Application for Assessment

for Internationally Educated

Nurses
May 30, 2008
 Dear Applicant:
Thank you for your inquiry about nurse registration in Alberta. I am pleased to
enclose information and an application package to assist you in beginning the
registration process. The information contained in this package is meant for
applicants who were educated and registered outside Canada and are not registered
in another Canadian jurisdiction. If this is not the information you require, please
contact our office.

To avoid delays in processing your application, please read the instructions

carefully and complete the forms as directed. Before mailing your Application for
Assessment Form, please make sure the form is signed and you have enclosed your
identification and application fee.

We will establish a file for you when we receive your application form. Your file
will be assessed when all documents have been received. In the meantime, you will
be notified if there are any outstanding documents or information we require. As
part of that assessment, you may be required to attend a substantially equivalent
competence (SEC) assessment. You may also be required to complete additional
courses before your registration proceeds. More information on the SEC assess-
ment process is included in this package.

Once your assessment is complete, you will be advised in writing about your
eligibility to apply for a temporary permit, to enable you to work as a Graduate
Nurse for a limited time, until you can write the licensing examination and
complete registration as a Registered Nurse. In order to practice as a Registered
Nurse and call yourself a Registered Nurse, you must hold a College and
Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta practice permit and be registered with
CARNA as a Registered Nurse.

We hope the information in this package is helpful, and look forward to receiving
your application.

Regards,

Mary-Anne Robinson, RN, MN, MSA

CARNA Executive Director

College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta www.nurses.ab.ca 2

 Applicant Checklist
This application package contains the
following:
Information Forms
• Application Package Checklist • Internationally Educated Nurse Application for Assessment
• Privacy Statement • Documentation of Nursing Experience/Practice
• Registration Requirements • Verification of Nurse Registration
• Registration Process • Nursing Education Transcript and Hours Breakdown
• Substantially Equivalent Competence (SEC) Request Form
Assessment - General Information • Authority to Release Information
• List of English language tests accepted by College and
Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta

To avoid delays in application processing, please use the following checklist to ensure that you have completed all
necessary steps before mailing your application package to College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta.

Have you:
 Printed in ink and completed all sections and answered all questions on the Application for Assessment form? If
a question does not apply to you, write “N/A” beside that question.

 Signed and dated the Application for Assessment form.

 Enclosed the assessment fee either by cheque, money order, Visa or MasterCard? (You may pay with cash or
debit at the CARNA office).

 Enclosed copies of your birth certificate, another piece of picture identification and a marriage certificate (if
applicable) showing your complete legal name, other names and date of birth.

 Provided your nursing practice hours for the current and past five CARNA membership years along with the
complete name and address for each employer.

 Sent the Verification of Nursing Registration form to your initial nursing jurisdiction, as well as to each
jurisdiction where you are currently registered or have held registration within the current five years and past
five years.

 Sent the Nursing Education Transcript and Hours Breakdown request form to your school(s) of nursing.

 Contacted CARNA if you are uncertain about any of the required documents.

Additional information about the process of applying for registration with CARNA is available on the CARNA
website: www.nurses.ab.ca

College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta www.nurses.ab.ca 3

 Protecting Your Privacy
Aggregate information is also provided to Statistics Canada
though the Canadian Institute for Health Information as
required by the Statistics Bureau Act. Personal information is
also collected through CARNA’s practice consultation calls
or other member services and may be used in aggregate,
non-identifiable form for reporting purposes.

Withdrawal of Consent
You may withdraw your consent (except where required by
law) with reasonable notice to CARNA’s registration
department.

Sharing Safeguards
In order to protect your privacy, we do not share your
contact information with unaffiliated third parties except
those we are satisfied are legitimately requesting the
information (such as when permitted or required by law). All
personal information is safeguarded with appropriate security
measures and used only for the purposes stated above, and
only that information which is necessary is released.

