PCE results wait time — is 8 weeks actually normal right now?

by brett_l 913 views6 replies
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brett_lOP
May 25, 2026

Wrote the PCE about 5 weeks ago and I'm still waiting on results. The CAPR website says 8 weeks for score reporting, but I've seen posts from people who got results in 4–5 weeks and others who waited 10–11 weeks. The variance is making it hard to plan my next steps for provincial registration, and I'm not sure whether to wait or start contacting CAPR.

The exam itself felt harder than the practice materials suggested, especially the cardiorespiratory section. I've been practicing in neurorehabilitation for 3 years so that component was manageable, but the cardio questions went into clinical decision-making depth I didn't fully anticipate. The musculoskeletal section felt more predictable by comparison.

For anyone who wrote recently: is there any kind of preliminary notification, or does the full result just arrive without warning? I've been checking email obsessively every morning and it's not exactly helping with the stress of the wait.

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fatima_y
May 26, 2026

Results timing seems to depend partly on when you wrote. I wrote in September and got results in 5 weeks, but a colleague who wrote in May waited almost 10 weeks. Processing volume seems to affect turnaround significantly.

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nico_b
May 27, 2026

Try not to read too much into how the exam felt — difficulty calibration means a harder-feeling exam doesn't necessarily translate to a worse score. Plenty of people who thought they'd failed passed with comfortable margins.

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ingrid_p
May 27, 2026

I waited exactly 7 weeks after my sitting date — no preliminary notification, just got the email with results directly. The wait is brutal but it seems pretty standard from everything I've seen on this forum.

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jordan_k
May 27, 2026

The cardiorespiratory section has gotten noticeably more clinical over the past couple of years — several people in my cohort said the same thing after their sitting. It's not just recall questions anymore.

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PassedIt2025
July 3, 2026

I wrote mine last year and waited about 7 weeks, so 5 weeks in is still pretty normal territory. The variance is real and it's frustrating, but from what I've seen it tends to depend on when in the testing cycle you wrote it.

On the planning side though, I'd honestly use this wait time to dig into any questions you weren't sure about. What helped me most wasn't just knowing the right answer but really understanding why the wrong ones were wrong, because that's what sticks when you hit something unexpected on a future exam or in practice. If you're second-guessing any of your responses, now's a good time to work through the reasoning rather than just sitting with the anxiety of waiting.

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CertChaser
July 3, 2026

I went through something similar actually — failed my first attempt and waited almost 10 weeks before that result came through, which honestly felt like forever. Second time I shifted how I studied pretty significantly. I stopped trying to review everything and got way more targeted, especially with the areas I'd struggled on before. Spent a lot of time working through practice content like pce/questions/musculoskeletal physiotherapy and manual therapy because that section caught me off guard the first time and I wasn't prepared for how applied the questions were.

On the wait time — it's genuinely inconsistent and I don't think there's a pattern you can predict. I've seen people post results at 4 weeks and others at 11, same testing window. The 8 weeks is just their cover-all number. If you're at 5 weeks I'd try not to read into it too much, easier said than done I know, but stressing about the timeline doesn't change it. Use the time to prep for what comes next so you're ready to move fast once results do drop.

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