CCFP SAMP Exam Day and Scheduling: What to Expect
CFPC documents real, specific scheduling mechanics and a real fee structure for the SAMP exam — worth knowing well before exam week. Here's exactly what CFPC's own page (https://www.cfpc.ca/en/education-professional-development/examinations-and-certification/certification-examination-in-family-medicine) says (real dates confirmed as of this writing; always check CFPC's own page directly, since exam dates and fees do shift).
The written SAMPs component is four hours long, administered on a Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, as either an in-person or virtual seat. (The oral SOO component — five 15-minute simulated office orals, administered virtually — is a separate exam sitting on a Saturday or Sunday; see this qbank's own SAMP-vs-SOO article for what each component actually tests.) Real upcoming sittings as of this writing: Fall 2026 SAMPs on October 13–14 (SOOs October 17–18), Spring 2027 SAMPs on April 5–7 (SOOs April 17–18 and 24–25), and Fall 2027 SAMPs on October 12–13 (SOOs October 16–17).
Scheduling itself runs on a real timeline: approximately five weeks before the written exam, each registered candidate gets a CFPC notification email about selecting a seat, with at least 72 hours' notice before the Prometric self-scheduling portal actually opens. Seats are first-come, first-served, and a confirmation email arrives within 24 hours of scheduling through Prometric.
CFPC's real cancellation policy has three tiers by how far out you withdraw: more than 60 days before the exam gets your fee refunded minus a non-refundable $500 CAD administration fee; 30 to 60 days before incurs a 50% penalty; and withdrawing within 30 days of the exam means no refund at all.
Study takeaway: because seats are first-come, first-served the moment the Prometric portal opens — with only 72 hours' notice before it does — treat that five-week notification email as the real start of a time-sensitive task, not something to act on whenever convenient; and factor the steep within-30-days cancellation cost into how firmly you commit to a sitting date in the first place.