Qualifications Assessment Agencies

Assessment of an applicant’s qualifications is the first step in determining whether the applicant has the academic qualifications, experience, and/or competencies that he or she needs to be registered in the profession.

An applicant’s credentials are assessed by the profession’s regulatory body alone, or with a third party, or by a third party alone. These third parties are called “qualification assessment agencies.”

Where regulatory bodies rely on these agencies’ assessments to make registration decisions, the agencies’ work directly affects individuals’ access to the profession.

In March 2009, the OFC published a study ( PDF 228 KB) about these agencies.

The following table lists the assessment agencies used by the regulated professions.

Qualifications Assessment Agencies Used by the Regulated Professions
Profession	Qualifications Assessment Agencies	Service Provided
Used by most	World Education Service (WES)	Assesses international credentials
Used by some	International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS)	Assesses international credentials
Used by some	University of Toronto, Comparative Education Service	Assesses international credentials
Architects	National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (U.S.)	Administers national examination
Architects	Canadian Architectural Certification Board	Assesses and certifies academic qualifications
Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists	International Credential Evaluation Service	Assesses international credentials
Chiropodists	Michener Institute for Applied Health Sciences	Administers registration examination
Chiropractors	Canadian Chiropractic Examining Board	Conducts clinical competency examinations
Dental Hygienists	National Dental Hygiene Certification Board	Conducts content assessments (post WES) and administers national dental hygiene examination
Dental Surgeons	National Dental Examining Board of Canada	Administers national examination
	Royal College of Dentists of Canada	Administers national examination for dental specialists
	University of Toronto, Faculty of Dentistry	Assesses international credentials and conducts a clinical assessment where appropriate for the dental surgeons' two-year qualifying program
	University of Western Ontario, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry	Assesses international credentials and conducts a clinical assessment where appropriate for the dental surgeons' two-year qualifying program
Dental Technologists	International Credential Assessment Service of Canada	Assesses international credentials
Denturists	International Credential Assessment Service of Canada	Assesses international credentials
Denturists	International Credential Evaluation Service	Assesses international credentials
Dietitians	Alliance of Canadian Dietetic Regulatory Bodies	Administers national examination
Lawyers	National Committee on Accreditation of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada	Assesses international credentials and administers qualifying examinations
Management Accountants	Society of Management Accountants of Canada	Administers national examination
Massage Therapists	Centennial College, Centre for Applied Research in Health Technology and Education	Assesses equivalencies
Medical Laboratory Technologists	Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science	Conducts prior learning assessments and administers examinations
Medical Radiation Technologists	Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists	Sets and administers certification examination
Midwives	Ryerson University, International Midwifery Pre-registration Program	Conducts clinical examinations and offers bridging program required for registration
Nurses	Assessment Strategies Incorporated	Administers national examination
Nurses	Canadian Nurses Association	Administers national examination
Occupational Therapists	Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists	Administers national certification examination
Opticians	National Association of Canadian Optician Regulators	Administers the national examinations
Optometrists	Canadian Examiners in Optometry	Administers the national examination and conducts prior learning assessment
Pharmacists	Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada	Evaluates credentials and administers examinations
Physicians and Surgeons	College of Family Physicians of Canada	Administers national examination
	Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada	Administers national examination
	Centre for the Evaluation of Health Professionals Educated Abroad	Serves as an assessment centre for access to the selection process for residency positions
	Medical Council of Canada	Administers registration examinations
Physiotherapists	Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators	Evaluates educational credentials and administers examinations
Psychologists	Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards	Administers registration examination
Respiratory Therapists	Canadian Board for Respiratory Care	Administers entry-to-practice examination
	Michener Institute for Applied Health Sciences	Coordinates the prior learning assessment (PLA) process
	Algonquin College	Coordinates the prior learning assessment (PLA) process
Social Workers	Canadian Association of Social Workers	Assesses international credential equivalency
Veterinarians	American Veterinary Medical Association	Administers the national examinations in the U.S.
Veterinarians	National Examining Board of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association	Administers national examinations in Canada and provides initial verification of credentials