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What is NCAS? | NCAS is the Nursing Community Assessment Service. We serve the nursing regulatory college and the health care aide registry by providing a competency-based assessment to internationally-educated health practitioners who want to practice in BC. The assessment has three components: - The Computer-based Assessment (CBA)
- The Simulation Lab Assessment (SLA)
- The Oral Assessment (OA)
This resource provides an overview of the Nursing Community Assessment Service, including the history, development, and future of NCAS. |
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What is the CBA? | The CBA is a three-hour, proctored, computer-based assessment that can be taken at one of more than a hundred testing centres in 60 countries in the world. The CBA seeks to assess your knowledge of the skills and competencies required to enter practice in the health practitioner role you desire. It is made up of gradually unfolding cases that take you through the step by step process of clinical thinking and decision making. There is no pass or fail. Rather, the assessment is aimed at identifying strengths and gaps. Your results will not be sent to you until you have completed the Simulation Lab Assessment. Learn more by visiting: What to Expect-Computer-based Assessment. |
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What is the SLA? | The SLA is a four- to six-hour assessment. The SLA must be taken in person at a nursing simulation centre in Vancouver, BC., and there are no exceptions to this rule. At the NCAS Assessment Centre, you will be taken to four different stations. Each station will focus on one clinical scenario. Some stations will have a mannequin, while others may use a specially-trained actor in the role of a patient. The mannequins are programmed to simulate various health conditions appropriate to your nursing role. The simulation environment will contain the necessary healthcare equipment to support appropriate patient care within the scope of your profession. Learn more by visiting What to Expect-Simulation Lab Assessment. |
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What is the OA? | The Oral Assessment takes place at the same time as the SLA and in the same place. The OA consists of about three questions posed by an assessor after the applicant has completed each of the SLA scenarios. The oral assessment takes about 10 minutes. During the OA, the assessor asks structured questions designed to measure critical thinking and clinical judgement, as well as the thought processes that influenced the applicant's actions during the simulation scenarios. The results of the OA are not reported separately. They will be folded into the SLA results, which will be blended with the results of the CBA to give applicants a single results report.
Click here to learn How To Prepare for the SLA and OA.
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When will assessments take place? | Once you have been referred to NCAS, you will be asked by NCAS to set up your account and register with us. Once completed, you can schedule the time and date of both the CBA and SLA/OA based on your availability. |
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Who is eligible to take an assessment? | The NCAS assessment is aimed at health care practitioners who obtained their health care education outside of Canada, and who want to work in BC as a:To be eligible, you must be referred to NCAS by a regulatory organization or registry.
NCAS also assesses health care assistants trained in other jurisdictions, nursing professionals
who are returning to practice after a period outside the profession, and those
for whom employers may have requested a competency review. In all instances,
NCAS is assessing the extent to which an applicant demonstrates
entry-to-practice level competencies.
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Why do I have to go through the NCAS process? | Regulators require different kinds of information to determine your eligibility for registration. NCAS provides an assessment of an applicant’s skills and competencies. Other agencies assess the authenticity and equivalence of education, for instance, or an applicant’s criminal record. NCAS also provides an opportunity for internationally educated and re-entry nurses to demonstrate their current competence to practice, competence that may not have been evidenced by a paper assessment. All this information together offers the regulator or registry the best picture of the applicant, and helps these organizations determine whether the applicant can practice safely, ethically, and competently in B.C. |
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Where do I take the assessments? | The NCAS Computer-based Assessment (CBA) can be taken at a Testing Centre in one of the 60 countries in which it is offered. Please click here to view a list of eligible testing centres. You can also visit www.Prometric.com to find the testing site nearest you. The Simulation Lab Assessment and Oral Assessment must be taken in-person (at the same time) at the NCAS Assessment Centre in the Nursing Simulation Centre of Langara College in Vancouver, BC. There are no exceptions to this rule. |
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Can I take the assessment outside of Canada or B.C.? | The Computer-based Assessment (CBA) can be taken at an authorized testing centre in one of 60 countries in the world. Click here eligible testing centres. You can also visit www.Prometric.com to see the list of testing centres. The Simulation Lab Assessment/Oral Assessment must be taken in-person at the NCAS Assessment Centre in the Nursing Simulation Centre of Langara College in Vancouver, BC. There are no exceptions to this rule. |
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What should I bring to the assessment? |
Computer-based Assessment: - one form of non-expired, government-issued, photo- and signature-bearing ID
- the emailed confirmation of your scheduled appointment
Simulation Lab Assessment/Oral Assessment: - one form of non-expired, government-issued, photo- and signature-bearing ID
- a stethoscope
- you must come dressed for the nursing profession or role in which you are performing
- We also encourage candidates to bring snacks or food, as well as drinks, water, and/or coffee in a thermos. You will receive short breaks between scenarios.
Note: If one piece of ID does not have your name, photo and signature, you may present two pieces of non-expired, government-issued ID that together demonstrate all three requirements.
