Health Care Aide Courses

Admission Requirements

The following requirements must be met to be eligible for entry into a licensed HCA Program.

PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT AND RECOGNITION (PLAR)

• Please note that Academy of Learning Career College does not offer Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) or Credit Transfer for the Health Care Aide program. These options may be available at other Alberta Government Licensed institutions (https://www.alberta.ca/health-care-aideprogram).

1. Academic English Language Arts (ELA)
   • English 20-1 or 20-2 with a minimum score of 60% achieved or Canadian jurisdiction equivalent;
     OR
   • English 30-1 or 30-2 with a minimum of 55%; or Canadian jurisdiction equivalent, such as a Canadian High School Equivalency Diploma; General Education Development-test (GED); or Canadian Adult Education Credential (CAEC).
   • Deemed equivalent by completion of Next-Generation ACCUPLACER (assessment placement test) reading and writing tests, with a minimum score of 237 in each category. The math test is not required.Note: Students who have not met the ELA requirement (i.e., 20-1, 20-2, 30-1, or 30-2 English level) with the minimum grade are subject to completing the Next- Generation ACCUPLACER assessment test. This can include students out of province, out of country, or mature students that have been out of school for a significant length of time.
2. English Language Proficiency (ELP)
   Candidates where English is a Second Language (ESL) must meet the English Language Proficiency requirement in addition to the Academic English requirement. Equivalencies are as follows:
   • By presenting a Canadian High School Equivalency Diploma (General Education Development-test (GED)), or
   • By attending high school in Canada. Studies must have been in English at an approved Canadian high school (grades 9, 10, 11, 12) with at least three consecutive years of full-time academic study; or
   • Providing evidence of attending two consecutive years of full-time equivalent post-secondary study in English in a subject other than a HCA program at a Canadian institution; or
   • By completing an Approved ELP Test with the required Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB): A minimum CLB of 7 in each of the 4 language skills (speaking, listening, reading and writing) and not an average of 7.
   • Official test results must be submitted directly to the PSI.
   • PSIs will accept submissions from any one of the following approved ELP tests:

Approved English Language Proficiency (ELP) Tests:

1. International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic: 6 (no section scores below 5.5);
2. Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet Based Testing (TOEFL iBT): 71;
3. Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) General: 7 (with no section score below 6);
4. Canadian Language Benchmarks Tests (7 in each strand, not an average of 7);
5. Duolingo English Test (minimum score of 95); and
6. Canadian English Language Benchmark Assessment for Nurses (CELBAN): 7 in each area of listening, reading, writing and speaking, not an average of 7.

Notes: Test Currency: results must have been obtained within two years of the start date of the program. Test Validity: IELTS (Academic) and TOEFL results are valid for two years from the day of testing. Results that expire prior to the Start Date of the program will not be accepted.