Welcome to The Canadian Nursing Career Assistance Program - CNCAP

General
Category

General

New Nursing Education Requirements for RN and RPN applicants

Big news from the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) — starting April 1, 2025, major updates are coming to the registration process, especially for internationally educated nurses (IENs). These changes are designed to make things faster and clearer, but it’s important to know what’s new so you don’t miss any steps.

🔍 What’s Changing?

CNO is updating two key registration requirements:

1. Education Requirement

CNO will now:

  • Check that your nursing education is approved or recognized in your country.
  • Then assess if it meets the new minimum education standard:
    • RNs: Must have a bachelor’s-level nursing education
    • RPNs: Must have a diploma-level nursing education

If your education doesn’t match, don’t worry — you’ll have options, including:

  • Taking a new Education Pathway (available after April 1)
  • Completing the Competency Assessment Supplement (CAS) (for RPNs) (LEARN MORE)
  • Or (for RNs) completing a competency assessment via Touchstone Institute (LEARN MORE)

2. Transition to Practice Requirement

This is a new requirement for everyone registering after April 1, 2025.
You’ll need to show that you’re prepared for nursing in Ontario — by completing a course, showing recent practice, or graduating from a Canadian program.

💡 Note: While CNCAP doesn’t offer the official Transition to Practice course, our classes already cover many of the same topics, so you’ll be extra prepared!


✨ New Class: Understanding CAS

If you’re thinking of completing the CAS, we’ve got something just for you.

Our new class — “Understanding CAS: A Guided Support Class for IENs” — helps you: ✅ Understand the CNO competencies
✅ Reflect on your nursing experiences
✅ Learn how to clearly describe your skills in a way that matches what CNO is looking for

We’ll guide you through it step-by-step — so you can write with confidence and clarity.
Note: We do not fill out the CAS for you, but we help you understand it deeply so you can do it yourself.

🎉 SPECIAL OFFER: First 5 students to sign up get this class FREE! (Coupon code: CAS2025)

👉 Click here for further details.


✅ Need Help Navigating the 2025 Changes?

We’ve helped hundreds of IENs move forward with clarity and confidence.
If you’re feeling unsure about what to do next — you’re not alone.
We’re here to support you every step of the way 💙

CPNRE 

The next CPNRE exam will take place November 9 to November 29, 2020. The deadline to apply to this exam window is November 17, 2020.

#1 CPNRE (RPN / LPN) Exam Preparation Course. CLICK HERE to JOIN NOW

www.cncap.ca

If you applied for the September exam window but did not receive notification from CNO that we sent your information to the exam provider, you will need to wait to register for the November window. Once CNO re-opens, we will be able to send your information to the exam provider in October and you will then be able to schedule your exam for the November exam window.

You should continue to check Pearson Vue’s CPNRE information page about the availability of exam centres.

#1 CPNRE (RPN / LPN) Exam Preparation Course. CLICK HERE to JOIN NOW

www.cncap.ca

Reminder: Only one exam window (the window with the nearest dates) is open for scheduling at any time. If you are writing the CPNRE during the November 9 to November 29, 2020 exam window, we will email you scheduling information in October.

Source/credits: https://www.cno.org/en/become-a-nurse/entry-to-practice-examinations/rpn-exam/

Should you have any further questions, please submit them using the form below.

    Your Name (required)

    Your Email (required)

    Subject (required)

    Your Message (required)

    CNO has experienced a severe ransomware (virus) attack which has curtailed the full functionality of their website. While they are working diligently to resolve the issue, here are answers to some of the common question you may have.

    When is the next CPNRE RPN LPN Exam?

    The next CPNRE exam will take place November 9 to November 29, 2020.
    If you plan to write the exam in November, CNCAP’s CPNRE (RPN / LPN) Exam Preparation Course – can prepare for you for success. This class starts on October 10th. CLICK HERE for details and registration.

    Can I register for the November 2020 CPNRE RPN LPN Exam?

    Yes. However, you must wait for the CNO website to start accepting registrations. This will be sometime in October (as per CNO website). In the meantime, you can join CNCAP’s CPNRE (RPN / LPN) Exam Preparation Course and ensure your success at 1st attempt! CLICK HERE for details and registration. Classes start on October 10th.

    Should you have any further questions, please submit them using the form below.

      Your Name (required)

      Your Email (required)

      Subject (required)

      Your Message (required)

      Best IELTS Prep Class

      CNCAP presents

      the BEST IELTS Prep Class!

      Backed by CNCAPs' 15 years of teaching experience!

      CLICK HERE for Details & Registration

      You have Successfully Subscribed!