Protecting Your Privacy

Questions
The College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta
If you have any questions about the collection, use or
(CARNA) is committed to protecting all of the personal
disclosure of your personal information, please contact
information that you share with us. This includes, for example,
CARNA’s privacy officer at privacyofficer@nurses.ab.ca
your name and address, CARNA registration number, gender
For a complete copy of our privacy policy, please visit our
and age, employer, education and credit card/banking
website at www.nurses.ab.ca
information. The Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA)
is provincial legislation intended to protect the privacy of
Albertans. The policies and practices of CARNA have been
reviewed to ensure they meet the requirements of this
legislation. By signing your application form,
you are giving permission for the
Purpose collection, use and disclosure of your
The primary collection of member information is through personal information for the above
registration and renewal. This information is used for purposes.
regulatory purposes as well as to provide membership benefits
such as the Alberta RN magazine. Regulated members of
CARNA are automatically members of the Canadian Nurses
Association (CNA) and member names and addresses are
supplied to CNA to confer membership benefits through CNA,
including Canadian Nurses Protective Society protection. By
becoming a member of CARNA, you provide us with your
consent to the collection and use of your personal informa-
tion for the purpose of providing membership benefits through
both organizations. The information supplied to CNA will
remain confidential to CNA as provided for in their privacy
policy. Aggregate information is also provided to Statistics
Canada though the Canadian Institute for Health Information
as required by the Statistics Bureau Act. Personal information
is also collected through CARNA’s practice consultation calls
or other member services and may be used in aggregate,
non-identifiable form for reporting purposes.

College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta www.nurses.ab.ca 4


To be eligible to apply for registration
in Alberta, you must first have held
registered nurse status in the country
where you completed your nursing
education program.
1. Application Form and Fee
Complete all sections of the Application for Assessment form
and return with the assessment fee. Assessment fees are non-
refundable and are subject to change. Please see the CARNA
website www.nurses.ab.ca for the most current information.
2. Eligibility for Registration
Please ensure you read carefully and complete the questions in
this section on the application form. If you answer “yes” to any
of the questions, follow the directions on the form. Your form
will not be processed if these questions are not answered.
3. Currency of Nursing Practice
Applicants must provide evidence satisfactory to the Registrar
of completing one or more of the following, within the
previous five (5) membership years (CARNA’s membership
year is from Oct. 1 – Sept. 30):
a) 1125 hours of registered nursing practice; or
b) successful completion of a nursing degree or a nursing
program satisfactory to the Registrar; or
c) successful completion of a nursing refresher program
satisfactory to CARNA
College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta
Registration Requirements
In this section on the application form, record the actual
registered nursing practice hours worked, not including
vacation, annual leave, sick time, leave of absence or other
absences from work, and also your employer information.
You must have held registered nurse licensure or
status in the jurisdiction where the hours were worked
in order to claim the hours for currency of practice. On
the Documentation of Nursing Experience form, you are
asked to provide more detail regarding your nursing practice,
including your position title and the focus of your practice.
Please ensure this information is filled out completely and
accurately on both forms as this will assist us in processing
your application more quickly.
4. Identification
Enclose a photocopy of your birth certificate and another
piece of government issued picture identification (e.g. a
photocopy of your passport) showing your complete legal
name. If you do not use the name on your birth certificate,
you must also submit a copy of your marriage certificate (if
applicable) or other legal documentation to explain the name
difference. Please contact CARNA if you are uncertain what
documents to submit for identification purposes.
5. Evidence of Competence – Substantially
Equivalent Competence (SEC)
You may provide evidence of competence in the practice of
the profession by satisfying the Registrar and/or Registration
Committee of having a combination of education,
experience, practice or other qualifications that demonstrates
the competence required for registration as a regulated
member. To determine whether or not your qualifications
are substantially equivalent to that of a regulated member,
you may be required to undergo examinations, testing and/or
assessment activities. You will be advised if this is required
after your application form and relevant documents have
been received and reviewed by the Registrar. Please see the
section titled Substantially Equivalent Competence (SEC)
Assessment – General Information for more information.
6. Nursing Education Transcript
You must request a nursing education transcript from your
initial nursing program, as well as a transcript from each
nursing education institution where you completed any
additional nursing education (e.g. midwifery/obstetrics;
psychiatric/mental health). Please send the request form to
the Registrar’s office of each school, and request that they
send the transcripts directly to CARNA. Transcripts that
do not come directly from the school or educational
institution will not be accepted by CARNA. You may
photocopy the request form if you need more than one copy.
www.nurses.ab.ca 5

