Updated 2021
Hey Kim,
I am still little confused about this NNAS assessment . My doubt is that if we are living in one province so can we submit our papers for evaluation to any other province or to which we belong. As, In Alberta regulatory bodies want the language scores first. Please clear my doubt.
Thanks for very useful information. Looking forward to hear back from you.
Thanks
N
N
Dear N,
Thank you for this question! It will be a little confusing for a little while, but soon everyone will understand the NNAS wisdom in this change.
Ok. So you are in Alberta. As such, before August 12, 2014 you would be registering with:
- CLPNA to be an LPN or
- CARNA to be an RN.
Right? Right.
If you only wanted to do one, that is not bad. But what if you were applying to be both an LPN and an RN? That meant you had to complete two applications, pay two fees, get documentation for two different processes. What a mess!
Now what if, in the middle of your process, your husband got a really great job in Ontario? You would have to start the whole process again with the CNO. More fees, more documentation, more time. Frustrated yet?
That is what has been happening for hundreds even thousands of nurses for many many years.
But now, with the NNAS there is only one application process, and it is all online! You don’t have to call or wait for emails and snail mail for updates, you simply login and see your status!
- So if you want to register with one licensure body, fine!
- If you want to apply to two at the same time, fine!
- If you want to apply to be an LPN at the same time as an RN, fine!
- If you want to apply in both Alberta and BC, fine!
The only difference is the potential additional documentation you need to provide, and the:
- fee to have your assessment include another nursing group (meaning if you are applying for LPN and want to also be assessed as an RN), and/or
- fee to have your NNAS Advisory Report sent to another provincial college of nursing. (https://www.nnas.ca/?s=fees)
It is that easy!
Not only that, the scores for the IELTS (Academic Version) and CELBAN are consistent regardless of what province you are applying to and what licence you are applying for! One score opens all the doors at once.
And so it goes that your English Score will be the determining factor about when you should apply to the NNAS, because it is required as part of your application. See When should I register with NNAS?
IENs across Canada have been bemoaning the nursing licensure process in Canada. They have been praying for the path to be smoothed, for it to be easier, for it to take less time. Well, those prayers have been answered with the dawning of the National Nursing Assessment Services.
So in answer to your question, if you want, once your assessment has been completed, and your NNAS Advisory Report written, you can simply request to have your report sent to as many provinces as you would like, and pay a fee to do so. Mind you, each province will continue to have their own processes and applying to too many at once would mean taking various courses and paying various fees all at the same time. Than can become quite overwhelming.
So, N, continue working towards an accepted score with the CELBAN to ensure you avoid the CELBAN Trap as an Unsuspecting Newcomer, a Disillusioned Dreamer or a Busy Person?. This should be your first and foremost goal at this time.
Sincerely,
Kim
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Dear Kim 
Hi kim,
I am a registered nurse in the Philippines with a 4 years experience but its a long time ago (2010). I am currently in a live in caregiver program. I just registered in NNAS for my assessment for LPN but i read on some forums and even here that u can do both LPN and RN assessment at the same time but with additional payment. I was just wondering if its advisable to do it if i want to pursue LPN first then maybe eventually pursue my RN career. I really need your advice. Thanks for your time.
Dear Jocelle,
Your question was such a good one I created a new post with my answer to you. It is at https://dear-kim.com/2016/01/14/i-read-that-u-can-do-both-lpn-and-rn-i-really-need-your-advice/.
As you may know I also post Dear Kim posts on Facebook. This one was liked by several people and reached over 500 people. Meaning: you are not alone! Lots of people are asking the very same question! Thank you for taking the time to ask yours!
Kim
I am an RN but can I change from applying RN to RPN after the advisory report have been issued before applying to the college or will I have to start the process all over again?
Dear Ro,
I am sorry. While my information is limited about the NNAS process and you will have to contact them, I believe there is a separate fee applied to each application you make; so if you only applied and paid a fee for one application you only get one report. If you paid for two applications, then you get two reports. However, if you were to apply to multiple provincial colleges of registered nurses (or licensed practical nurses), you can use the one NNAS Advisory Report and ask NNAS to send them to multiple colleges: mind you, there is a fee for each one sent. What I do know is that the CELBAN scores for both RN and RPN/LPN are the same. And once they have your documentation, your process will be quicker. But as I understand it the requirements for each process is different so different applications are required. But again, my information is very limited. Please contact NNAS directly to find out more about your particular situation. Then please write me back and let us all know!
Kim
Ok I have a question.. So I got my advisory report , but there was some gaps where the school did not send enough information . I am in RN with four years experience. My advisory report stated 22% . Will that influence of If I get assessed as an RN or RPN or is it mostly about the years of experience ?
Hello again, Ro. I am sorry to hear you are having trouble with your NNAS report. You will have to contact NNAS directly to explore your options and how you can get your information updated with complete information.
It is up to each College of Nursing to determine how they interpret your NNAS report and the steps you will be required to take. Ensuring NNAS has accurate information will be important to prevent further complications. It is important for you to get full credit for what you have completed, accomplished and achieved.
Kim