The following are important updates for applicants on the pathway to become Registered Audiologists (RAUDs), Registered Hearing Instrument Practitioners (RHIPs), and Registered Speech-Language Pathologists (RSLPs) in BC. Changes have been made to the application process due to the extraordinary impact of COVID-19.
CETP Exam for audiology and speech-language pathology postponed
The first sitting of the new Canadian Entry to Practice Examination (CETP Exam) for audiology and speech-language pathology applicants that was scheduled for October 3, 2020 has been postponed until 2021. The Canadian Alliance of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Regulators (CAASPR) Board passed a motion at its April 23, 2020 meeting to postpone the CETP exam in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. At its next meeting, the CAASPR Board will discuss a new date for the first sitting of the CETP Exam.
CSHBC has requested that Speech-Language & Audiology Canada (SAC) resurrect its former SAC exam to replace the CETP Exam on a temporary basis. Until further notice, successful completion of the SAC exam (formal title to be determined), not the CETP Exam, is a CSHBC requirement for all audiology and speech-language pathology applicants seeking a license to practice in British Columbia. The deadline for enrollment in the SAC exam, and the date of the exam in 2020, are not known at this time. The College is in communication with SAC to determine the best possible timing for the exam. CSHBC will update applicants when more information is available.
CAASPR website and portal
Prior to the postponement of the CETP exam, CAASPR launched a new website and portal. Please note that CSHBC has not authorized information currently published by CAASPR on its website and portal that describes application requirements in BC.
Audiology and speech-language pathology applicants should not presume that information on the CAASPR website, including information about the CETP Exam, relates to the application process in British Columbia. BC applicants should, until further notice, continue to refer to the CSHBC website for information about application.
IHS Written Exam and CSHBC Practical Exam for hearing instrument dispensing: registration postponed
Many testing centres that administer the International Hearing Society (IHS) written examination, required for applicants to become RHIPs, are currently closed due to COVID-19. Please visit the IHS examination website for more information and updates. Also see the Kryterion Global Testing Solutions website for information on testing center closures.
The CSHBC Practical Examination is also required for applicants to become RHIPs. Until further notice, registration for both the IHS written examination and the CSHBC Practical Examination, both required for licensure under CSHBC Bylaw section 82, is postponed. CSHBC will update RHIP applicants when registration re-opens for these exams.
Modifications to CSHBC programs and processes to address the extraordinary circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic are temporary and not precedent-setting or permanent.