CELBAN is an assessment that was originally designed for Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs) who are required to provide evidence of language proficiency to Canadian Nursing Regulators. CELBAN is appropriate for any individual that uses English as an additional language and needs to demonstrate their English language proficiency on their pathway to nursing licensure.

Yes, if your nursing program was in a language other than English, you can take CELBAN as proof of English Language Proficiency. 

PR status and visas are not required in order to take CELBAN. However, all examinees must meet the personal identification requirements. See “Will I need to provide identification?” below.

CELBAN is an online test, delivered in two parts: The CELBAN Speaking Test is a virtual interview and the CELBAN Listening, Reading and Writing Tests (Computer Based Test, CELBAN CBT).

The virtual interview is delivered remotely over Zoom, a video conferencing platform. The interview will take about 35 minutes to complete.
 
The CELBAN CBT is delivered through Prometric. Examinees will be given the option to complete it at a Prometric test site or through their remote assessment platform, ProProctor. The CBT is completed in one 2.5 hour sitting.

Learn more about test administration, test format and rating criteria.

There are several system and environmental requirements that examinees must be able to meet before registering for CELBAN. These requirements are in place to ensure that the online platforms will run successfully on the examinees’ laptop or desktop computer. Failure to meet any of these requirements will result in a test appointment being terminated by the examiner or proctor, and no refund will be provided. Learn more about remote test requirements before registering.

As per the system requirements to complete CELBAN remotely, examinees are required to have a Windows operating system of 8.1 or higher, or MacOS operating system of 10.13 or higher. Please see guide below to assist in determining which operating system your computing may be running.
 
Windows 10: Click the Start or Windows button (usually in the lower-left corner of your computer screen). Click Settings. Click About (usually in the lower left of the screen). The resulting screen shows the Windows version.
Windows 8.1: Click the Start or Windows button. Click System. The resulting screen shows Windows 8, along with the version number below (such as 8.1).
Mac: From the Apple menu in the corner of your screen, choose About This Mac. You should see the MacOS name, such as ‘MacOS Mojave’, followed by its version number.
 
Please review the remote test requirements prior to registering for CELBAN. 

The CELBAN Speaking Test is a virtual interview conducted remotely. To successfully complete CELBAN remotely, an examinee’s testing environment needs to meet a set of technology and security requirements. If an examinee is worried that their space cannot meet these requirements, there may be other options available in their area. Such options could include, but are not limited to, rental office space, meeting rooms, or private rooms (in either libraries or condominiums, as an example) that can be rented by the hour.
 
If a prospective examinee is unable to meet the technical and environmental requirements to complete the test, we ask that they do not register until they’re able to make all appropriate accommodations in order to complete the test successfully on their end. If it is determined that any of the remote test requirements have not been met, examinees will not be permitted to continue their test appointment and will not be provided with a refund.
 
Please review the remote test requirements prior to registering for CELBAN.

Prometric offers examinees the option to take the CELBAN CBT and Practice CELBAN Exam at test sites across Canada. A list of Prometric test sites and their status can be found at https://www.prometric.com/site-status. Examinees will be able to view the available test sites near them when opting to schedule their test appointment under the test site option.
 
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, test site availability may vary. Please use the link provided above to monitor the status of test sites as restrictions change throughout 2021-22.

On both test dates, examinees will be required to provide personal identification containing the names that match the names provided during registration. It must be government-issued, non-expired identification that includes a photo. Acceptable forms of identification are limited to the following:
 

• Passport
• Canadian Permanent Resident or Citizenship Card
• Canadian Driver's License
• Canadian Health Card
• Canadian Identification Card

 
Learn more identification requirements.

Examinees are to have cleared their desks of all items, including anything stored below prior to launching their remote test appointments. The only item(s) that can be present on their desk, other than their computer hardware and wired headset (which should be plugged into the computer prior to launching the test appointment) is a piece of government issued identification and the Prometric confirmation number written down on a piece of paper (if applicable to taking the CELBAN CBT remotely). The ID and the piece of paper will be examined by the examiner/Prometric Readiness Agent to ensure no other information is contained on these documents prior to starting the test.

A wired headset with a microphone is a mandatory requirement of taking CELBAN remotely. Its use is required during the CELBAN Speaking Test and during the CELBAN Computer Based Test (CBT). The CELBAN CBT can be taken remotely or at a Prometric test site, where a headset will be provided to examinees. The CELBAN Speaking Test can only be taken remotely. If prospective examinees do not have a wired headset, we ask that they do not register to take CELBAN, as they will not be permitted to test without one.
 
Please review the remote test requirements prior to registering for CELBAN. 

Prior to accessing either the CELBAN Speaking Test or CBT appointments, examinees should take some time to ensure that all remote test requirements have been met. Examinee’s can launch Zoom’s desktop application, providing them an opportunity to test the video and audio in the Settings to ensure that they can be seen using the web-camera and that they can be heard using the wired headset. If an examinee has opted to take their CELBAN CBT remotely, they can complete a system’s readiness check (click here) to ensure that all the requirements are met prior to launching the ProProctor application.
 
