Frequently Asked Questions 

IEN applicants requesting registration with the College first go through the following steps:

1. Go to www.nnas.ca to create an online account, complete your forms, and pay your fee(s). Through this account, NNAS will communicate with you and guide you through the process. (You can also contact NNAS using its toll-free number.) As well, NNAS provides an online instruction guide http://www.nnas.ca/ .
2. Submit all required documents. NNAS will tell you which documents are needed and who must submit them.
3. Complete a language proficiency test if required. NNAS will tell you if you need a language proficiency test to proceed with your application.
4. Receive an NNAS Advisory Report. NNAS will tell you when your file is complete. Through your account, you will be able to access a copy of your Advisory Report.
5. Apply to the College. After you have received your Advisory Report, you will receive instructions about how to contact the College with your request to register in Ontario. The College will not consider you an applicant for registration until you have completed the NNAS process and submitted the required application and fee(s) directly to the College.

Why do I have to start my application with NNAS? 

All nursing regulatory bodies in Canada (except Quebec) require new applications for registration from IENs to go through NNAS. Applying through NNAS ensures a consistent approach to collecting, verifying and storing documents that all nursing regulatory bodies in Canada require. Your educational credentials will be assessed using standardized tools that all participating regulatory bodies endorse.

All documents for assessment are sent to US location:

Mailing Address for IEN Documentation / Correspondence : Hours  Mon – Fri 8 am..- 4 p.m. ET

NNAS Mailing Address:

National Nursing Assessment Service 

Post Office Box 8658 

Philadelphia, PA 19101-8658, USA

NNAS Courier Address:    

National Nursing Assessment Service 

3600 Market Street, Suite 400

Philadelphia, PA 19104-2651, USA

The College sets the entry to practice requirements for RNs, RPNs and NPs.

Registration Requirements:

1. Nursing education
2. Evidence of Practice
3. Registration Exam
4. Jurisprudence Exam
5. Proficiency in English or French
6. Citizenship, PR, authorization
7. Past offenses and findings
8. Health conduct or status

NCLEX-RN registration exam

The NCLEX-RN® consists of questions from the cognitive levels of knowledge, comprehension, application, and analysis. Questions incorporate the five stages of the Nursing Process (assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation) and the four categories of Client Needs. It is administered through a computerized exam available at locations in North America and internationally.

The NCLEX is offered at both domestic and international test centers. Test centers can be found in major cities in the United States and Canada. There are International test centers in other countries like the Philippines, Hong Kong, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands.

CPNRE- PN registration exam

The CPNRE consists of 165 to 170 objective multiple-choice questions to answer over a four-hour period. You have three chances to successfully complete the CPNRE. 

http://www.cno.org/en/become-a-nurse/new-applicants1/outside-canada/

Internationally Educated Nurses Competency Assessment Program (www.touchstoneinstitute.ca/)

•  a tool that professional bodies around the world use to assess an applicant’s nursing education, experience and competencies. It provides a clearer picture of an applicant’s nursing competencies than a strictly paper-based assessment.
• Applicants whose nursing education and practice do not meet the College’s nursing education requirement will be asked to take the IENCAP. 
• The IENCAP can also identify gaps in applicants’ nursing competencies, which will have to be addressed with additional education.
• is an evaluation that enables you to demonstrate the nursing knowledge, skill and judgment you obtained from your nursing education and experience.  

It consists of two components:

1. multiple-choice questionnaire
2. Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)