• Ensure your online application is complete
• Return the NCAS consent form right away (after receiving signed form applicants are referred to NCAS within 5-10 days)
• Follow up with NCAS on next steps, returning the Non-Disclosure Agreement without delay
• Book your assessments at the next available time slots
• Work with the HCA Career Consultant for financial support
• After you receive your NCAS Performance Report, you may wish to waive the reconsideration period (15 day) so that the Registry receives your report as soon as possible and can determine if further education is required to become registered
• Sign up and complete any additional education as soon as possible to become registered, if required.
• Within 5-10 days of receiving completed education evidence, you will be registered.

Further information is also available on the NCAS website https://www.ncasbc.ca/

Those who have been educated as an HCA in Canada may review the application requirements for the Expedited Pathway for Graduates of an HCA Program in Canada (or equivalent) on the Registry website. To qualify for this pathway, you must meet certain requirements, including proof of a Canadian HCA Program credential and recent HCA work experience amongst other requirements.

As an Internationally Educated Health Care Professional (IEHCP), you will need to supply evidence of English language proficiency to prove you can listen, speak, read and write in English. If your first language is not English, you will need to upload evidence of an official English Language proficiency test. Additional information about IEHCP accepted language proficiency tests and test scores can be found here – English Language Proficiency Test Information Sheet.

After completing the NCAS assessment components, you can expect to receive the NCAS Performance Report within 30 calendar days (or less). If you do not waive your reconsideration period after receiving your report, it will not be released to the Registry for 15 days. After receiving your Report, the Registry will determine if you:

1. May be directly registered (no undemonstrated competencies); or
2. If additional education is required (to address undemonstrated competencies) a Remedial Education Referral Letter will be issued to you.

If you are referred to remedial education courses as a final step in the registration process, you may be eligible for the Remedial Education Bursary through the HCA Career Pathways & Bursary Program. You can expect to receive communication from the HMBC team to schedule a call with the HCA Career Consultant to discuss your eligibility for this bursary and receive support to navigate the course options. Once all requirements have been successfully completed, the Registry will process your registration and provide you with a number within 5-10 business days.

Please review the information on the Fees and Policies page for the step by step process under “Accommodations” about assessments. The step-by-step process is outlined on this page. You must apply for an assessment accommodation separately for the CBA and for the SLA/OA.

Please review the information on the NCAS FAQ page about scheduling and cancelling assessments. The SLA/OA calendar is published on the NCAS website and the waitlist is approximately 2-3 months.

Candidates have one year to complete the NCAS process. Please review the information on the NCAS FAQ page regarding extensions. As outlined, if you feel that you will take longer than one year to complete the NCAS assessment process, please contact the Registry to seek permission. If the Registry approves your request for an extension, NCAS will extend your timeline. An extension fee of applies. Please review the information on the NCAS FAQ about fees.

Please review the information on the NCAS FAQ page about scheduling and cancelling assessments. As outlined, all Assessment Takers who had been referred to NCAS prior to March 12, 2020 will have their standard 12-month deadline extended by five months. NCAS is automatically applying this extension to this group; no specific request or approval is required. This extension will not apply to referrals processed after July 1, 2020. The 12-month period will commence from the date NCAS begins processing your referral.

The days of interval between both CBA and SLA/OA assessments will depend on scheduling and availability of assessment slots. It may be possible to schedule both assessments within a 3-4 days’ interval.

For anyone needing to travel from outside the Lower Mainland to take the CBA and SLA/OA in Vancouver, you can contact NCAS at info@ncasbc.ca to arrange simultaneous payment for both assessments so that you can combine both assessments into one trip. The exact schedule will depend on the availability of assessment slots. It may be possible to schedule both assessments within a 3-4 days’ interval.

This information is found on the NCAS Prometric is the company that runs the Computer-Based Assessment (CBA). Please review the list of eligible CBA testing centres that run by this company. You can also visit www.Prometric.com to find the testing site nearest you.

NCAS may take 3-5 business days to process new HCA referrals. After you submit your signed Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA), you can expect to receive an email inviting you to pay for the Computer-Based Assessment (CBA) within 2-3 business days. If you are still waiting for an email communication with next steps, you are encouraged to follow up with NCAS directly.

You can find a list of suggested resources to help you prepare for the NCAS CBA and SLA/OA assessments on the How to Prepare.