7. Proof of English Language Competency for
Applicants Whose Primary Language is not
English
Enclosed in this package is a list of English language tests
accepted by CARNA and the required achievement level for
each. Please contact the testing service for information on
the course you choose to complete. Official English
language scores must be received by CARNA directly from
the testing service. English test results that do not come
directly from the testing service will not be accepted by
CARNA
Please note that examination scores are
considered current and valid by CARNA for
two (2) years from the date the test was taken.
Applicants who remain in a non-English
speaking environment and whose test results
become more than two years old at any time
during the application process or prior to
registration will be required to provide
updated test results.
8. Verification of Registration/License/Authority
to Work as a Registered Nurse in Another
Country
You must request a verification of both:
• your original registered nurse registration in the country
where you obtained your nursing education; and
• each jurisdiction (state, province, territory) where you have
been registered within the current year and over the past five
years.
Registration Requirements
9. Canadian Registered Nurse Examination
(CRNE)
You must achieve a passing score on the Canadian
Registered Nurse Examination within a maximum of three
(3) writings. The CRNE may only be written in Canada.
Successful completion of either the registration
examination in another Canadian province or the National
League of Nursing State Board Test Pool examination in
medical, surgical, obstetric, pediatric and psychiatric nursing
is acceptable. CARNA recognizes the Ordre des infirmières
et infirmiers du Québec (OIIQ) professional nursing
examination as equivalent to the CRNE and therefore any
attempts at the OIIQ examination are considered as counting
toward the maximum of three CRNE writings that CARNA
will permit. NCLEX-RN is not accepted.
Please note that successful completion of either English
language fluency tests and/or nursing education courses,
which are requirements for registration, must be completed
prior to being eligible to write the CRNE.
In order to practice nursing in Alberta, you are
required by law to be registered and hold a
current practice permit with CARNA.
You must obtain a practice permit prior to
commencing orientation with your employer.

A request form is enclosed, which may be photocopied if

you require additional copies. If you did not hold a
registered nurse license in the jurisdiction in which you
worked, you must request documentation from that
jurisdiction to explain why this is the case.

All verification documents must come directly from the

jurisdiction by which they are issued. Verification
documents that do not come directly from the
nursing registration body or licensing authority will not
be accepted by CARNA.

Please contact CARNA if you are uncertain of the documents

required to be submitted for verification of registration or
authorization to work as a registered nurse. This requirement
is extremely important and your assessment will be delayed
if it is not fulfilled.

College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta www.nurses.ab.ca 6


Preliminary review of your eligibility for registration by CARNA
can only occur once all documents have been received in the
necessary format from you or other required sources. The
preliminary assessment addresses the question: Does the
applicant have a combination of education, experience,
practice or other qualifications that demonstrates the
competence required for registration as a registered nurse in
Alberta?
If CARNA is able to determine competence to practice from the
information submitted, the Registrar will decide on your eligibility
for registration.
If CARNA cannot satisfactorily determine competence to
practice from the information submitted, you may be required to
complete a Substantially Equivalent Competence (SEC)
assessment.
The SEC assessment involves paper and pencil examinations and
clinical lab and case management situations designed to
allow you to demonstrate your ability to meet the competencies
expected of Registered Nurses in Alberta. It will also identify
competency gaps and if there is a need for additional nursing
education preparation before becoming eligible for registration.
All assessments are arranged through Mount Royal College in
Calgary, Alberta and can be completed in either Calgary or
Edmonton, Alberta locations. General information regarding
Substantially Equivalent Competence (SEC) assessment is
included in the application package.
When the SEC results are forwarded to CARNA, the Registrar
will decide on your eligibility for registration.
College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta
Registration Process
Possible Outcomes of the Preliminary Review
1. Eligible to apply for a Temporary Permit (TP)
2. Eligible to apply for a Restricted Temporary Permit
3. Decision regarding eligibility is deferred
4. Eligibility denied
1. Eligible to apply for a Temporary Permit (TP)
This decision means CARNA has determined during the prelim-
inary assessment that you are eligible to apply for a Temporary
Permit (TP). This TP will allow you to practice in Alberta as a
Graduate Nurse with conditions while you work toward
completing the remaining requirements for a full Registered
Nurse license which are the:
a) achievement of a passing score on the Canadian Registered
Nurse Examination (CRNE) within the maximum number of
attempts allowed; and
b) submission of a satisfactory Alberta employer reference.
A Temporary Permit is valid for up to six (6) months and may
be renewed not more than two (2) times. Once
conditions are met, you will be eligible to apply for
registration as a Registered Nurse in Alberta.
2. Eligible to apply for a Restricted Temporary Permit
This decision means CARNA has determined during the prelim-
inary assessment that you have a deficit in not more than two
of the following areas: mental health, pediatrics, obstetrics.
Therefore, CARNA is not able to determine your competence to
practice nursing within the identified specialty population. You
will be notified that you have two options:
Option 1) You may apply for a Restricted Temporary Permit
which will allow you to be employed as a Graduate Nurse in
Alberta under restrictions while you progress toward complet-
ing CARNA requirements toward full RN licensure. Temporary
registration is valid for up to six (6) months and may be
renewed not more than two (2) times. Therefore the total time
period an individual may hold temporary registration is 18
months regardless of the nature of the temporary permit. Within
the 18 month time limitation you will be:
• restricted to nursing employment with one Alberta employer
and you will be restricted from practicing nursing with/for the
patient population within the area of deficit, regardless of
clinical setting or circumstances.
• required to complete SEC assessment for the area(s) of deficit
• required to successfully complete additional nursing education
to address the deficit.
www.nurses.ab.ca 7
 Registration Process
• achieve a passing score on the Canadian Registered Nurse
Examination (CRNE) within the maximum number of attempts
allowed; and
• submit a satisfactory Alberta employer reference
Once all conditions are met, you will be eligible to apply for
registration as a registered nurse in Alberta.

