Updated 2021
Dear Kim, I am living in Calgary. It is my first stop. I have been here for a year and 6 mo. I am from the Philippines. My score on the IELTS is: writing- 6.5 reading-7 speaking-8 listening 9. Where do I start? What should I do? K
Dear K,
Thank you for your message.
First I would like to commend you for doing so well on your listening score. Getting a 10 in CELBAN listening is usually what slows down, stands in the way or even stops Internationally Educated Nurses, like you, from obtaining their dreams. So, it is very hopeful that you got a 9 in listening on the IELTS.
NNAS or CELBAN first?
You raise a very good question, but first I would like to direct you to a few posts that ask, “What should I do first? Take the CELBAN or register with NNAS?” I get that question alot.
The short answer is: you will save money and decrease stress if you get your required English score first before you apply to the National Nursing Assessment Services.
Should I take the CELBAN now?
Another associated question is, “Should I take the CELBAN now?”
The short answer to that is: Yes!
Prior to COVID, prior to January 2021, IENs could only take the CELBAN 3 times. That was a great limitation, putting a great deal of stress on IENs as they prepared for and sat for the exam. But, now that there is a CELBAN CBT, a Computer Based Test, you are permitted to take it more than three times; and, you are able to take the CELBAN wherever you are, internationally.
What makes the CELBAN different from the IELTS and any other exam is that embedded in it is a pathway to success. When you get your results you also get a report with feedback for your writing and speaking. It will identify your strengths and your weaknesses so that you know what is slowing you down, standing in your way, or stopping you from obtaining your dream of life in Canada.
In this way you will know what to focus on.
Then you will know which direction to take.
Most often, IENs, receive feedback about one of the following weaknesses when it comes to grammar and the CELBAN:
- Nouns & Articles
- Verbs & Verbals
- Agreement Errors
- Advanced Punctuation & Sentence Structure and
- Medical Vocabulary: Medical Collocations.
That is why I have created CELBAN Intensives. CELBAN intensives are individual courses, one for each weakness. They have been designed to assist you to increase your CELBAN score in reading, writing and speaking. By focusing on your what is slowing you down, standing in your way, or stopping you from getting the required score, you learn how to identify the mistakes you are making, and to correct them so that you don’t make them again.
Many of my nurses tell me that no one taught them what they were doing “wrong” and how to correct it. They feel empowered knowing there is nothing wrong with them. They simply need to learn a few skills.
Step 1: What are CELBAN Intensives?
The way the CELBAN Intensives for Grammar Essentials works is that you don’t have to buy a whole grammar text book with lots of stuff you don’t need. You simply purchase the module you need. So if you need to increase your skills and competencies with punctuation and sentence structure then you would purchase those two modules. But if you needed to focus on agreement errors you would need 3 modules: studying nouns and articles, and verbs and verbals before putting them to together to understand why she kept making errors with agreement.
In this way this CELBAN preparation material is learner-centered: just like the CELBAN!
It is important to note that there are two parts to the CELBANPrep courses:
- CELBANPrep Publishing: The textbooks and workbooks are available internationally from Amazon.
- CELBANPrep University: The learning and teaching videos that accompany the textbooks are available through CELBANPrep University.
Step 2: How do I prepare for CELBAN Writing Tasks 1 and 2?
Step One is to increase your score in reading, writing and speaking by improving your grammar with the CELBAN or IELTS Grammar Intensives. This will take time.
Step Two is to focus on your writing with CELBANPrep Writing Level One (CELBAN Writing Task 1 & 2) and CELBANPrep Writing Level Two (CELBAN Writing Task 2).
- Level One is a prerequisit for Level 2, where you learn to write in a medical context.
- Each is 3 to 4 lessons, 3 to 4 weeks long.
- Like the Grammar Essentials: each has a textbook available through Amazon, with learning and teaching videos available through CELBANPrep University. (See the links above.)
With your scores I see you need some support and assistance with your writing. It may take a couple of months to prepare you for the CELBAN so that you become familiar with the format and expectations. The more you are able to work on what is slowing you down, standing in your way, and stopping you from obtaining your dreams the better.
Step 3: What about CELBAN Speaking? How do I prepare for that?
I have created an online course for CELBAN Speaking as well. It has:
- 4 lessons, in 4 weeks.
