NCAS is committed to stopping the spread of COVID-19. We are closely following guidelines issued by WorkSafe BC to ensure that protocols are in place for the health and safety of our Assessment Takers and staff.

For international Assessment Takers, please note:

• ​If you are travelling into Canada to complete your NCAS assessment, we encourage you to contact Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to get clarity on your circumstance before booking your travel. NCAS is unable to assure your entry into British Columbia for the purposes of taking our assessment, and we are not responsible for any travel or accommodation expenses.

• ​Once you have a scheduled SLA/OA date with NCAS, we may be able to provide a customized Letter of Invitation for Business Visitors to Canada that would include some information on the NCAS assessment for Immigration Officials. Please contact us directly if this applies to you; note it will take between 3-5 business days to prepare.

• ​Upon entering the country, you may be subject to Provincial Health orders and required to complete a 14-day quarantine period. Please plan ahead to ensure that you are able to complete your quarantine prior to your SLA/OA date; you will be denied entry to the NCAS Assessment Centre if this quarantine period is not completed.   

​​Here is what you can expect while doing your NCAS Assessment during the COVID-19 pandemic:

• ​The CBA is administered by Prometric at their testing centres across Canada and in many locations around the world. Please click here for information on their COVID-19 test centre protocols.
• The SLA/OA, administered by NCAS, has limited daily capacity, and once scheduled, an SLA/OA spot has been reserved for you. Short notice rescheduling or cancellation may deprive another candidate of the opportunity to take the exam, and historically NCAS has had significant financial penalties in place to discourage this. However, in the context of COVID-19, NCAS is prioritizing Assessment Taker and staff health and safety, and many of these fees have been relaxed. At this time, we are allowing rescheduling up to 48 hours prior to your scheduled SLA/OA, though we appreciate as much notice as possible so we can attempt to schedule another Assessment Taker in your place. More information on rescheduling and cancell​ation can be found here.
• Every Assessment Taker will be required to complete the NCAS Health Assessment Form  48 hours prior to your SLA/OA session. (Please note that NCAS staff complete the same form.) This form will confirm your eligibility to enter the Assessment Centre by screening for potential COVID-19 exposure and symptoms, and it MUST be submitted within 36-48 hours prior to your SLA/OA session. Failure to submit it on time may result in your SLA/OA session being CANCELLED, with a full forfeiture of your assessment fees.
• We reserve the right to deny entry to the NCAS Assessment Centre to any person, and strongly encourage you to ensure you are eligible to enter prior to your assessment day. Please review the questions we ask on the NCAS Health Assessment Form ahead of time. As this is a costly and important assessment for you, we encourage COVID-cautious behaviour leading up to your SLA/OA date - for some Assessment Takers, this may involve self-isolation for 14 days prior to your SLA/OA date. 

• If you are denied entry to the Assessment Centre, your SLA/OA will be rescheduled free of charge.  If you need to reschedule your SLA/OA, please contact us immediately. As we are managing a lengthy waitlist, it may take 2-4 months to reschedule your SLA/OA.
• Hand hygiene is extremely important. There are hand-washing stations and plentiful hand sanitizer available in the Assessment Centre. To learn how to properly wash your hands, please view this short video. To learn how to properly use hand sanitizer, please view this short video.   
• We have increased sanitization of high-touch surfaces between each assessment. 
• All persons must wear a mask at all times while in the Assessment Centre. We encourage you to bring your own reusable (clean) mask but have disposable non-medical masks available as well. Please bring at least two masks to replace yours should it become moist or soiled.
• Masks do make it harder to hear what you are saying, so please do you best to speak loudly and clearly throughout your SLA/OA.  
• Our Standardized Patients are there to enact patient scenarios with you. For their, and everyone's protection, they will be wearing face shields in addition to masks. Please maintain appropriate physical distance whenever possible; though all scenarios may involve some physical touch and patient interaction – again, we stress that hand hygiene is extremely important.  
• You may choose to bring a change of clothes for after your assessment is complete.
• Like all of us, NCAS is monitoring the evolving situation with COVID-19 and following our Provincial Health Office closely for updates. Should we be required to close our Assessment Centre at any time, all Assessment Takers will be notified immediately and placed on a prioritized waitlist for when we are able to resume SLA/OA assessments. Please note that NCAS will not be responsible for any Assessment Taker travel expenses in the event of an Assessment Centre closure.