Written by Yvanna Sol

In Canada, nursing is a profession in high demand. If we take into account the characteristic elderly population of this country, the slight increase in the birth rate since 2021 and the demographic growth of recent years due to immigration, we can affirm that there is an urgent need for specialized clinical care as well as interesting priorities in this labor market; therefore, a good command of English (and/or French) is of enormous value for the Canadian health system when hiring these professionals, since in this job it is essential to be able to establish effective communication between the provider of this care and the patients. 

The language used by a nurse is technical and very specific; to practice this profession in Canada, to practice this profession in Canada, it is necessary to have high scores in the international language recognition tests, so we address this important topic in a new article from Planeta Immiland, our immigration-focused language school. Let's take a look at what levels of English must be demonstrated by nurses who want to work in Canada.

Language tests that measure a nurse's English language proficiency in Canada

Canada has several widely accepted tests to assess English proficiency, some of which are:

1. The IELTS (International English Language Testing System), which has a score range of 0 to 9 for each of the four components (listening, reading, writing and speaking).
2. The CELPIP (Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program), which ranges from 10 to 12 for each of the four components (listening, reading, writing and speaking).
3. The Pearson Test of English (PTE Core Option), a fast, fair and simple general English test recognized by the Canadian government (IRCC) for permanent residence applications in all economic classes.
4. The CELBAN (Canadian English Language Benchmark Assessment for Nurses), a test specifically for internationally educated nurses wishing to work in Canada, which assesses English skills in a health care context and is recognized by Canadian nursing licensing bodies. 

What English score does a nurse in Canada require?

To assess your English language proficiency, the Government of Canada has established the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB), through which equivalencies are established in the above mentioned test results. Below is the CLB score required for a nurse in Canada.

• A registered nurse requires a CLB level 7 to 8 (intermediate). 
• A nursing assistant and practical nurse require a CLB 5 or 6 (pre-intermediate). 

• CELBAN test results are also related to the CLB scale. There are 12 CLB levels and CELBAN test results reflect levels 6 to 10 for listening, reading and speaking, and 6 to 9 for writing. Learn more.

Also, you can check the official website to see the Language Test Equivalency Tables..

It is important to take into account the province in which you are going to work, since the immigration program for which you must apply and your language evaluation will depend on it. The levels are always handled as an average or an approximation to what the immigration plan and/or the company offering the position may ask for, however, Planeta Immiland recommends to always bet on a higher level and not to be satisfied with the minimum level of English to work as a nurse in Canada, since for the Express Entry, for example, English gives you valuable points that can make you more competitive, of course you must also comply with the rest of the requirements requested by the IRCC to apply. 

If you want to know your English level, you can take our free testthen select the level of preparation recommended by Planeta Immiland to explore the duration, methodology and prices of our courses. our courseswhich are focused on the skills necessary to immigrate to Canada. Among our services, we offer the IELTS PreparationPreparation, the CELPIP Pre Programthe English 4 Express Entry and more.

With love,

Planet Immiland