Engaging the POWER of the Horse

Step 1

• You must be 18 years of age or older

• Proof of current adult and child CPR and first aid certifications (100% online courses are acceptable)

• Complete the PATH Intl. Standards course and exam (score valid 1 year)

• Locate a supervising instructor in the certified professional directory holding PATH Intl. CTRI certification (or higher). Look for certified professionals listed as a Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor with a PATH Intl. Status of “Certified” and a Candidate Supervision Status of “Eligible to Supervise CTRI Applicants”

  A PATH Intl. Status of “Certified” means that the certified professional holds current PATH Intl. certification on the date the directory is viewed. Applicants should confirm the date through which the certification will remain current directly with the certified professional. Hours supervised by a certified professional after the date their certification expires will not be accepted.

  A Candidate Supervision status of “Eligible to Supervise CTRI Applicants” means that the certified professional has earned the CTRI credential and PATH Intl. has confirmed they have completed the requirements necessary to supervise CTRI applicant teaching hours. A Candidate Supervision status of “undefined” means that certified professional has not been confirmed by PATH Intl. to have completed the requirements necessary to supervise CTRI applicant teaching hours.

  A PATH Intl. Mentor status of “true” means that certified professional has completed the PATH Intl. Mentor Training course. A PATH Intl. Mentor status of “false” means that certified professional has NOT completed the PATH Intl. Mentor Training course. Regardless of their mentor status, they may or may NOT have completed the requirements necessary to supervise CTRI applicant teaching hours.

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Step 2

• $150 for Professional or Professional Plus members and $250 for Participating members or non-members.

• Application materials must be submitted together and at one time (additional charges may apply if you submit your application in parts). These materials include:

  • Application paperwork (parts 1-5)

  • Video demonstrating your riding skill instruction and communication skills ( you can instruct an able bodied or disabled person)

  • Photocopy of your ID

  • Proof of current adult and child CPR and first aid certifications (100% online courses are acceptable)

  • Proof of your passing score of the Standards exam

  • Signed PATH Intl. Certified Professional Code of Ethics

  • Please allow 60 days for your application to be reviewed

• Once your application has been reviewed and accepted, you will receive a letter via email, authorizing you to participate in the examination.  This authorization will be valid for one year, during which time you will need to schedule your examination at a Pearson Vue center. You can find testing centers near you by going to http://www.pearsonvue.com and searching for the CTRI Certification.

• Download the CTRI Candidate Handbook for free 

• PATH Intl. does not recommend any singular resource or pathway to prepare for certification. There are an abundance of resources and training programs available to the public to obtain the necessary competencies.

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Step 3

• Upon approval of your application, complete payment for the certification exam ($525 for Professional or Professional Plus members and $650 for Participating members or non-members) to receive an Authorization to Test letter

• Read the PATH Intl. Certification Testing Code of Conduct

• Sit for a PROCTORED & CLOSED BOOK Certification Exam at a Pearson Vue testing center. Candidates will have 90 minutes to complete the 85-question, computer-based exam.

• Get a preview of how the exam will appear and learn how to navigate the exam administration platform by touring the demo at https://wsr.pearsonvue.com/demo/

• Upon earning a passing score on the certification exam, candidates are considered by PATH Intl. to be certified and qualified to teach therapeutic riding lessons unsupervised. Certificates will receive an official results letter and instructor certificate from PATH Intl. within 6 weeks of passing the certification exam.

 

Certification Exam Information

• Candidates will have one year from the date of their Authorization to Test letter (received following payment of the exam fee) to complete the exam.

• The purpose of the CTRI exam is to determine proficiency of foundational competencies in therapeutic riding instruction. The exam consists of 5 content areas* with multiple-choice questions comprising the following percentages of the exam:
  Equine Handling: 13.75%
  Participant and Volunteer Management: 23.75%
  Lesson Management: 27.5%
  Risk Management: 22.5%
  Riding Theory: 12.5%
  *Exam Blueprint Effective March 2022
  The content areas encompass the CTRI criteria as follows:
  Equine Handling – Equine Management section
  Participant and Volunteer Management – Therapeutic Riding Instruction and Teaching Methodology sections
  Lesson Management – Therapeutic Riding Instruction and Teaching Methodology sections
  Risk Management – Teaching Methodology and Disabilities sections
  Riding Theory – Equine Management and Horsemanship sections

• The exam consists of 85 multiple-choice questions, 80 of which are scored and 5 of which are unscored questions in beta test. The unscored questions will not be identified as such and are intermingled with the scored questions. Only the candidate’s answers to the 80 scored questions factor into their overall exam score.

• Candidates must earn a minimum of 250 out of 300 possible points to receive a passing score. Exams are scored immediately and examinees will receive a report before they leave the testing center confirming whether or not they have received a passing score.  This report is not considered official issuance of PATH Intl. CTRI certification. PATH Intl. will formally issue CTRI certification to candidates within 45 days of successful completion of the certification exam. The report provides diagnostic information about the candidate’s performance in each of the 5 content areas. The content areas will be described as “Needs Review”, “Competent” or “Mastered”. Because the content areas are broken down into smaller sections, the difference between “needs review” and “mastered” can be a relatively small number of items for areas of the exam that do not have as many questions as others. As diagnostic data is reported in smaller sections, it becomes more difficult to make accurate inferences regarding your score and performance. Consequently, the diagnostic information is provided largely to serve as a guide of where to focus future exam preparation for candidates who need to re-take the exam.  For passing candidates, it can be informative for the areas of the exam they excelled at but is otherwise not intended for other uses or inferences. 

• Candidates who receive non-passing scores may retake the exam once per testing window while in possession of a valid Authorization to Test letter. The full certification exam fee must be remitted before the candidate will be permitted to register for a retake.

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Application Deadlines & Testing Windows

Accepting applications through October 27, 2023 for January 20-February 4, 2024 testing.

Accepting applications through February 9, 2024 for May 4-19, 2024 testing.

Accepting applications through May 10, 2024 for August 3-18, 2024 testing.

Accepting applications through August 9, 2024 for November 4-19, 2024 testing.