SEC assessment in BC

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Specializes in ICU and ER.

Hi Fellow Nurses

This is my first post in the forum. I am currently working as RN in Minnesota US. I have applied for CRNBC and they are now reviewing my documents. Has anyone ever been exempt from doing SEC assessment. Any ideas or suggestions in this regard would be helpful. Has anyone done SEC assessment recently?

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Did NNAS complete your education assessment? If so, what did your advisory report show? There is a recent poster whose advisory report was somewhat comparable and it seems that CRNBC is not requiring them to undergo further competency tests. See thread entitled Canadian Immigration & Nursing, post by smr21 https://allnurses.com/advice-on-immigration/canadian-immigration-amp-1076544.html

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If you are required to undergo a competency assessment, it may not be the SEC, instead it may be the National Community Assessment Service (NCAS). I believe the SEC is stopping December 2016 and NCAS is starting January 2017, see ncas bc.

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Specializes in ICU and ER.

Thank you for the reply. My education was in India, and the report said it was not comparable. But I have 2500+ hours of work experience in USA. They already accepted my request for English fluency exemption because of that. I am hoping that they will not ask me to take further tests as I have NCLEX and US work experience. But I am also prepared in case they want me to take the test. I did refer NCAS website. It is very good compared to SEC. But for the life of me, I can't understand why they should have another CBA if they are asking for NCLEX

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I think since your NNAS result was not comparable, you may be directed to do a competency assessment. I am not sure if you are aware, but CRNBC holds information sessions about the registration process, see CRNBC website for the schedule. A CBA is very different from a licensing exam such as the NCLEX.

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Specializes in ICU and ER.

I checked the sample questions. They were very basic. And CRNBC used to have their own exam called CRNBE. But they are also doing NCLEX as competency exam after the assessments. I have looked up all the information available from CRNBC and NCAS website. I want real life experiences of people and that is why I posted in the forum.

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You can get real life experience by attending an information session at CRNBC.

There is a poster companisbiki who was educated in the US and works in BC, they may know other IENs whose situation is similar to yours.

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And CRNBC used to have their own exam called CRNBE.

I think you may be confused, the CRNE was the Canadian RN entry to practice exam prior to the NCLEX being implemented in 2015, (it was a national exam, not a provincial exam).

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Specializes in ICU and ER.

Thanks dishes

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@Esha22

Glad that you are going into it prepared for further testing. With a 'non comparable' result you will definitely have to. You won't have to do NCLEX again, but you will have to do the things that lead up to NCLEX, to prove you are prepared to take an exam that you have already written and passed. NCLEX tests knowledge, skills and abilities to safely practice nursing and so does the test you will undergo.

Thank you for the reply. My education was in India, and the report said it was not comparable. But I have 2500+ hours of work experience in USA. They already accepted my request for English fluency exemption because of that. I am hoping that they will not ask me to take further tests as I have NCLEX and US work experience. But I am also prepared in case they want me to take the test. I did refer NCAS website. It is very good compared to SEC. But for the life of me, I can't understand why they should have another CBA if they are asking for NCLEX
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Specializes in ICU and ER.

Thanks

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If your education meets their standard (graduated from a USA BSN program, preferably 4 year program straight on) and you have graduated quite recently then you will get exempted from taking the SEC (it's changing into the NCAS now though). Anyone without that education WILL get a non- comparable result and will need to take SEC/OSCE.

I know a number of people who have taken SEC but the NCAS will be a bit of a simpler exam. nevertheless it's not easy and you have to study with the old Canadian CRNE books as the question formats are quite similar. I was exempted from SEC and I applied right after I graduated from the US BSN program in Washington. THe only thing is unless you have ICU, PACU or ER experience in the states it will be hard to find a job here. Connections and Canadian experience trumps all else unless you have those specialty experience. Even if you get exempted from SEC, I would personally still take it and get placed into a refresher course. it really helps for getting a job in BC. (almost 100% guarantee from what I have seen from my friends who have taken the program). Also, I suggest getting immigration status asap. If you do not have it then you cannot take the refresher course. This will prevent you from obtaining your Canadian license.... Also apply for the LPN licensing as a backup since Okanagan refresher course I think has no status requirement but now requires people to get 1700 hrs experience as LPN or HCA (care aid/nursing assistant) in Canada. You can ask them if US experience would be accepted for their requirement. Hope it helps!

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