Acceptable forms of primary ID include:
- driver's license
- government-issued ID
- government-issued work ID
- military ID
- NEXUS card
- Passport
- permanent resident visa or green card
- provincial health card (if photo is included)
Acceptable forms of secondary ID include:
- provincial or state health card
- social security card (US)
- study permit (must be original and non-expired)
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How long does each assessment take? | Computer-based Assessment: You will have no more than three hours to complete the CBA.
Simulation Lab Assessment/Oral Assessment: The length of the SLA varies from role to role, and can take approximately three hours (for HCAs) and six hours (for RPNs). |
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How do I prepare for the CBA or SLA/OA? | There are many ways to prepare for the assessments. Familiarizing yourself with simulation labs is a good place to start. Sample questions, resources and videos are all available on this site. You can learn more here.
To help you prepare for the assessment, NCAS has created two orientation videos. We developed the videos to give you a better understanding of what you can expect when you go to complete the Simulation Lab Assessment and Oral Assessment (SLA/OA). Click here to watch the videos.
Please Note: Independent, private organizations may offer NCAS preparation courses - NCAS has not reviewed, approved or endorsed any of these courses or programs, and cannot attest to whether or not they will help strengthen your performance on our competency assessments. |
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How were the competencies established? | Each nursing role has specific competencies that were established and validated by subject-matter experts in each of the professions. NCAS has identified behaviours and indicators that relate to each competency. And these competencies are mapped to a “blueprint” of each assessment. As you move through each assessment, your responses and behaviours will be assessed against those expected in each competency area. |
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I need an accommodation - what do I do? | An accommodation refers to a modification that is made to the assessment environment to support applicants with medical, physical, psychological or learning conditions, or to observe a spiritual or religious observance. You must apply for an assessment accommodation separately for the CBA and for the SLA/OA. More information can be found on the Fees and Policies page. |
| 15. | How much time do I have to complete the NCAS assessments? | You have one year to complete the entire NCAS assessment process from the date upon which the regulator or registry referred you. To learn more about requesting an extension, click here. |
Dual-role assessments |
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What is a dual-role assessment? | A dual-role assessment allows you to be assessed for two different health care professions or roles at once. Applicants applying to be assessed for two roles at once will take two CBAs (one for each profession in which you are interested), but only one SLA/OA. (The SLA/OA produces two distinct sets of results, one for each of the two desired roles or professions). Who can sign up? -
Registered Nurses who are not sure they will meet the competency requirements in their field, can choose to have an evaluation that also assesses the extent to which they meet the competency requirements to practice as a Licensed Practical Nurse.
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Licensed Practical Nurses who are not sure they will meet the competency requirements in their field, can choose to have an evaluation that also assesses the extent to which they meet the competency requirements to practice as a HealthCare Aide.
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What is the benefit of being assessed for two roles at once? | Applying for dual-track assessments right from the start might help you get through the registration process faster. For instance, an RN applicant can start the process by obtaining a referral from the BC College of Nursing Professionals. NCAS will then require that you complete a computer-based assessment for each of the two professions. But you will be asked to complete just one SLA. Once done, NCAS can generate two separate performance reports simultaneously - one focusing on your RN competencies, and the other focusing on your LPN competencies. We will send these two reports to the regulator. The regulator can then determine which, if either, profession you might be ready to enter, and set out the path for upgrading or remediation, if appropriate. It is possible, in this example, that an applicant who has not met the required RN competencies, may meet the required LPN competencies. The regulator will review both reports, and make a decision on your next steps in the registration pathway. |
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How do I apply to be assessed for two roles or professions at once? | To apply to be assessed in more than one role, you must first be referred by the regulator or registry for each of those professions.- When NCAS receives a referral from the regulator or registry, you will receive an email asking you to log-in and pay for the CBA. Simply pay for the CBA, and schedule your assessment. You will take two CBAs, one for each profession.
- Upon paying for the CBA, you will receive an email asking you to log-in and pay for the SLA/OA. You will take only one SLA/OA. Your SLA/OA will produce two sets of results, one specific to each profession.
NCAS does not share your results between referring bodies. In other words, the BC College of Nursing Professionals will see only results relevant to the RN and LPN assessments. The BC Care Aide and Community Health Worker Registry will receive only those results relevant to the HCA assessment. |
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Can an HCA apply to be assessed in another role? | It depends. A health care aide can apply and be assessed for another role if they meet the educational requirements set out by the regulator for that other role. For instance, an HCA who has completed LPN education, may meet the educational requirements set out by the BCCNP. The HCA will need to have their LPN credentials assessed by the NNAS (National Nursing Assessment Service), have their report on the LPN credentials sent to the BC College of Nursing Professionals, and then seek a referral to NCAS from BCCNP. |
| 21. | Can an LPN apply to be assessed in another role? | It depends. A licensed practical nurse can apply to be assessed for competencies related to a health care aide. They can also apply to be assessed for another role if they first meet the educational requirements for that other role. For instance, an LPN who has completed RN education, may meet the educational requirements set out by the BCCNP. The LPN will need to have the RN credentials assessed by the NNAS (National Nursing Assessment Service), have their report on the RN credentials sent to the BC College of Nursing Professionals, and then seek a referral to NCAS from BCCNP.
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