If you have an application history with the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS) through a Medical Laboratory Technology/Science prior learning assessment (PLA) or exam, review the information below to determine whether you should transfer an in-progress application, proceed directly to a CAMLPR exam, or start a new PLA with CAMLPR.
All pathways include the following steps before you can apply for provincial registration with a regulator:
- Create CAMLPR Flexible Pathways account
- Complete Self-Administered Readiness Assessment (if you require a PLA)
- Complete Education Plan (if required after a CAMLPR PLA)
- Meet CAMLPR Language Policy requirements
- All applicants must meet CAMLPR language proficiency requirements before being granted eligibility to write a CAMLPR exam. Meeting CSMLS language requirements does not exempt you from this step.
- Pass CAMLPR Fields-of-Practice exam(s)
- All eligible applicants are allowed up to three attempts to pass each CAMLPR Field-of-Practice Exam. CSMLS exam attempts do not count towards the CAMLPR field-of-practice exam attempts.
- Complete Professional Practice Orientation
Find your scenario below to determine your additional steps:
CSMLS PLA in Progress: For document submission or assessment in progress or active Learning Plan
Register for a CAMLPR Exam: For recent CSMLS exam attempts or valid CSMLS Exam Eligibility
Start a new PLA with CAMLPR: For expired processes or new PLA requests
CSMLS Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) in Progress:
For document submission or assessment in progress or active Learning Plan
If your CSMLS Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) is still in progress or you have a Learning Plan that is not expired, it can be transferred to CAMLPR.
| Scenario | Requirements |
|---|---|
| I started my PLA document submission with CSMLS and my application has not expired. I have not paid the CSMLS Technical Report (Stage 2) Fee. |
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| I completed my PLA document submission to CSMLS and paid the CSMLS Technical Report (Stage 2) Fee by July 31, 2025. CSMLS is in the process of assessing my PLA file. |
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| CSMLS issued my PLA Technical Report for a General MLT, which includes a Learning Plan. The time frame for my Learning Plan has not expired. |
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CSMLS fees apply for PLA file transfers.
You will also need to provide transcripts to CAMLPR if they are not part of your CSMLS file transfer.
Register for a CAMLPR Exam:
For recent CSMLS exam attempts or valid CSMLS Exam Eligibility
If you recently wrote but did not pass your CSMLS exam, or if you have valid CSMLS exam eligibility, you can proceed to register for the CAMLPR exam without completing a Prior Learning Assessment. You will need to provide appropriate documentation to CAMLPR by uploading it in the applicant portal and/or requesting a file transfer from CSMLS.
| Scenario | Requirements |
|---|---|
| I did not require a CSMLS PLA Report. I wrote but did not pass the CSMLS exam, and my most recent CSMLS exam report is less than 24 months old. |
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| CSMLS issued my PLA Technical Report and Exam Eligibility. I wrote but did not pass the CSMLS exam, and my most recent CSMLS exam report is less than 24 months old. |
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| CSMLS issued my PLA Technical Report and Exam Eligibility. My exam eligibility has not expired and I plan to write the exam on or after November 1, 2025. |
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CSMLS fees apply for PLA file transfers.
Start a new Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) with CAMLPR:
For expired processes or new PLA requests
If you started or completed a Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) with CSMLS, but your time period for completing a process has expired (for example, expired document submission, Learning Plan completion, Exam Eligibility, exam report over 2 years old), you will be required to complete a new PLA with CAMLPR.
If you completed a Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) with CSMLS and were required to complete a full EQual™ accredited Canadian MLT educational program, you may choose to complete a new PLA with CAMLPR without completing the full MLT program.
If you did not require a CSMLS PLA but your last CSMLS exam report was more than two years ago, you will need to complete a PLA with CAMLPR before you may be granted eligibility to write the CAMLPR exam.
As part of your new PLA, you will need to provide CAMLPR with documentation related to your education, work experience, and language proficiency. Since you may have already submitted some of these documents to CSMLS for your original PLA, you can request to transfer your complete CSMLS file to CAMLPR. Any documents that meet CAMLPR’s requirements will be used as part of your new PLA, and you will only need to provide any additional required documents that were not included in your CSMLS PLA file.
| Scenario | Requirements |
|---|---|
| I started my PLA document submission with CSMLS but my application has expired. I have not paid CSMLS to assess my PLA documents. |
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| CSMLS issued my PLA Technical Report that includes a Learning Plan, but I did not complete my Learning Plan within the required time frame. |
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| CSMLS issued my PLA Technical Report that indicates that I should complete a full EQual™ accredited Canadian MLT educational program to be eligible to write the exam. I have chosen not to complete a full program and would like to begin a new PLA with CAMLPR. |
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| CSMLS issued my PLA Technical Report and Exam Eligibility, but I did not write a CSMLS exam before my exam eligibility expired. |
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| CSMLS issued my PLA Technical Report and Exam Eligibility. I wrote but did not pass the CSMLS exam, and my most recent CSMLS exam report is more than 24 months old. |
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| I did not require a CSMLS PLA Report. I wrote but did not pass the CSMLS exam, and my most recent CSMLS exam report is more than 24 months old. |
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CSMLS fees apply for PLA file transfers.