Inspire Global Assessments (formerly NCAS) — the clinical competency assessment
Lesson 2 of 4 in NCAS & Credential Assessment for IENs · 22 minutes
Many internationally educated nurses are sent for a competency assessment before a regulator decides what education or licensing steps they need. In BC and several other provinces, that assessment is run by Inspire Global Assessments — known until 2024 as NCAS. This lesson explains its two components (CBA and SLA), how to prepare for each, and where the assessment fits in your pathway.
What you'll learn
- Know that the assessment formerly called NCAS is now Inspire Global Assessments, and how to verify current details
- Understand the two components — Computer-Based Assessment and Simulation Lab Assessment — and what each measures
- Understand where the assessment fits in the pathway: it is part of your regulator's process, and your results go to the regulator
- Build a realistic preparation plan for each component, including the communication skills that are scored alongside technical skills
From the lesson
Reviewing your documents tells a regulator what you studied. It does not tell them how you practise. That is why several Canadian nursing regulators send internationally educated nurses (IENs) to a competency assessment: a structured evaluation of your nursing knowledge, your hands-on clinical practice, and your clinical judgment. The best-known of these services was called NCAS (the Nursing Community Assessment Service), based in British Columbia. In 2024 it was rebranded as Inspire Global Assessments — same purpose, new name. You will still see 'NCAS' in older blogs, forums, and even some official pages, so this lesson uses both names. One rule before you read on: this is an area where…