EPE Prep. Exam Support & Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Welcome to the Can-College O/A CPD House Support Center. Our simulation environment is built to exactly mirror the rigorous, high-stakes nature of the CICC Entry-to-Practice (EPE) and RISIA exams. To help you navigate our platform and policies, we have compiled answers to the most common questions from our candidates.

Registration & Eligibility

Who is eligible to register for the CPD House mock exams?

Access to our simulation engine is strictly gated. To be eligible, you must be at least 18 years old, have graduated from a CICC-approved program (e.g., Queen’s University or Université de Montréal) within the last three (3) years, and be actively registered for an upcoming CICC licensing exam.

What documents must I upload during registration?

To complete the manual verification process, you must upload:

1. A valid Government-Issued ID (Passport, Driver’s License, or Provincial ID).

2. Proof of Graduation (Official Transcript, Diploma, or Letter of Completion) dated within the last 3 years.

3. CICC Exam Registration Proof (Screenshot or PDF confirmation from the CICC).

How long does the verification process take?

Our administration team manually audits all document submissions. This compliance audit typically takes 1 to 2 business days. Once approved, you will receive either your Free Trial access instructions or an invoice for your selected Paid Tier.

Platform Access & Timelines

How long do I have access to my mock exams?

• Free Trial Tier: Access is valid for 15 days from the date your verification is approved.

• Paid Tiers (RISIA, RCIC, IRB): Access is valid for 90 days from the date your payment is processed. Your access will automatically expire precisely on the CICC exam date you provided during registration.

Can I get an extension if I defer my CICC exam or fail my attempt?

No. To ensure our materials strictly comply with the CICC’s 90-day legislative cut-off rule, we enforce a strict No-Extension Policy. Once your 90-day access window expires, it cannot be extended, paused, or reactivated. You will need to repurchase access to ensure your simulations reflect the updated legal cut-offs for the next testing cohort.

Taking the Mock Exams

How many times can I attempt the mock exam?

• Free Trial: You are permitted 3 attempts for the 25-question test drive.

• Paid Tiers: You are permitted a maximum of 4 full exam attempts. This mirrors the CICC’s absolute limit of four lifetime EPE attempts.

Will I get new questions on each of my 4 attempts?

No, the core question bank for your specific exam tier remains static. We do this intentionally so you can measure your direct improvement and track your mastery of the rationales. However, to prevent positional memorization, the order of the questions is entirely randomized every time you start an attempt.

Does the timer pause if I need to take a break or use the washroom?

No. Just like the actual CICC virtual exam, there are no scheduled breaks. If you need to step away from your computer, the simulation timer will continue running.

Where can I find the Test Day Data Booklet?

If you are enrolled in any of our Paid Tiers, a complimentary digital copy of the Test Day Data Booklet is automatically unlocked in your LMS dashboard upon payment.

Technical Rules & Account Security

Can I share my CPD House account with my study group?

Absolutely not. We enforce a zero-tolerance policy for account sharing. Our LMS actively monitors IP addresses, geographic locations, and device footprints. If we detect simultaneous logins or unauthorized access, your account will be immediately and permanently terminated without a refund.

Are there hardware restrictions for taking the simulation?

Yes, to replicate test-day conditions, you may only use ONE monitor. If you are using a laptop, you must disconnect any external monitors.

What items are permitted on my desk during a simulation?

Our environment is strictly closed-book.

• Prohibited Items: Mobile phones, smartwatches, calculators, physical notes, and digital reference tabs.

• Permitted Items: A non-digital wristwatch to track time, and water in a clear, resealable container with all labels removed.

Payments & Refunds

What is your refund policy?

Due to the digital nature of our proprietary simulations and the immediate delivery of analytical feedback, all fees are 100% non-refundable once the simulation environment has been accessed.

How do I pay my invoice?

Once your eligibility documents pass the compliance audit, an invoice will be emailed to you. Access to the simulation engine will be automatically unlocked on your LMS profile the moment your payment is successfully processed.

Need Further Assistance? If you are experiencing a technical issue not covered in this FAQ, please contact our administrative team through the LMS portal.

Explain the Modified Angoff scoring method used by CICC.

The Modified Angoff Method—frequently referred to in CICC documentation alongside the closely related Bookmark method—is a test-centered, criterion-referenced standard-setting technique used to determine the passing grade for CICC licensing exams, including the RCIC EPE, RISIA EPE, and Specialization Exam.

Unlike traditional exams that use a fixed percentage to pass, this method is designed to evaluate a candidate's baseline qualitative competency to practice safely in the public interest.

Here is a breakdown of how the CICC uses this scoring methodology:

1. The Expert Panel and Question Mapping

• Subject Matter Experts: The CICC convenes a panel of experienced, licensed practitioners (such as RCICs or RISIAs) to review the test items for each specific exam sitting.
• Item Response Theory (IRT): The questions on the exam are analyzed and ordered sequentially on a scale from the easiest item to the most difficult item.
• Weighted Difficulty: The methodology evaluates the relative psychometric difficulty of every single question on the exam, rather than treating all questions as equally difficult.

2. Setting the "Bookmark" (The Cut Score)

• The panel of experts reviews the ordered questions and estimates the probability that a "minimally competent" or "minimally proficient" entry-level candidate would answer each item correctly.
• The experts then place a physical or virtual "bookmark" at the exact point on the difficulty scale where they believe a minimally proficient candidate would no longer have a high probability (typically set at 67%, or a 0.67 likelihood) of getting the subsequent, harder questions right.
• The difficulty value of the question at that specific bookmark location becomes the raw passing score (or cut score) for that exact version of the exam.

3. Key Implications for Candidates

Because the CICC utilizes this methodology, candidates must strategize their exam-taking differently than they would for traditional academic tests:

• No Fixed 70% Pass Mark: Because the difficulty of questions naturally varies from one exam form to another, the pass mark dynamically fluctuates for every single exam sitting. There is no fixed "70%" rule to pass.
• No Bell Curve or Quotas: The method differs from purely statistical grading models. There is no pre-set quota for how many people can pass or fail, and candidates are not graded on a bell curve relative to their peers. Anyone whose score meets or exceeds the established cut score will pass.
• No Penalty for Guessing: The Modified Angoff/Bookmark method establishes the baseline cut score but does not penalize individual candidates for answering questions incorrectly. Because there are no negative marks for wrong answers, candidates are strongly encouraged to guess and answer every single question on the exam.

What is the 90-day legislative cut-off rule for exams?

The 90-day legislative cut-off rule is a strict policy implemented by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC) to ensure fairness and allow for the timely preparation of its licensing exams.

Under this rule, any changes to Canadian immigration and citizenship legislation, regulations, or government policies and procedures made within 90 days prior to a scheduled exam date will not be tested.

For candidates, this means that if a new law or policy comes into force during that 90-day window leading up to test day, they must ignore it for the purposes of the exam. Instead, candidates are required to base their answers on the older, pre-existing rules that were in effect exactly 90 days before their exam date.

This cut-off policy applies across all CICC examinations, including the RCIC Entry-to-Practice Exam (EPE), the RISIA EPE, and the RCIC-IRB Specialization Exam. Because of this rule, candidates are strongly advised to ensure that any study materials or practice exams they use are properly aligned with the specific 90-day cut-off date for their particular testing cohort.

CCEC Detailed Mock Exam Terms of Use & Legal Disclaimer

CCEC Mock Exam Program Access & Usage Restrictions