Health Care Assistant

Students who are applying to VCC's Health Care Assistant program must meet specific English language requirements, as set by the BC Care Aide and Community Health Worker Registry. 

1. Applicants who provide evidence of three years of full-time instruction in English* must also provide evidence of one of the following:

1. Completion of Grade 10 English with a minimum 'C' grade, or
2. Completion of college courses at a Grade 10 English level or higher, with a minimum 'C' grade, or
3. NG Accuplacer with the following scores:
   • Reading: 230
   • Writing: 230
   • WritePlacer: 4

2. Applicants who do not have evidence of three years of full-time instruction in English must provide evidence of one of the following:

1. Canadian Language Benchmarks Placement Test (CLBPT) or CLBPT Remote taken within the last 1 year with the following scores. Note: VCC must verify your results with your assessment centre. Only verified results will be accepted.
   • Listening: 7
   • Speaking: 7
   • Reading: 6
   • Writing: 6
2. Canadian Language Benchmarks report card (CLB) dated within the last 1 year indicating completion of the following levels and recommended class placement levels. Note: VCC must verify your results with your report card provider. Only verified results will be accepted.
   • Listening: Completed - 7; Recommended class placement - 8
   • Speaking: Completed - 7; Recommended class placement - 8
   • Reading: Completed - 7; Recommended class placement - 8
   • Writing: Completed - 7; Recommended class placement - 8
3. Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP General or CELPIP Online) taken within the last 2 years with the following scores:
   • Listening: 7
   • Speaking: 7
   • Reading: 6
   • Writing: 6
4. International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic, IELTS General, IELTS Academic Online, IELTS One Skill Retake (if using IELTS One Skill Retake, you must also submit the original score report) taken within the last 2 years with the following scores:
   • Listening: 6.0
   • Speaking: 6.0
   • Reading: 5.5
   • Writing: 5.5
   • Overall: 6.0
5. Canadian Academic English Language Assessment (CAEL or CAEL Online) taken within the last 2 years with the following scores:
   • Listening: 50
   • Speaking: 50
   • Reading: 50
   • Writing: 50
   • Overall: 60
6. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL iBT, or TOEFL iBT Home Edition) taken within the last 2 years with the following scores:
   • For tests taken prior to Jan. 21, 2026: 
     • Listening: 20
     • Speaking: 20
     • Reading: 18
     • Writing: 18
     • Overall: 76
   • For tests taken on or after Jan. 21, 2026
     • Listening: 4
     • Speaking: 4
     • Reading: 3.5
     • Writing: 3.5
     • Overall: 4

7. Occupational English Test (OET, computer-based exam. OET@home and paper are not accepted) taken within the last 2 years with the following scores:

   • Listening: 280 (C)
   • Speaking: 280 (C)
   • Reading: 250 (C)
   • Writing: 250 (C)

• Pearson Test of English (PTE) taken with in the last 2 years with the following scores:
  • PTE Academic:
    • Listening: 40
    • Speaking: 40
    • Reading: 35
    • Writing: 35
    • Overall: 40
  • PTE Core:
    • Listening: 50
    • Speaking: 59
    • Reading: 42
    • Writing: 51

*Applicants must provide a transcript and/or a BC personal education record as evidence of completion of a minimum of three years of full-time secondary (inclusive of grade 8) or post-secondary instruction in English. It is expected that the student has taken full time studies with a minimum of 18 credits per academic year (60% courseload). Documentation should indicate completion of a minimum of six semesters with a minimum of 54 credits in total. If an applicant completed all their education in Canada but is unable to provide records of three years of full-time instruction, the recognized HCA program may contact the Registry. In such situations, a Missing Records Attestation Form will be required.