Internationally-educated medical laboratory technologists applying for prior learning assessment and review with the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS) will soon have more options for English language proficiency testing.
Language proficiency tests measure English language skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening. Currently, CSMLS only accepts the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Effective January 1, 2008 CSMLS will accept both CanTest and the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) for a pilot period of six months.
A recently completed research study funded by the Government of Ontario, recommends that CSMLS expand the number of acceptable language proficiency tests to include CanTest and IELTS. “Although the final report on the study will not be available for several months, we opted to move ahead and implement the recommendation to add IELTS and CanTest to our roster of acceptable tests,” says Christine Nielsen, CSMLS Director of Certification. “By offering more options, we will increase our clients’ access to language testing and hopefully, speed up the prior learning assessment and review process.”
CSMLS is the national certifying body for medical laboratory technologists and medical laboratory assistants. Last year, CSMLS completed prior learning assessment and reviews for 392 internationally-educated medical laboratory technologists to determine their eligibility to write the national certification examination.
Detailed information about how to become certified as a medical laboratory technologist in Canada is available on the CSMLS website, www.csmls.org. Information about CanTest and IELTS is available online at http://www.arts.uottawa.ca/ilob/cantest/ and www.ielts.org.