Dreaming of starting your nursing career in the land of maple syrup and majestic moose? Here’s some fantastic news! The OET Test has been officially recommended by the Canadian Nurse Regulators Collaborative (CNRC) as a standard for English proficiency. This exciting development means that you can now use your OET results to fulfil your dream of becoming a registered nurse in Canada.
Why choose OET for your nursing career?
The OET Test is designed specifically for healthcare professionals like you. Unlike general English tests, the OET Test focuses on the language skills you need in a healthcare setting. It assesses your listening, reading, writing, and speaking abilities through tasks that mirror real-world healthcare scenarios.
This ensures you are well-prepared to communicate effectively and deliver high-quality patient care from day one.
What is the CNRC?
The Canadian Nurse Regulators Collaborative (CNRC) is a group of nursing regulatory authorities from different provinces and territories in Canada. They set and maintain standards for nursing practice to ensure nurses provide safe, ethical and competent care.
They also develop policies for licensure and registration, establish educational and practice standards and assess your qualifications if you are an internationally trained nurse.
Here are the OET scores that the CNRC have recommended for nursing in Canada:
Test |
Reading |
Writing |
Listening |
Speaking |
OET |
C+ |
C+ |
B |
B |
What this means for your nursing registration in Canada
Nursing regulators are responsible for adopting the OET Test within their own province or territory in Canada. Regulators in Canada are expected to publish their specific score requirements in the coming weeks. This will provide you with clear guidelines on what you need to achieve to register as a nurse in Canada.
Keep an eye on the individual nursing regulators’ website, in the province or territory you intend to apply, to see their accepted language proficiency test cut scores and benchmark levels.
A message from our Vice President
Gary Neale, OET Vice President Americas, emphasized the significance of this milestone: "We know Canada is a key destination for nurses, offering life-changing employment opportunities at some of the best healthcare providers in the world. We’re thrilled about this new chapter and look forward to supporting more healthcare professionals in achieving their global ambitions with OET.”
For more information
The Canadian Nurse Regulators Collaborative (CNRC) joins healthcare regulators around the world who accept OET results as proof of English language skills. Visit our website to see all organisations that accept OET.
For detailed information on the new language proficiency test cut scores and benchmark levels accepted by Canadian nursing regulators, visit the CNRC and provincial regulators websites.