Option 2) You may choose to forgo Option 1 and instead proceed

directly to a SEC assessment in the area(s) of deficit and suc-
cessfully complete any additional nursing education preparation
that is identified so that you may apply for a Temporary Permit
without restrictions.

3. Decision regarding eligibility is deferred

This decision means that, during the preliminary assessment,
CARNA is not able to determine your eligibility for a
Temporary Permit from the information submitted.

CARNA may require you to meet additional requirements such

as achievement of English language competence, SEC assess-
ment and/or additional nursing education preparation before a
final decision can be made regarding your eligibility for a
Temporary Permit. Once these requirements are met, you would
be eligible to apply for a Temporary Permit.

4. Eligibility denied
This decision is made when qualifications, skills and knowledge
do not meet CARNA basic requirements, or if an SEC assess-
ment has identified significant gaps that cannot be addressed by
remedial education. In order to meet the requirements, you would
need to complete an Alberta nursing education program.

College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta www.nurses.ab.ca 8

 Substantially Equivalent Competence Assessment - General Information
• therapeutic communication practices
• cultural competencies
• CARNA Nursing Practice Standards

Focused Assessments
If you are required to complete a specialty (focused) SEC in any
or all of the areas of maternal-infant, pediatric or mental health
nursing, you will require an additional 1 to 1.5 days per
specialty SEC. Each specialty SEC assessment includes a
written multiple choice and short answer exam as well as a day
in clinical lab demonstrations and one-on-one activities that
assess candidates’ critical thinking, specialty nursing knowledge,
skills and competencies as you work through case studies or
patient care situations in the required specialty area.

Applicants will only be able to obtain a scheduled appoint-

ment for SEC assessment if they have been referred to Mount
Royal College by CARNA. The SEC assessment is available in
Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta.
CARNA may determine that you need to complete a
For more information about the assessment access the website of
Substantially Equivalent Competence (SEC) assessment.
the Mount Royal College Internationally Educated Nurses
Assessment Centre at:
The SEC assessment involves paper and pencil examinations
www.mtroyal.ca/healthcomm/ien/sec.shtml
and clinical lab and case management situations designed to
allow you to demonstrate your ability to meet the competencies
This information will give you a comprehensive overview of
expected of Registered Nurses in Alberta. It will also identify
what to expect during the assessment.
competency gaps and if there is a need for additional
preparation before becoming eligible for registration, and, if
Additionally, you may want to refer to the CARNA website
so, what competency requirements need to be addressed. All
www.nurses.ab.ca to review the CARNA Entry to Practice
assessments are arranged through Mount Royal College in
Competencies, CARNA Nursing Practice Standards and
Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta.
Canadian Nurses Association Code of Ethics documents.