If technical difficulties are experienced during the:
 

• CELBAN Speaking Test, the examiner should be informed using the chat function. They may ask that the examinee exit the meeting and reenter using the same link. If the problem persists and the examinee is unable to finish the appointment, the examiner will notify The CELBAN Centre of the incident. Issues will be evaluated on a case by case basis, and examinees will be contacted directly to discuss next steps.

 

• CELBAN CBT, follow the directions from the Proctor. The Proctor may ask that the examinee exit the application and contact Candidate Support, at which point examinees will work with a Prometric Help Support Agent to troubleshoot the issue being experienced. Examinees may be told to reboot their computer. In some cases the Support Agent will ask for permission to take control of the computer to expedite a resolution and get the examinee back to their exam as quickly as possible. If the problem persists and the examinee is unable to finish the appointment, The CELBAN Centre will be notified of the incident. Issues will be evaluated on a case by case basis, and examinees will be contacted directly to discuss next steps.

The CELBAN Centre employs extensive quality control procedures to ensure that examinations are conducted in adherence to our policies. Although the possibility of a test being impacted by an incident is rare, examinees may request a review of the circumstances by submitting an incident report.

The CELBAN Centre defines incidents as occurrences that involve significant deviation from CELBAN's examination administration standards and procedures and have the potential to impact an examinee's result. The CELBAN Centre does not accept responsibility for incidents that occur as a result of the examinee’s technical equipment, or the examinee not being prepared to take the test. 

An examinee who experiences an incident they believe may place them at a disadvantage relative to other examinees or may negatively affect their test results must notify the CELBAN Centre by completing an Incident Report Form within 24 hours following the affected part of their test.  

Upon receipt of an incident report from an examinee, the CELBAN Centre will investigate the circumstances surrounding the administration of the test. If it is determined that the incident reported involved considerable variation from CELBAN’s established policies and procedures and could potentially impact the results, the examinee will be contacted to arrange a retake of all or part of their test. If it is determined that the incident did not affect the fairness of the test, performance will be scored following the usual procedures and results will be sent within 15 business days.

Upon registering for CELBAN, examinees will receive a confirmation email with their CELBAN Speaking Test appointment time and CELBAN ID. If this confirmation email has not been received upon registering for the test, please contact The CELBAN Centre as soon as possible. The CELBAN Centre will follow up with examinees within three (3) business days to provide them with a confirmation number and instructions to allow them to proceed scheduling their CELBAN CBT appointment through Prometric.

Examinees must arrive to their scheduled appointments at the times specified below to allow the examiner or proctor adequate time to run through the required security procedures.

• For the CELBAN Speaking Test, examinees are asked to arrive exactly at their scheduled appointment time by joining the ZOOM meeting using the link provided; if an examinee arrives more than five (5) minutes late, they will not be allowed to take the test.
• For the CELBAN Computer Based Test, examinees are asked to arrive 30 minutes before the scheduled appointment time, whether testing remotely or at a Prometric test site.

These arrival times will be stated in the confirmation emails examinees receive for both parts of the test. Failure to appear at these specified times will be considered a test absence and the test appointment will be terminated without refund. Learn more about what to expect on test dates.

The CELBAN Centre offers a number of different resources to help prospective examinees prepare for the test. Learn more about preparing for CELBAN.

Some of the tasks included in the Official CELBAN CBT and the Practice CELBAN Exam require a PDF viewer to display varying texts that must be read through to answer the corresponding questions.
 
The PDF viewer should dock automatically on the left side of the screen. If it does not, click on the double arrows located in the top right corner of the PDF viewer. If these arrows do not appear, decrease the level of zoom on the screen in the ProProctor application for this function to appear. Zoom out until the PDF viewer docks on the left side, or until the double arrows appear and click on that.
 
The Official CELBAN CBT, the Practice CELBAN Exam, and the CELBAN Demo open with a tutorial outlining all of the online functionalities for the test that will assist examinees in completing it more confidently. Examinees are encouraged to read through the tutorial at the start, as dedicated time has been provided within the test to do so. The tutorial will continue to be accessible throughout the duration of the test if examinees would like to reference it at any point for any reason.

If an examinee wishes to reschedule their Speaking Test, they must submit a Test Reschedule Request Form.

• Requests to reschedule a Speaking Test with more than 5 business days' notice will be charged CAD$ 50.
• Requests to reschedule a Speaking Test with less than 5 business days' notice will be charged CAD$ 100.

