The CELBAN is an assessment for Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs) who are required to provide evidence of language proficiency to Canadian Nursing Regulators.

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.

The test is administered with two very reliable test delivery and interview platforms. Should a technical breakdown interrupt a testing appointment, The CELBAN Centre will be notified by the examiner or proctor. Issues will be evaluated on a case by case basis, and examinees will be contacted directly to discuss next steps.

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 and signature. Acceptable forms of identification include:
 

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

 
Learn more identification requirements.

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.

The CELBAN Speaking Interview cannot be rescheduled. If an examinee wishes to reschedule their speaking interview, they must submit a Test Cancellation Request Form and re-register for a different date. CELBAN CBT appointments can be rescheduled directly with Prometric, however, there may be a fee associated. Learn more about rescheduling or cancelling a test.

Cancellation requests must be received more than 20 business days before the first confirmed testing date. A refund of $300 will be provided to examinees that qualify. 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: 

• Speaking: CLB 8
• Listening: CLB 10
• Reading: CLB 8
• Writing: CLB 7

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

CELBAN Unofficial Score Reports will be emailed out to examinees within 20 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 20 business days. Learn more about CELBAN test results and reports.

To receive additional copies of your Official Test Results, examinees must submit an Additional Test Results Request Form. A $25 fee applies for each additional copy requested.

CELBAN test scores are valid for two years.

Official Test Results for are sent out within 20 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.

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 certain sections of their test reviewed. Learn more about the test rescore.

There is no limit on the number of times CELBAN can be taken. Examinees must wait at least three months between each completed CELBAN test. Learn more about retaking the CELBAN test.

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.

 

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.