While the Canadian English Language Benchmark Assessment for Nurses (CELBAN) is specifically designed for internationally educated nurses (IENs), preparing for the CELBAN can still be beneficial for other internationally educated healthcare professionals. Here are a few ways in which preparing for the CELBAN can help:
Continue readingUpdated this week
Hi Kim,
I know I have to practice more and harder. I am frustrated. I can’t get my timing [for my writing assignments] right. At some point, I lost my enthusiasm to write but I know I can’t stop and I need go on and never give up. Now, I am reflecting and asking myself on the things that I should be thankful. After some thinking and motivating, I am slowly gaining back my enthusiasm to write. You know, there are times that I am at a point of giving up. Honestly, it is true. But, I always find myself reading to your words of encouragement and to your articles Dear Kim. Really, those words lift my spirits up. They always remind me that the only thing I can do is to never give up. Thank you Kim, for everything.
Sincerely, A
Updated this week
Hi Kim,thanks to google I was able to found you.i read a lot of your blog articles for dear Kim.i’m now encourage to take my celban exam.i took my ielts once last year, my score was as follows Listening-6,reading-4.5,writing 5.5,speaking-6.0.from that time I didn’t have anymore interest to take again.because I’m afraid to fail,I feel also that I would not be able to pass.i wanted to try celban last year but I keep on postponing,I don’t have the confident,I feel that I will fail,I even thought that I would not pass.now I want CELBANPrep. Hope to hear from you Best regards L..
Updated this week
Hi kim! i am pleased to hear how you value us your students. I have been learning a lot from the lessons 1-5 which i did not used last celban exam. Unfortunately, i was so frustrated with myself after i received my evaluation report…. It was hard for me to accept because i did got high marks with the other three areas tested, except for my writing which is only 6. It was a friend that i met in the bus told me about your site, to be honest as a new resident here in canada i felt helpless. I dont have any background and idea about celban , and also i have been discouraged with ielts after many attempts. I am just so glad and inspired from the stories of your students on how you touched their lives. Im excited for the up coming lessons that i will be learning from you and at the same time feeling nervous for the exam this october. Hoping that this time il be much ready to face the battle. hoping for your guidance and help kim for me to achieve my goal. G.
Updated this week
Hi Kim,
Thank you for your time. I’m doing very good. How are you doing? Winnipeg is very nice place specially this summer season. I am from Philippines. I came here in Winnipeg last September 04, with my husband and two children as an immigrant. Winnipeg is our first stop, I worked before in Qatar as a Registered Nurse, but I left my family in the Philippines so I decided to apply as Manitoba Nominee through the sponsorship of my brother.
Here is my Benchmark Score: Listening – 5, Speaking – 6, Reading – 6, Writing – 6
I never tried IELTS or Celban Examination before. This is my first time, that’s why I’m very nervous because I heard a lot of comments about the exam. There are times that I want to give up because I’m not sure if I can do it. At present, I have double job so it’s hard for me to study but I’m really trying my best. I just want to ask you some tips on how to study like how many hours a day and how many months I need to study before the date of exam. I would be very grateful if you could help me with my journey. I really appreciate your questions about myself and spending time with me.
Sincerely, L
Updated this week
Hi Kim,
I’ve been reading your “Dear Kim” blog articles less than a year. I’ve contemplating to do my bridging program for RN in [province]. I procrastinated though, due to my fear of not passing the IELTS.
[My city] is such a nice place, it’s growing so fast. Sometimes, I like it. Sometimes, I don’t. I came here to Canada 5 years ago as an LPN from the Philippines. I used to be an RN back home. I am currently working in a busy floor, it’s a combination of Labour and Delivery, Postpartum Unit and Gastrointestinal Surgery. Once in a while we also get the not so very young. I have a permanent resident status and just recently submitted my citizenship application.
I love what I do, I know that I was born to be a nurse. Lately, our LPN scope of practice in Alberta has expanded. There are only 3 things an LPN in our unit can’t do. Be an Obstetrical Nurse, spike a blood bag and be a charge nurse. Other that than, LPNs do everything. However, we get paid less. Less than $20/hour.
I want to be honest with you, I want more. I want to get paid more on how good I am.
Does this make me a less nurse? I hope not.
I have a long history with IELTS. Back in 2007, I started taking up the test in Manila for my New Zealand application. They were requiring a band score of 7 on each modules. I took the test 9 times! You know why? Because my writing was always a band score of 6.5. So, I gave up.
I took the plunged again. I sat for IELTS exam. Even though, at the back of my mind, I should’ve taken CELBAN. My test score was L: 8.5 R: 7.5 W: 6.5 S: 7.5 Overall Band Score: 7.5. I was broken-hearted. I was 0.5 away, again.