 
CELBAN CBT appointments can be rescheduled directly with Prometric. There is no charge for changing a Prometric appointment if the change is made 30 or more days before the scheduled date. If the examinee is rescheduling the appointment between 5-29 days before, they will be subject to a rescheduling fee of CAN$ 50 paid directly to Prometric. Reschedules within 5 days of a scheduled appointment are not permitted through Prometric, however, examinees can submit a CELBAN Test Rescheduling Form to request a change. A CAN$ 150 fee will apply.

If you have been affected by COVID-19 and cannot complete either component of your test (CBT or Speaking Test), we will grant you an extension to complete the test beyond your 14-day testing period. Please submit an Exceptional Circumstances Request Form. Please note that supporting documentation such as a medical note, quarantine notice or letter from employer may be required.

For more information, visit the COVID-19 Update.

Cancellation requests must be received more than 20 business days before the first confirmed testing date in order to qualify for a partial refund (a CAN$ 125 administrative fee applies). Cancellations made fewer than 20 business days before the first confirmed test date are not eligible for a refund. Learn more about cancelling a test.

The CELBAN Centre does not offer partial tests. Applicants must successfully complete both the CELBAN Speaking Test and CELBAN Computer Based Test (CBT) within 14 days of one another, regardless of any previous passing scores. Test results will not be issued with scores from two different test registrations. Combining scores across two different test attempts is not permitted.
 

The minimum scores required for registration are set by Canadian Nursing Regulators and are as follows: 

• Listening: CLB 9
• Reading: CLB 8
• Writing: CLB 7
• Speaking: CLB 8

When registering, examinees can select to have their results sent directly to the regulator regardless of their scores or only if they end up meeting the required scores.

CELBAN Unofficial Score Reports will be emailed out to examinees within 15 business days of the date they complete both parts of CELBAN. Official Test Results are sent electronically to the institution chosen during registration also within 15 business days. Learn more about CELBAN test results and reports.

The CELBAN Centre ensures that the same test conditions exist every time an examinee completes the exam by having standardized administrative procedures and parallel exam forms. However, test performance may be affected by your state of mind, distractions, or level of stress on test day. It may also be affected by your area of focus. Remember that you will need to pass all four test components in one sitting and you should prepare for each even if you were successful on a previous attempt. If your test scores on two or more separate occasions are different, you have demonstrated that you are still working towards consistent achievement at the higher level of language proficiency.

Examinees wishing to have another copy of their Official Test Result sent out to additional institution(s) must submit an Additional Test Results Request Form. A $35 fee applies for each additional copy requested. 

Please note that The CELBAN Centre does not send Official Score Reports to examinees. Official Score Reports are sent only to institutions or licensing bodies directly by The CELBAN Centre. 

Decision related to the validity period of test results are made by organizations using the results. Touchstone Institute recommends CELBAN test results be valid for a period of three years from the date the report was issued.

Official Test Results for are sent out within 15 business days of the date examinees complete both parts of CELBAN. Any additional copies requested to be sent to a regulator are dispatched within 5 business days of the request. Please note that each regulator has their own processing time. Please allow up to 15 business days after the result is sent for processing by the regulator.

There is no limit on the number of times CELBAN can be taken. If an examinee would like to attempt CELBAN again, they may do so. Examinees must ensure both components (CBT and Speaking) are complete before beginning another attempt. Overlapping attempts are not permitted.

We recommend that examinees wait for their results and reflect on the individualized feedback provided. Integrating the feedback with continued practice before another attempt will have the greatest impact on improving language skills and improving scores.

If examinees have good reason to suspect that their results do not reflect their performance on the exam, there is an option to submit an online Test Rescore Request Form to have either the Speaking and/or Writing Tests  reviewed.

Multiple choice questions in the Listening and Reading Tests are rated automatically and results are calculated using a programmed and validated algorithm. Given this marking process, rescoring of these components is not conducted. If a technical issue occurs during the test, the proctor will submit an incident report to The CELBAN Centre. The CELBAN Centre will review the report on a case by case basis to determine next steps, and reach out to the examinee directly to discuss the available options.

Learn more about the test rescore.

CELBAN results come with customized feedback on your ability to communicate effectively in a nursing situation. We hope that you reflect on this feedback and apply it to further develop your language skills. Practice specific areas where improvement is recommended in order to communicate clearly in your role as a nurse. In this way, reflecting, practicing and preparing to retake CELBAN is time well spent and will help you meet the requirements of professional practice.

The CELBAN Centre offers a number of free and paid opportunities for practice. We strongly believe that as a performance-based test, the ability to use English comfortably and accurately is the best preparation to invest in. The test practice materials offer sufficient introduction to the test platforms and format.
 
While there are several CELBAN test preparation courses available at school boards, colleges, and through private providers, we do not endorse any test preparation programs in particular. Examinees should ensure that any program they are considering is reputable and has good references from others who have attended. Learn more about preparing for CELBAN.

Please subscribe to The CELBAN Centre’s monthly newsletter here for more updates and news about the CELBAN, upcoming test dates, test preparation materials, and volunteer opportunities.