Fees & Policies — British Columbia
NCAS has launched a new pathway for Internationally Educated Health Professionals. The Government of BC has agreed to waive NCAS and BCCNM application fees for all eligible applicants.
To see if you are eligible, contact www.nursingjobsbc.ca.
The government will inform NCAS if you are eligible and if we can waive your fees. See a list of fees that can be covered.
If you do not meet the criteria to waive your fees, you can still proceed with the complete evaluation process. You must pay for the competency assessment if we refer you to that step.
The total fee for NCAS assessments is payable in one installment. Additional administrative fees will apply if you wish to extend, reschedule, or cancel your assessment within the allowable timeframe. All fees will have Goods and Services tax (5%) applied upon invoicing.
Download our glossary of nursing assessment terms
Assessment Fees
| Role | CBA Fee (CAD) | SLA Fee (CAD) | Total Fee (CAD) |
Health Care Assistant (HCA) | $1,000 | $1,000 | $2,000 |
Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) | $1,250 | $1,250 | $2,500 |
Registered Nurse (RN) | $1,500 | $1,500 | $3,000 |
Triple-track (RN/LPN/HCA) | $1,500 | $1,500 | $3,000 |
Registered Psychiatric Nurse (RPN) | $1,500 | $1,500 | $3,000
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Administrative Fees & Policies
Rescheduling CBA |
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You can reschedule your CBA between two and 29 days before your confirmed assessment date by visiting prometric.com, the CBA testing center.
| CAD $44, applied by Prometric
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To reschedule your CBA less than 48 hours before, contact NCAS directly. | CAD
$225 |
Non-Attendance CBA | |
If you miss your
scheduled CBA, contact NCAS directly to reschedule. | CAD $500 |
Rescheduling SLA | |
You can reschedule your SLA up to 30 days before, one-time only.
The SLA has limited daily capacity. Once scheduled, a spot has been reserved for you. If you need to reschedule your SLA, contact us immediately.
| CAD $250, applied if more than one reschedule has been required
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We
cannot reschedule an SLA assessment with 30 or fewer days' notice.
Illness-related rescheduling requests need to be accompanied by a doctor's
note. | Full cost of applicable SLA, applied if rescheduled |
Non-Attendance/Late Arrival for SLA | |
You will forfeit the assessment fee if you miss or arrive late to your scheduled SLA. To reschedule, contact NCAS directly at info@ncasbc.ca
| Full cost of applicable SLA, applied if rescheduled |
SLA Reconsideration Fee | |
NCAS checks assessment scores carefully before we release your Performance Report. You can request a reconsideration of your SLA results if your Performance Report does not reflect your performance during the assessment. We do not allow reconsideration of the CBA results. If you encountered an incident while taking the CBA that requires review, you must contact us within three business days of your CBA to resolve. Once you request a reconsideration of your SLA, assessors who did not score your original assessment view the recorded videos of your SLA scenarios to confirm that we scored all the skills you demonstrated. We then issue you a new Performance Report combining your original CBA and final SLA scores. You can request only one reconsideration; all reconsideration results are final. You must request a reconsideration within 15 days of receiving your Performance Report. We cannot conduct reconsiderations after these 15 days have passed. Typically, it takes NCAS 21 days to complete a reconsideration from the requested date. Complete this form to request a reconsideration.
| CAD
$350, this fee covers the administrative and assessor time involved in your
reconsideration |
Withdrawal and Refunds | |
If you need to withdraw from the NCAS assessment, we can refund your assessment fees up to 30 days before your scheduled assessment. All refunds are subject to a CAD $50 administrative fee. We cannot offer refunds for withdrawals 30 or fewer days before your scheduled assessment.
| CAD
$50
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Appeal Fee |
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You can request an appeal directly with NCAS only if it regards alternative documents for providing proof of English Language Proficiency. All other appeal inquiries must go directly to credentialling or language testing agencies.
All requests for appeal must be in writing, detailing the reason(s) for the request and all reasons necessary to allow the appeal to be considered. Requests for appeal must be received in NCAS’ office within 30 calendar days of the decision date.
| CAD
$350, this fee covers the administrative time involved in your appeal
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Eligibility for New Pathway
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You can apply to the IEN Pathway if you: - completed all educational requirements for a nursing designation (diploma or degree) in your home country - have not worked in Canada as a nurse or health care assistant - need your credentials evaluated - have not *applied to the BC College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) or the BC Care Aide & Community Health Worker Registry
*If you already applied to either of these organizations, continue to work through the current process and see our applicants' FAQ.
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Not Eligible for New Pathway
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| Assessment Timeline & Extensions |
All NCAS assessments must be completed within six months from the date that NCAS refers you to the competency assessment, to the date that the final assessment component is completed. The CBA and SLA(s) must be completed within three months of each other. The NCAS assessment evaluates competencies and knowledge at a specific point: the more time that elapses, the less valid the results are. There are no extensions to this three-month period between the assessment components. If you would like an extension to your initial referral – and you have not yet completed either your CBA or SLA - contact NCAS directly to request an extension. We may approve an extension of up to six months.
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Testing Accommodations |
A testing accommodation is a modification made to the assessment to observe a spiritual or religious observance, or to support candidates with medical, physical, psychological, or learning conditions. If you require an accommodation to complete your assessment, contact us so we can help. You may need to provide a doctor's note. All accommodations must be pre-approved before your assessment date.
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NCAS Cancellations |
NCAS and Prometric take every reasonable measure to maintain scheduled assessments and ensure the assessment location is prepared to support each scheduled individual. Unfortunately, it is sometimes necessary to cancel existing assessments and schedule for an alternate date and/or location. NCAS will not be responsible for any Assessment taker travel expenses in the event of a Prometric Testing Centre or NCAS Assessment Centre closure.
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