​​What to expect — Computer-based Assessment 

Please Note: Independent, private organizations may offer NCAS preparation courses. NCAS has not reviewed, approved or endorsed any of these programmes, and cannot attest as to whether or not they will help your performance on the NCAS assessment.​

You must bring:

  • email confirmation of your sche-​duled appointment​​

  • one form of non-expired, government-issued, photo- and signature-bearing ID 

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
  • foreign government-issued ID
  • 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 insurance number card (Canada)
  • social security card (US)
  • study permit (must be original and non-expired)

​​Candidates are encouraged to bring as few personal belongings as possible.​

Item​​​s that will be put in a locker: ​

  • Purses, wallets, food, drink
  • Any electronic devices: phones, tablets, laptop or notebook computers, watches, fitness trackers, calculator
  • Pens, pencils, pen lights 
  • Paper, books, notebooks 
  • Bags, briefcases
  • Any other personal items deemed by NCAS or the test administrator to be not appropriate for a testing environment​

Location

The CBA is administered by Prometric at their testing centres across C​anada and in many locations around the world. You can choose a testing centre nearest you when scheduling your CBA. ​

What to expect

You must show up 30 minutes in advance of your scheduled appointment at a Prometric Testing Centre. Please click here for information on Prometric's Test Centre policies during COVID-19.​

​​​When you arrive at the Testing Centre

  • The proctor will greet you, review both pieces of valid, government-issued ID that you present, review the email confirmation of your scheduled appointment, and sign the assessment day roster to confirm that you have been assigned a seat.
  • You will put your personal belongings in a secure area to which you will have no access until you have finished the CBA.
  • You will be seated at your assigned desk and wait for the proctor to complete the verbal instructions.
  • You will be given a whiteboard or pad of paper on which to take notes should you require during the assessment. The whiteboard and/or all paper must be submitted to the proctor at the end of the assessment.
  • Once the verbal instructions are read, the proctor will unlock the assessment site and you will then log in.
  • Once logged in, you can take the tutorial.
  • When you click to begin the assessment, you will be asked to acknowledge (electronically) a non-disclosure agreement.  Please read it before signing.
  • Begin the assessment.​

For​​mat

The CBA is made up of unfolding cases that take you through the step-by-step process of clinical thinking and decision making.  The cases are developed to unfold over a single work shift, a couple of days or several weeks.  There are approximately 20 scenarios, each accompanied by approximately five questions – so the entire assessment consists of approximately 100 questions. There is a mix of multiple-choice and multiple-select questions on CBA.

Multiple-choice questions have four options, only one of which is correct.

Multiple-select questions have six answer options, three of which are correct. The multiple-select questions will always prompt you to select the three best actions for a health care professional to take in the situation that the scenario describes.

Please read the questions carefully because once you have moved to the next question you will not be able to return and change your answer.  

IMPORTANT NOTE:
You will be given 15 minutes to complete a brief tutorial prior to starting the Computer Based Assessment (CBA). This time is NOT included in the actual assessment time and is meant to orient you to Prometric's computer testing environment. For example, you will be instructed on how to use the mouse and the different parts of the screen. If you have ti me remaining at the end of the 15-minute tutorial, you may repeat the tutorial by clicking on the "Previous" button. You may also revisit the tutorial after your assessment has started by clicking the "Previous" button. However, if you choose to go back to the tutorial AFTER the assessment has started, any additional time spent on the tutorial will be taken away from your actual assessment time. 

Duration

  • You will have up to three hours to complete the assessment.
  • During the assessment, you will be allowed brief washroom breaks, but must notify the proctor of this before leaving the assessment room.
  • The proctor will mark down the time you leave, and the time you return, and you will be asked to acknowledge your bathroom break by initialling the in/out report.  

When you Finish

  • Upon c​ompletion, you will get access to the secured area to collect your belongings.
  • Please leave t​he testing centre quietly. ​