Pearson announced on 17 July 2024 that the Canadian Nurse Regulators Collaborative (CNRC) has recommended PTE Academic for inclusion among the English tests accepted from internationally educated nurses applying to register in Canada.
Key facts
- Announced 17 July 2024
- Body Canadian Nurse Regulators Collaborative (CNRC)
- Who Internationally educated nurses seeking Canadian registration
- Scores Not stated; set by each regulator
What the recommendation means
In Canada, nurses are registered by provincial and territorial regulators, not by a single national body. The CNRC brings those regulators together. A recommendation from the collaborative signals that PTE Academic is suitable, but each regulator decides for itself when to add the test and what scores to require. The announcement does not list minimum scores, the regulators that have adopted the test, or a start date.
The test
PTE Academic is a computer-based test of about two hours, taken at a test centre, covering speaking, writing, reading and listening. It is separate from PTE Core, which is the Pearson test approved by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada for economic immigration.
What this means
If you are a nurse planning to work in Canada, check the website of the regulator in the province where you want to register to see whether it now accepts PTE Academic and what scores it asks for. Do not book on the strength of the CNRC recommendation alone. Remember that registration and immigration are separate steps: if you also need English for a permanent residence application, IRCC’s list of approved tests applies, and PTE Academic is not on it. Keep copies of your score report, as regulators and immigration officers may ask for them at different stages of the process.