To help you prepare for your HCA assessment, you can take this time to review all of the information published on the NCAS website under the How to Prepare page and the list of suggested resources provided by the Registry.

The bursary is structured as a reimbursement. You must first pay the assessment fees for the CBA and SLA/OA. After payment has been received by NCAS, you will be invited to schedule the assessments. Once you receive your scheduled date for the SLA/OA, the next step is to schedule a consultation call with the HCA Career Consultant to discuss your eligibility for the bursary. During this call, you will complete the bursary agreement which outlines the NCAS HCA Assessment components and completion timeframes to ensure eligibility to receive the bursary funds.

You can find a summary of the NCAS assessment fees on the Fees page of the NCAS website.

To be eligible for the HCA NCAS Bursary, you must:

1. Be a graduate of an HCA program in Canada (or HCA equivalent) or is an Internationally Educated Health Care Professional (IEHCP) who has submitted an application to the Registry.
2. Have submitted a signed NCAS Referral Consent Form to the Registry.
3. Have a scheduled date for the NCAS Simulation-Lab Assessment and Oral Assessment (SLA/OA) component.
4. Have submitted proof of registration for NCAS CBA and SLA assessments with original receipts showing the total amount paid to Choose2Care team.
5. Have booked a consultation call with the HCA team before finishing the NCAS HCA Assessment components (CBA & SLA/OA).
6. Have not yet completed the NCAS HCA Assessment components and have not yet received an NCAS Performance Report.
7. Have signed and completed the NCAS Bursary Agreement form issued by Health Match BC.
8. Have completed all components of NCAS HCA Assessment and submitted a copy of the NCAS Performance Report within the timeframe agreed upon in the signed Bursary Agreement form.

To be eligible for the HCA Remedial Education Bursary, you must:

9. Be a graduate of an HCA program in Canada (or HCA equivalent) or is an Internationally Educated Health Care Professional (IEHCP) who has submitted an application to the Registry.
10. Have submitted a signed NCAS Referral Consent Form to the Registry.
11. Have completed all components of the NCAS HCA Assessment.
12. Have received a Remedial Education Referral Letter outlining the need for additional education.
13. Have booked a consultation call with the HCA team before finishing the remedial education requirements as referred by the Registry.
14. Have not yet completed the required remedial education as outlined within his/her Remedial Education Referral Letter and have not yet received a Registry number.
15. Have signed and completed the Remedial Education Bursary Agreement form issued by Health Match BC.
16. Have sent confirmation of obtaining a Registry number by the Registry within the timeframe agreed upon in the Bursary Agreement form.

• As of January 15, 2021, the NCAS Bursary consists of a one-time payment of $2,000 to help cover the costs associated with the NCAS HCA Competency Assessment. The bursary was adjusted to match the increase in NCAS fees.
• You may also be eligible for a Rural Allowance to help cover the costs associated with travel and accommodation to complete the NCAS assessment in Vancouver, BC. The Rural Allowance is a one-time payment ranging from $750 to $1,000 and is calculated based on the distance between your primary residence and the NCAS SLA site at Langara College in Vancouver.
• The Remedial Education Bursary is a one-time payment to help cover the costs associated with any remedial education required for registration and as directed by the Registry. This bursary is a one-time payment ranging from $150 to $1,500, proportionate to the cost of the required courses.
• Note: The bursaries are offered based on available funds remaining as Health Match BC has limited funding available. Bursaries are issued to eligible applicants on a first come first served basis until the available funds run out.

The HMBC Bursary does not cover costs of study materials. The bursary includes financial assistance for the Computer-Based Assessment (CBA) and Simulation Lab Assessment and Oral Assessment (SLA/OA) assessment fees.

At this time, the HMBC bursary is only to help cover costs associated with the NCAS HCA Competency Assessment registration pathway (i.e. NCAS assessments costs and remedial education costs if applicable). Please review other financial support options you may be eligible for, including student loans and scholarships on the Choose2Care website – Resources

At this time, the HMBC bursary is only to help cover costs associated with the NCAS HCA Competency Assessment registration pathway (i.e. NCAS assessments costs and remedial education costs if applicable). Please review other financial support options you may be eligible for, including student loans and scholarships on the Choose2Care website – Resources

Yes, you may still be eligible for the HMBC bursary. Please review the eligibility criteria above. To be eligible, you must have not yet completed the NCAS HCA Assessment components and have not received an NCAS Performance Report. To be eligible for the bursary, you must then complete all components of the NCAS HCA Assessment within the timeframe agreed upon in the signed Bursary Agreement form.

