The Canadian English Language Benchmark Assessment for Nurses (CELBAN) is a profession-specific language exam for internationally educated nurses pursuing professional registration in Canada.

CELBAN is recognized as proof of English language ability by Canadian nursing regulatory bodies and is the preferred option for many internationally educated nurses because of its nursing-specific examination content.

Touchstone Institute is the national administrator of CELBAN, overseeing the administration of the assessment across Canada through The CELBAN Centre.

As the national administrator for CELBAN, Touchstone Institute leads test administration, development, and renewal efforts, and we engage internationally educated nurses, members of the nursing profession, as well as nursing regulatory bodies, associations and bridging programs in our work.

For more information, please visit The CELBAN Centre website.

 

Registration is Now Open!

22 January 2021

Touchstone Institute is excited to announce that registration for 2021 CELBAN test dates is now open through The CELBAN Centre website! Those wishing to register can visit the registration form to sign up for test dates as early as February 8, 2021.

 

You may be wondering: “What has changed?”

 

CELBAN continues to be delivered in two parts:

• the CELBAN Speaking Test, which is now a separate virtual interview; and,
• the CELBAN Listening, Reading, and Writing Tests, which is now a computer-based test (CBT).

 

The CELBAN CBT can be taken remotely or at a test site, whereas the CELBAN Speaking Test can only be taken remotely. To complete the remote tests successfully there are several technical and environmental requirements that must be met. Please be sure all of the remote requriements can be met before registering for CELBAN.

 

Eligibility for both parts of the test opens upon registering. First, register for CELBAN using the online registration form, and select a virtual interview appointment time and date for the CELBAN Speaking Test. A follow-up email will be sent out within three (3) business days that will include a confirmation number and instructions that will enable examinees to proceed in scheduling the CELBAN CBT appointment through Prometric.

 

The CELBAN Speaking Test and the CBT appointments must be completed within 14 days of one another for test results to be validated by The CELBAN Centre. The CELBAN CBT can be completed within 14 days before or 14 days after the CELBAN Speaking Test date. It is the responsibility of each examinee to schedule their appointments appropriately.

 

Updates to CELBAN Policies & Procedures

 

The CELBAN Centre has a set of updated Policies and Procedures, as much has changed with the move to an online delivery model. It is vital to review this policy document before registering for CELBAN, as it explains critical information relating to the test experience.

 

CELBAN examinees will be pleased to know that there is no longer a limit as to how many times CELBAN can be attempted in a given period. Examinees may now take the test as many times as required, as long as the test attempts are three (3) months apart from one another.

 

Another key update to note is the cancellation policy. Because CELBAN will possibly take place on two different days, requests to cancel must be submitted 20 or more business days before the first confirmed test date for examinees to qualify for a partial refund. For example, if the CELBAN Speaking Test date falls before the scheduled CELBAN CBT date, The CELBAN Centre would use the CELBAN Speaking Test date as the date to calculate the 20 business days from or vice versa.

 

To learn about these policies and more, please click here.

Regulator Acceptance

CELBAN’s content and structure remain the same as before while the delivery format has been updated. As is normal when an exam changes, regulators may require additional information to satisfy their requirements. Technical reports are being provided and consultations are being held with Canadian regulators to minimize any disruption in the acceptance and processing of CELBAN results. Please contact The CELBAN Centre if there are any challenges with the acceptance of exam results.