General SEC Assessment

The general SEC assessment involves a two day assessment.
English Language Competence
An applicant must be competent in all areas of the English
During these two days you will write multiple choice and
language (speaking, listening, reading and writing) before
short answer examinations that assess generalist professional
attending a SEC assessment. This helps ensure an applicant can
nursing knowledge and practice. You will also perform clinical
demonstrate her/his nursing knowledge, skills, and
lab demonstrations as well as one-on-one activities that assess
competencies. Applicants will only be able to obtain a scheduled
your critical thinking, nursing knowledge, skills and
appointment for a SEC assessment, if they have already met
competencies as you work through case studies or patient care
CARNA’s English language requirement or achieved a score of 8
situations.
on a CLB (Canadian Language Benchmark) test.
The SEC assessment assesses the following areas of nursing
knowledge and skills: If you have any questions regarding this requirement, please
contact CARNA at 780.451.0043 or toll-free (within Canada) at
• general and specialty nursing knowledge
1.800.252.9392.
• pharmacology and medication administration
• pathophysiology
• knowledge of the Canadian health-care system and current
nursing practices
• basic and advanced clinical skills as well as use of current
technology in nursing practice
• health history and health assessment knowledge and skills
• clinical judgement and critical thinking skills with
evidence based practice
9
College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta www.nurses.ab.ca
 English Language Tests
Accepted by the College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CARNA)
• All applicants, whose primary language is not English, are required to successfully demonstrate English language competence.
• The following English language tests and accepted scores were approved by the Registration Committee of CARNA.
• Applicants may choose to complete either 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 OR 6.
• Official English Language test scores must be sent to CARNA directly from the testing organization.
• Test scores will be accepted only if completed within the past two years. Applicants whose test results become more than two years old at any time during the application
process or prior to registration will be required to provide updated test results.

You must contact the organization

Choice Name of Test Passing Score listed below for detailed Additional Information
information
1 CELBAN: • Listening (9) MacEwan College (MC) Advantage of test is that it tests
Canadian English Language • Writing (7) Alberta College Campus applicants in a nursing context.
Benchmark Assessment for Nurses • Reading (8) Edmonton, Alberta
• Speaking (8) 780.497.4000
www.celban.org
Once CELBAN Speaking (8) is
achieved, the Speaking section does Calgary Immigrant Aid Society,
not need to be repeated if the other Calgary, Alberta
3 parts of CELBAN still need to be 403.262.2656
retaken to achieve passing scores.
It is recommended that applicants
first complete a CELBAN
self-assessment readiness test
(Contact GMC for details)

2 TOEFL: CBT = 213 and Education Testing Service (ETS) TOEFL (CBT) doesn’t have
Test of English as a Foreign CELBAN spoken (8) or TSE-P (50) Princeton, New Jersey USA spoken component so must
Language (not offered in North America) T: (609) 921-9000 combine with CELBAN spoken
CBT - Computer Based Test - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- F: (609) 734-5410 (8) or TSE-P (50).
---------------- iBT total = 86 www.toefl.org -----------------------
iBT - Internet Based Test Writing (20) (iBT) available in Canada as of
Speaking (20 October 22, 2005
Reading (21)
Listening (21)

College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta www.nurses.ab.ca 10

 English Language Tests
You must contact the organization
Choice Name of Test Passing Score listed below for detailed Additional Information
information

3 TOEIC: 800 NorQuest College TOEIC can be written in Alberta.

Test of English for International Edmonton, Alberta
Communication 780.644.6095
and www.toeic.ca
CELBAN spoken; or (8)
or Education Testing Service (ETS)
TSE-P: (50) Princeton, New Jersey USA
Test of Spoken English T: 609.921.9000
(not offered in North America) F: 609.734.5410
www.toefl.org

4 CAEL: 60 overall MacEwan College CAEL can be written in Alberta.

Canadian Academic English Lan- (the spoken subtest is part of the City Centre Campus
guage Assessment overall result and not a separate Edmonton, Alberta
score) 780.633.3770
www.carleton.ca

5 MELAB: 83 overall English Language Institute MELAB can be written in Calgary.

Michigan English Language
Assessment Battery
(with a minimum score of 3 on the
spoken section of the test)
MELAB Testing
University of Michigan, Please contact the University of
Ann Arbor, Michigan USA Michigan for locations in Calgary
T: 734.763.3452 or 734.764.2416 where the test can be written.
F: 734.763.0369
www.lsa.umich.edu

6 IELTS: 6.5 overall Conestoga College of Applied Art IELTS can be written in Calgary at
International English Language Test- Average overall test score for: & Technology as noted below.
ing System • listening Kitchener Ontario
• reading T: 519.748.5220 Global Village
• writing F: 519.748.3505 Calgary, Alberta
• spoken International Language Institute T: 403.543.7300
Halifax, Nova Scotia IELTS
(Academic Version) - a minimum T: 902.429.3636 F: 604.291.4989
score of 7.0 must be achieved on F: 902.429.2900 www.ielts.org
spoken section of the test.
Simon Fraser University
English Bridge Program
Burnaby, British Columbia
T: 604.291.5930

College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta www.nurses.ab.ca 11