As outlined in the eligibility criteria, you are eligible to receive the NCAS bursary if you have not yet completed the NCAS HCA Assessment components and have not yet received an NCAS Performance Report. Similarly, you are eligible for the Remedial Education bursary if you have not yet completed the required remedial education as outlined within your Remedial Education Referral Letter and have not yet received a Registry number.

a. As outlined in the eligibility criteria, you are eligible to receive the bursary funds when you complete all components of the NCAS HCA Assessment (i.e. CBA & SLA/OA) and the BC Care Aide Registry has received a copy of your NCAS Performance Report within the timeframe agreed upon in the signed Bursary Agreement form.

b. Eligibility for the NCAS bursary is not contingent on your performance on the NCAS assessment. Please note that the NCAS assessment is not a pass or fail. The NCAS Performance Report identifies any gaps in competency to meet the entry-level expectations of Health Care Assistants in BC.

Yes, you still qualify for the HMBC bursary if you are currently or have previously received Employment Insurance (EI).

No, you do not need to be a Permanent Resident to qualify for the bursary. Your status in Canada is not part of the eligibility criteria.

The bursary is structured as a reimbursement once all NCAS assessment components and/or remedial education courses have been successfully completed within the timeframes established in the bursary agreement.

Please review other financial support options you may be eligible for, including low interest micro-loans on the Choose2Care website – Resources

Eligible applicants can participate in both the HCA Career Pathways & Bursary program at HMBC and the Career Paths for Skilled Immigrants – Health program at Douglas College. Both programs work together to ensure the best support is provided to applicants. However, the programs will not provide funding for the same expenses. For example, an applicant cannot receive the NCAS Bursary from Health Match BC and be reimbursed for the NCAS assessment fees by the Career Pathways program. You are required to disclose any and all prospective sources of funding that will directly support education and registration pathways to becoming an HCA, including funding received from Career Paths for Skilled Immigrants.

You are eligible to participate in the HCA NCAS workshop only if you are registered with the Career Paths for Skilled Immigrants program. You can visit douglascollege.ca/careerpaths to learn more about the program and apply.

You can find a list of suggested resources to help you prepare for the NCAS CBA and SLA/OA assessments on the How to Prepare You may wish to research NCAS Preparation courses offered by schools in BC.

1. BC Care Providers Association (BCCPA) for more information about the funding available for the HCA Training Program.
2. Career Paths for Skilled Immigrants program: Health for more information about the funding available.

If you are looking to complete the HCA Full program as an alternative to the HCA NCAS Competency Assessment, you can browse the recognized programs near your location on the Education page of the Choose2Care website.

If you have been referred to remedial education as part of the NCAS assessment process, please refer to the recommended schools on the Remedial Education letter issued by the Registry. During the consultation call, we can support you in identifying the best options to complete the course(s).

It is a good decision to explore all of your options before making a decision on which registration pathway you will choose.

HCA Full program: Please visit the Education page on the Choose2Care website to browse HCA programs recognized by the BC Care Aide Registry. Contact the school of your choice for more information about admission requirements, course schedules, tuition fees and more. Health Care Assistant training in BC varies from school to school, with the average duration at seven months. Most HCAs graduate, register and start working in less than one year.

HCA NCAS Assessment: Please visit the NCAS website for information about the process, assessments, and current timelines. At this time, NCAS is booking into October and new referrals are able to schedule their SLA/OA in autumn/early winter.

The terms of the bursary do not specify the means of transportation and the types of accommodation covered. You are responsible for making your own travel arrangements and booking your own accommodation.

To be eligible, you must provide proof of primary residence by submitting one of the accepted documents. If you require taking a BC ferry to travel from your primary residence to the NCAS SLA site, you must also submit a copy of the BC ferry ticket(s) purchased. The bursary funds are distributed once you completed all NCAS HCA components and a copy of the NCAS Performance Report has been submitted.

If your primary residence is located less than 300km from the NCAS SLA site and you require taking a BC ferry to travel to the SLA site, you are eligible for the Rural Allowance. In addition to providing proof of your primary residence, you must submit a copy of the BC ferry ticket(s) purchased.