View or change your centre selection and/or change your “I agree/I do not agree” question in the Current Examination panel.

How to submit a scheduling conflict request

If you have a significant scheduling conflict, submit the following information before the scheduling conflict request deadline (included in the important dates above):

  • Send the MCC a message through your physiciansapply.ca account using the subject line “NAC Examination scheduling conflict”. Provide detailed information about why you are submitting a scheduling conflict request.
  • Send supporting documentation that clearly confirms the conflict to [email protected].

Once submitted, allow up to 2 weeks for your request to be reviewed and a reply sent to you through your account.

If your request is approved, the NAC Examination pre-scheduling request fee will be applied to your account.

How you will be notified of your exam date and location

You will be notified of your exam centre, date, and start time through messages in your physiciansapply.ca account.

  • Approximately 6 weeks before the exam, you will receive a message with instructions on where to view your exam date and assigned exam centre.
  • Approximately 4 weeks before the exam weekend, you will receive a message with a link to your Entrance Card package. The Entrance Card package will include information such as your arrival time, examination centre location, and other general instructions regarding the examination at your assigned centre.

As space is limited at each centre, exam centre changes or date changes are not possible.

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