I speak English everyday at work. I am well-read. I follow CNN newsfeed on social media and loves watching documentaries. I love travelling. I can speak with confidence and smitten anyone with my charming genuine smile, but I suck on writing.
After checking the CELBAN site that test dates and locations will be posted soon, I decided to seek your help. I promised to work hard. I borrowed all the IELTS materials I could borrow from our public library. But, I have nightmares on writing. So, could you please help me prepare for the test? I need your guidance.
Thank you for your time and I hope to talk to you soon.
F
Continue readingPosted in CELBAN classes online, CELBAN courses online, CELBAN near me, CELBAN preparation online, CELBAN Speaking, CELBAN Writing, CELBANPrep University, Disillusioned Dreamers, Enouragement, Secrets to Success, the CELBAN Trap
Tagged CELBAN or IELTS, CELBAN vs IELTS, CELBAN Writing Task 1, CELBAN Writing Task 2, Philippines Experience with the CELBAN
Updated this week
Hello Kim,
As you may have known me, I’m K, from Philippines….I have been following your blog for quite some time now. … I’d like to let you know a bit of myself. I’m a BSN, and currently a registered nurse. I worked in a tertiary hospital here for only 14 months. Since then, I stopped practicing my profession because I’m actually looking for a greener pasture. Otherwise, I wouldn’t flourish knowing that wages here are very, very low and can’t compensate for your wants, needs, and assistance to your very own loved ones. Based on this, maybe you will have an idea that I’m a man with big dreams, and eagerly relentless on pursuing them. =)
…
I believe in the saying that, “success starts with IELTS.” However unfortunately, I already took the IELTS twice (April and July this year), but never found the luck especially in my Writing. Taking the exam twice in a row, I always got 6.0 bandscore in my Writing while the rest of the components L, R and S were okay. My writing sucks, isn’t it? I usually practiced my writing part before like 2x a week. But I admit I almost gave up knowing that I’ve had the same mistakes and no matter how hard I tried to improve my writing skills, I fairly didn’t have the chance of getting 7 especially during my practices. In my mind I believe that writing skill takes a talent, which I obviously don’t have. I’d like to think that I didn’t get a score of 7 because of the technicality of the IELTS writing topics and the topics themselves are difficult to be explained explicitly, to the point that I ran out of ideas, or no ideas to be input at all 😦
However, sooner, I will be reviewing and sitting for the CELBAN may be early next year if everything goes well. Right now, I have this ambivalent feeling, again. To be honest, I really don’t have any ideas right now what CELBAN is all about except its meaning, Canadian English Language Benchmark Assessment for Nurses. I have with me again this feeling of fear, completely mixed emotions because I don’t know how difficult the CELBAN exam is, or if I can make it with just one take. Although a lot of IENs from the agency where I have applied as student visa for Canada took and passed the exam with just one sit, still I’ve lessened down my expectations to make it….How do I improve IELTS or CELBAN writing? Ielts writing topics are getting more difficult than the ones established few years ago.
How is my above writing Ms Kim?…
Hope to hear from you soon. Thanks a lot!
K
Posted in CELBAN classes online, CELBAN courses online, CELBAN near me, CELBAN or IELTS: Grammar Essentials, CELBAN preparation online, CELBAN Speaking, CELBAN Writing, CELBANPrep University, Disillusioned Dreamers, Enouragement, Mastering Your Psychology, Optimizing Your Environment, Secrets to Success, the CELBAN Trap
Tagged CELBAN or IELTS, CELBAN vs IELTS, CELBAN Writing Task 1, CELBAN Writing Task 2, Philippines Experience with the CELBAN
![I heard that the chances of passing [the CELBAN] is higher than IELTS because it is medical in nature](https://dearkimdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/i-heard-that-the-chances-of-passing-the-celban-is-higher-than-ielts-because-it-is-medical-in-nature.png)
Dear Kim,Updated 2021
Updated 2023
Updated 2023
Dear Friend,
Every once in a while I post a report written by an IEN for CELBAN Writing during the CELBANPrep Writing one-on-one coaching (sold separately). Today I am posting this sample to show you that it is possible to write a complete, detailed and organized report in 20 minutes. This one was posted with only one small error. Here is my comment:
Wow, R! … Perfect! How was the timing? She replied:
Dear Kim
Horaaaaaaaaay, I did it in 20 minutes… I hope that I can do it in a real exam.
Check out the report she wrote! Notice how complete it is. Can you write a report like this, and have it this organized, in 20 minutes or less? ~Kim
Posted in CELBAN classes online, CELBAN courses online, CELBAN near me, CELBAN or IELTS: Grammar Essentials, CELBAN preparation online, CELBAN Vocabulary, CELBAN Writing, CELBANPrep University, Medical Collocations
Tagged CELBAN Incident Reports, CELBAN or IELTS, CELBAN Writing Task 2, writing reports
Dear Kim 