Equivalence route

The equivalence route is for people who have not completed an approved programme but have gained the knowledge, skills and experience needed for registration. You show this through a portfolio of evidence from your own work.

Read the Scopes of practice (PDF) and Good Scientific Practice (PDF) together with the evidence standards for your area of practice.

Before preparing your portfolio

You must be based in the UK. You meet this if you live and work in the UK, or if you have a confirmed UK job and send a signed copy of your job description with your application.

You must also meet the full criteria for your scope of practice. If you do not have a degree, you need a relevant qualification at Level 4 or above and evidence that you practise at degree level. A qualification alone does not make you eligible.

If you trained overseas, read the additional qualification and language requirements. If you are part-way through an approved training scheme, the RCT recommends finishing it and applying through the primary route instead.

What is a portfolio?

A portfolio is an organised collection of evidence from your own work that shows how you meet the required standards. The evidence matrix is an index to it: it records where in the portfolio each criterion is addressed.

Documents to prepare

• Health and conduct declaration
  Complete the declaration. Read the form’s guidance on what must be disclosed. Declaration of health and conduct (PDF).
• References form
  Both proposers must sign the form. See proposer requirements. References form (PDF).
• Academic qualifications form
  Complete the form. Academic qualifications form (Word).
• Education and training certificates
  PDF copies initialled by your proposers.
• Current CV
  Include your education, training and employment history.
• Organisation chart
  Show your role. Both proposers must initial it.
• Current job description
  Both proposers must initial every page.
• Portfolio of evidence
  One indexed document with page numbers, covering every criterion.
• Evidence matrix
  Both proposers must initial every line on every page.
• Declaration on AI use
  Read the policy and include the required declaration. Policy on the use of AI (PDF).
• Overseas evidence, if applicable
  If you trained overseas, check the qualification and English language requirements.

Prepare your evidence

1. Select the RCT standards and matrix for the main scope of your role.
2. Address every criterion, including relevant areas outside your everyday work.
3. Use evidence from your own practice and remove anything that could identify a patient.
4. Present the portfolio as one document with an index and page numbers.
5. Complete the matrix and obtain the required proposer initials.

Portfolios may be checked for plagiarism. Read the Policy on the use of AI (PDF) and include the required declaration.