Quality Assurance
CONTINUING EDUCATION
A minimum of 45 continuing education equivalents (CEEs) over a 3-year cycle is required to maintain a practising registration with RCASLPNB.
Only registrants in at the end of their reporting period (cycle) are required to submit their hours by December 1.
If you are unsure of your CEE cycle, please login to the Registrant Portal and open the tab "Continuing education".
Refer to Rule 14 within the Rules.
Only registrants in at the end of their reporting period (cycle) are required to submit their hours by December 1.
If you are unsure of your CEE cycle, please login to the Registrant Portal and open the tab "Continuing education".
| What are Continuing Education Equivalents (CEEs), and why are they important? | CEEs are units of measurement earned through participation in approved educational activities that contribute to maintaining and enhancing professional skills. A minimum of 45 CEEs over a three-year period is required to maintain registration with RCASLPNB as a practising or provisional registrant. |
| How are CEEs calculated? | One hour of attendance or participation in an approved activity equals one (1) CEE, unless otherwise indicated. Some activities, like completing a university course, can count for more CEEs. Please refer to the list of eligible activities for details. |
| What activities are eligible for earning CEEs? | Eligible activities include educational activities, university/college courses, independent study, presentations, mentorship, committee participation, and more. For a full list, please refer to Appendix A of the RCASLPNB rules. |
| How do I keep track of my CEEs? | Practising and provisional registrants must maintain a list of their education activities and corresponding CEEs. This list must be submitted to RCASLPNB by December 1st at the end of your assigned three-year cycle. You can record all activities and track your CEEs throughout the year in your RCASLPNB registrant profile on the Alinity database system. |
| Are there maximums on the number of CEEs that can be earned in any category? | No, there are no maximums on the number of CEEs that can be earned for each category. You can accumulate an unlimited number of CEEs in each eligible category, as long as the activities meet the requirements outlined by RCASLPNB. |
| Do I need to submit proof of my CEEs when I submit my list? | No, proof of CEEs does not need to be submitted unless you are selected for an audit. However, you should retain proof for at least one year after the end of your three-year cycle |
| What happens if I don't complete the required 45 CEEs by the end of my three-year cycle? | If you are unable to complete the required CEEs due to exceptional circumstances, you may request an extension from the Registration and Competence Committee. The request must be made in writing before December 1st of your cycle's end year. Extensions are granted for up to three months. Please note that if your renewal is not completed by December 1st due to incomplete CEEs, you will be required to pay a $300 late fee. The Registration and Competence Committee may make a recommendation to the Registrar not to renew your registration until such time as the CEE requirement has been met and all fees are paid. |
| What are the consequences of not meeting the CEE requirements? | If you do not meet the CEE requirements by the deadline and have not requested an extension, your registration will not be renewed until the CEEs are completed. Additionally, you may be subject to late and reinstatement fees. In such cases, your employer will be notified that you are not legally entitled to practice until you meet all renewal requirements. |
| Can CEEs be carried over to the next cycle? | No, CEEs cannot be carried over from one cycle to the next. Registrants must accumulate the required CEEs within each three-year cycle. |
| How does the audit process work? | Each year, the Registration & Competence Committee audits at least 10% of registrants who have completed their three-year cycle. Selected registrants must submit proof of their 45 CEEs within 30 days of notification. Failure to provide proof may result in disallowance of CEEs and could lead to a complaint being filed against the registrant. |
| Can I appeal a decision related to CEEs? | Yes, registrants may appeal decisions regarding their CEEs in accordance with Part VI of the Act Incorporating the Regulatory College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists. |
Currency Hours
A minimum of 450 currency hours over the most recent 3-year period is required to maintain a practising registration with RCASLPNB.
Refer to Rule 4 within the Rules.
Registrants must declare their currency hours annually at registration renewal and may be subject to random audits and/or an audit at the end of a 3-year cycle (refer to guideline outlining acceptable currency hours of practice).
Registrants are responsible for accurately reporting their professional practice activity hours. Audits may be conducted without notice to ensure the accuracy and truthfulness of reported professional practice activity hours.
If there is a finding of professional practice activity hours deficiency or false reporting, the College may take action including reporting the finding to the Complaints Committee.
