Updated 2025

|| The Moment I Remembered to Be Here ||

Hello Kim,

I just got my CELBAN test result today, I PASSED!  S-10, R-10, L-10, W-8.  I am really proud of my scores and I have you to thank for that.

I was confident when I took the test because I know that CELBANPrep prepared me for it.  I have one thing to share to you so that you can also remind your students about it.

 I was excited about the writing task because I know that with all the practices that I did with CELBANPrep, nothing can go wrong.  Well, I was wrong!!  I was already home when I started to think about the exam,  I was happy with my performance until I remembered that I did not sign the incident report!  Another thing, I wrote 4 paragraphs instead of 3!  The instruction was to write an incident report with 1-3 paragraphs.  This haunted me for a week!

What I’m trying to point out here is that students should have presence of mind during the test.

It was good that I learned from you how to mind map so that information is organized [from CELBANPrep Writing Level One]. I also kept in mind your reminder to be conscious of the tenses [CELBAN or IELTS: Grammar Essentials].  I think this probably is the reason why I got an 8 in writing.

Thank you Kim and more power!  Keep on empowering IENs to achieve our goals.

J

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🜄 Return to Self

“I PASSED!”
You wrote those words with a heart still catching up to what they mean.
And I want you to know: I felt them land.

J, I receive your joy with the tenderness it deserves. Your pride is not performative; it is earned. It’s the quiet kind that blooms after weathering seasons of disappointment and still choosing to hope. You named your fear. You practiced through it. You returned to your own heart, and it made you brave.

In the sacred nervous system of learning, the heart is often the most forgotten. But here, it is the first to be seen. So let this be a moment of arrival: not just a score, but a homecoming to yourself.

You were not just studying English.
You were remembering your voice.

🜁 Fog to Clarity

You named something rare: the haunting after success. That lingering question in the mind – “Did I do it right?” – even when the results say you did. The mind, brilliant and loyal, tries to protect us from future harm. But in doing so, it often forgets how to rest.

You did not fail by writing four paragraphs.
You demonstrated discernment under pressure.
You adapted. You made choices. You passed.

Yes, presence of mind is essential. But just as important is what we are present to: not only instructions, but our own breath, pacing, and inner calm. That is why I teach mind mapping… not as a trick, but as a tether. And why I speak often of verb tenses… not for perfection, but for orientation. Both help regulate the anxious mind by giving it a rhythm to follow.

You have more clarity than you know. Trust what it revealed in you.

🜃 Rooted in Enoughness

Underneath your message is the quiet muscle of practice.
Practice in a tired body.
Practice while preparing meals.
Practice after long shifts, between responsibilities.

You did not earn these scores because you had more time or energy.
You earned them because you kept showing up.
Over and over again. With your whole self.

That’s what the body remembers: the repetition, the regulation, the resilience. CELBANPrep was never just about preparation. It was always about learning how to walk into the exam with enoughness anchored in your bones.

So let your shoulders drop. Let your jaw unclench. You passed.
And not because you were perfect.
Because you were present.

🜂 Rekindling the Inner Fire

You called me an angel. But what I see is your light reflecting back at you.
This fire (the one that guided you through self-doubt and test anxiety) was never mine. It was always yours.

You are part of a lineage of internationally educated professionals who carry not only skills and certifications: but soul. You brought your whole self into that exam room. And when you remembered what I taught you, it wasn’t because I told you something new. It was because something in you already knew how to lead yourself home.

That is spirit-led learning.
That is the fire that doesn’t burn out.
It burns through.

🜀 Standing at Zenith

Now here you are:
Speaking, reading, listening, writing: with fluency and grace.
But even more:
Breathing, pausing, reflecting, returning.

You didn’t just pass an exam.
You passed through an initiation.

Let this moment mark more than a milestone.

Let it become a mirror: where the person you are meets the person you’ve become. Where preparation meets embodiment. Where the test fades, but the trust stays.

May every nurse who follows behind you walk this path not only with tools, but with tenderness.
And may your story become a sanctuary they can rest inside.

With abiding gratitude and reverence,
~ Kim
Your fellow traveller, your mirror, your witness

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🔹 If you are looking for personal guidance and heartfelt advice on your CELBAN journey, then ‘Dear Kim’ is a perfect choice. Follow Dear Kim for a wealth of insights and answers to your questions. 

🔹🔹 If you are aspiring to perfect your healthcare writing and speaking skills, particularly for the Canadian context, then ‘CELBANPrep’s Mastering HealthCare Writing‘ ‘CELBANPrep’s Mastering HealthCare Speaking’ by Kim Kara is an indispensable resource. Dive into this guide at Amazon to enhance your writing proficiency in the healthcare field.

🔹 If you’re aiming to significantly increase your score in the listening, writing, or speaking component of the CELBAN, then consider exploring the CELBANPrep Gold Bundle. This comprehensive package is meticulously designed to enhance your listening skills, ensuring you’re well-prepared to excel in this crucial aspect of the exam.

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NOTE: The links listed above are to Amazon.ca. These English Language Mastery for Health Professionals books are also available in the following marketplaces:  

US     UK     DE    ES     FR     IT     JP    MX    NL    PL    SE    AU   CA .

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