- Textbooks available internationally through Amazon
- Learning and teaching videos available through CELBANPrep University.
Step 0: But, I have realized there are other things slowing me down, standing in my way, and stopping me from my dreams.
There are several things you can do, before you start studying, to optimize your study habits. There are things to do so that you use your study time most effectively: so that you actually remember what you have learned.
Knowing your weaknesses when it comes to grammar, reading, writing, listening and speaking is an important part of determining where to focus your time and attention. But, that it not the only thing that you need to pay attention to.
That is why I have questions for you.
- On a scale of 1-10 where 10 is the highest how confident are you about taking the exam?
- On a scale of 1-10 where 10 is the highest, how much motivation do you have to study?
- How distracted are you?
- How much energy do you have when it comes to studying?
- How tired or stressed are you?
You see, the answers to those questions determine the quality of your study time. What I have learned over the 10+ years of teaching IENs to prepare for the exam, since 2009, is that what is slowing down and even stopping most IENs is that they are either:
Busy People struggle to balance responsibilities at home, at work, at school, in the community and with family and friends. Busy people experience exceptional stress, tension and fatigue.
Disillusioned Dreamers struggle with a lack of self-confidence, a lack of motivation, a lack of energy.
They lack the Secrets to Success because no one has taught them.
Busy People lack the ability to:
- Set Learning Goals, and
- Initiate Action Plans,
- to Develop Skills.
Meanwhile Disillusioned Dreamers lack the ability to:
But, it doesn’t have to be that way.
Since 2009 I have integrated the Secrets to Success in the online CELBAN courses, online CELBAN classes, and CELBAN material I have created. By focusing and eliminating what is slowing you down, standing in your way, and stopping you from obtaining your dreams of life in Canada you are able to determine where to spend your time and energy to produce the greatest rewards. By creating your own individualized learning plan, based on those weaknesses, and learning how to turn them into strengths gives you an advantage not only for writing the CELBAN but also for becoming a nurse and life in general.
Now there is also a Secrets to Success Master Mind.
The Secrets to Success Master Mind has two components:
- a week long online course with videos available 24/7,
- an online class with scheduled live group sessions.
Through Secrets to Success you will learn how to:
- Set Learning Goals, and
- Initiate Action Plans,
- to Develop Skills.
- Optimize Your Environment, and
- Master Your Psychology.
How much does CELBANPrep cost?
Now that we have covered the options available through CELBANPrep, it is time to answer the question I am commonly asked: How much does it cost.
The answer is, “It depends.”
Because CELBANPrep has a Compassionate Pricing Policy and our model is learner-centred the answer depends on two questions:
- How much time do you have? and
- What can you afford.
You see, the answer to these questions determines:
- how many modules you take at one time, based on how much time you have to study.
- how many modules you can afford to take at one time, based on your finances.
Examples of Learner-Centred Individualized Plans
For instance, an IEN who is not working or does nto ahve children can engage in Grammar Essentials, CELBANPrep Writing and Speaking at the same time, while a busy person might take one component at a time.
An IEN who has a solid income base can take several modules at a time, while an individual with a limited income would take one module at a time.
You make your choices based on the amount of time you have and what you can afford.
In this way, individualized learning plans allow IENs, such as yourself, to integrate studying for the CELBAN into busy lifestyles.
At the end of the day
Integrating exceptional written and verbal communication skills, understanding the Canadian Culture, and knowing how the Canadian Culture influences communication in a nursing setting are valuable skills that will provide you with strength and practice when you obtain a position as a nurse, whether be in a hospital or in community nursing.
And, these skills, coupled with the Secrets to Success, will guide you, support you and promote you throughout your life, in all areas of your life: personally and professionally.
Focusing on your individual weaknesses (what is slowing you down, standing in your way, and stopping you from obtaining your dreams of life in Canada) and learning how to turn them into strengths allows you to manage your resources most effectively, both time and money, in a way CELBANPrep saves you both time and money.
So now I have a question for you:
How do you See CELBANPrep University helping you?
While you consider your next step in preparing for the CELBAN exam, consider the most efficient strategies available to assist you in obtaining your goals. Explore your options. Then once you decide, make a commitment to practice so that you can overcome your weaknesses and achieve your dreams.
Sincerely,
Kim
Save time and money. Explore CELBANPrep University.
Dear Kim 
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