| What are currency hours? | Currency hours are professional practice hours that demonstrate a registrant's ongoing involvement in the profession of audiology or speech-language pathology. As a condition of annual registration renewal, practising and provisional registrants must demonstrate that, within the three (3) years immediately preceding the registration year for which renewal is sought, they have either:
Currency requirements help ensure that audiologists and speech-language pathologists registered with RCASLPNB maintain current knowledge, skills, and professional competence. Currency hours may be obtained through active involvement in the profession, including direct patient/client care and other professional roles that support or contribute to the practice of audiology or speech-language pathology. |
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| When and how do I report currency hours? | You will report your currency hours as part of your annual registration renewal. During the renewal process, select Update Profile. Under Current Employment, you will be asked to enter your estimated total practice hours for each employer during the reporting period. When entering your hours:
You are not required to submit a detailed breakdown of hours; however, you should be able to reasonably explain how you arrived at your reported total if requested. |
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| Do I need to track my hours for each category listed in the Currency Hours Guideline? Is there a currency hour tracking form? | No. You are not required to track or calculate the number of hours spent in each individual category outlined in the Currency Hours Guideline. If you are employed and/or volunteering in audiology or speech-language pathology, it is generally expected that the majority of your professional activities will fall within one or more of the qualifying categories described in the guideline. There is no required currency hour tracking form. However, you should be able to reasonably demonstrate how you determined your currency hours if requested. |
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| Can I count CEEs as Currency Hours? | No. You cannot claim the same activity to satisfy both the continuing education equivalents (CEE) requirement and the Currency Hours requirement. Currency hours are activities you do in your profession that require you to make judgments or decisions based, in whole or in part, on knowledge of the professional practice of audiology or speech-language pathology. |
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| How do I calculate my currency hours? | Start by determining the total number of hours you worked during the year. From that total, subtract any hours associated with:
Important: Only activities that require the application of your professional or clinical knowledge, judgment, or decision-making may be counted as currency hours. Strictly administrative tasks that do not rely on professional or clinical judgment do not qualify as currency hours. |
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| How do I report currency hours obtained in December if the registration renewal period ends on December 1? | Because registration renewal closes on December 1, you should estimate the number of currency hours you expect to complete during the remainder of December and include those hours in your annual total when submitting your renewal. If, after the end of December, you determine that your actual currency hours differed significantly from your estimate, please notify the College as soon as possible. Your reported hours can then be amended to reflect the actual number of hours completed. |
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| Am I still required to obtain currency hours if I work in private practice, work casual hours, or on parental or sick leave? | Yes. All Practising registrants must meet the Currency Hours requirement. If you are on parental leave, sick leave, or any other leave but choose to retain your Practising registration, you remain responsible for meeting this requirement. Registrants must either obtain 450 Currency Hours within the three (3) years preceding renewal or demonstrate professional practice acceptable to the Registrar. If you anticipate difficulty meeting the requirement, contact the Registrar before renewal. An assessment may consider the nature, scope, duration, and recency of your practice, and supporting documentation may be required. |
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| Are Currency Hours replacing the requirement for Continuing Education Equivalents (CEEs)? | No. Currency hours refer to active practice hours in your profession. Acceptable active practice hours are listed in the currency hours guideline, and do not include continuing education equivalents. You are still required to obtain 10 CEEs each year if you have a Practising or Provisional registration at any time during the calendar year. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Why do I need to report exact hours on an annual basis rather than a declaration stating a minimum criterion has been met, subject to auditing? | Counting year by year allows the College to monitor trends and contact you if warranted to let you know your hours are about to drop, and work with you to help support you in obtaining the required hours. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| If I obtain all 450 required currency hours in my first year, what is the value in continuing to track my currency hours for the remainder of the second and third year other than as an administrative task? | If you obtain all 450 hours in the first year, you will still be required to declare your currency hours for the next 2 years in the 3-year period, as the second and third will be the first and second year of the next 3-year period.Scenario #1Registrant 322 reported 1100 hours in 2023 and decided since she met the minimum 3-year requirement of 450 currency hours in her first year not to declare her currency hours for 2024 and 2025. This decision will affect her next 3-year period which will include the years 2024 and 2025 in her 3-year total. If Registrant 322 goes on unforeseen sick leave in 2026, she may not have declared enough currency hours in the previous 3-year period to cover her for the current 3-year period.
Scenario #2Registrant 322 reported 1100 hours in 2023 and although she met the minimum 3-year requirement of 450 currency hours in her first year, she declared her currency hours for 2024 and 2025. This decision will positively affect their next 3-year period which will include the years 2024 and 2025 in her 3-year calculation. If Registrant 322 goes on unforeseen sick leave in 2026, she will have declared enough currency hours for that 3-year period, which included 2024 and 2025.
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| What proof will I need to provide for currency hours if I am audited? | If you are selected for an audit and proof is required, you will receive a form that must be signed by your employer confirming the hours you worked during the previous three years. If you work in private practice and your active practice hours are being verified, you will be required to provide redacted invoices or receipts for the previous three years. Volunteer hours will be verified through a form that must be signed by your supervisor or the chair of your committee. |
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| Are Currency Hours required in other regulated jurisdictions? | Yes. Declaring currency hours at registration renewal is a common requirement across regulated audiology and speech-language pathology jurisdictions. Currency requirements are a standard regulatory measure used by health profession regulators to help ensure registrants maintain current practice experience and continue to provide safe, competent, and ethical care to the public. Like other regulated health professions, audiology and speech-language pathology regulators use currency requirements as one way to support ongoing professional competence and public protection. |