Admission Requirements - RPN Pathway
Applicants who have completed a Practical Nursing program from an accredited College of Applied Arts and Technology in Ontario, and who have also completed previous university credits, will be considered for admission.
All students interested in this program must apply through the Ontario Universities' Application Centre (program code ENS). Possessing the minimum requirements should not be viewed as a guarantee of admission. No other supplemental application is required.
Admission questions, specific to your unique situation, that are not addressed in the admission information below, should be directed to welcome@uwo.ca.
Admission Requirements
Education
- Completion of a Practical Nursing program from an accredited College of Applied Arts and Technology in Ontario with a minimum GPA of 75%, or 3.5
- Admission may be opened to graduates of other Practical Nursing programs in future years
- A competitive overall admission average as determined by Western in the year of application
- A minimum overall average of 70% on 5.0 full degree courses (equivalent to one full year) at a recognized university
Applicants with university preparation outside of North America must submit a course-by-course evaluation through the World Education Services (WES).
Prerequisite Courses
Completion of the following prerequisite topics/courses within the PN program **, with a minimum grade of “C”, or 60% in each course:
- Anatomy and physiology
- Nursing organizations and self-regulation within the profession
- Nursing care across of experiences of illness across the lifespan
**Each applicant’s submitted transcript will be reviewed to assess for completion of appropriate equivalent courses**
Experience and Registration
For applicants who completed the Practical Nursing Diploma within five years prior to applying:
- Have RPN registration in good standing with the College of Nurses of Ontario
- Be entitled to practice with no restrictions
For applicants who completed the Practical Nursing Diploma more than five year prior to applying:
- Completion of the equivalent of two years of full-time RPN practice experience (3,640 hours in Canada)
- Applicants must provide a complete Verification of Employment Hours form
- Have RPN registration in good standing with the College of Nurses of Ontario
- Be entitled to practice with no restrictions
Casper
All applicants to the Compressed Time Frame BScN Program in the Western's Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing are required to complete the Casper test (Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics), a mandatory online 90-minute computer-based assessment as a component of the admission process. Applicants who do not complete the Casper test will not be considered for admission. Casper test results are valid for one admissions cycle; applicants who have already taken the test in previous years will therefore be expected to re-take it. Please note that the ‘Snapshot’ portion (an extension of the Casper test) is NOT required for application to Western’s BScN programs.
Casper is an online test designed to evaluate key non-cognitive skills, as well as interpersonal and professional characteristics essential for students to be successful in nursing programs and ultimately, as practicing nurses. Since Casper assesses non-cognitive and interpersonal characteristics, studying is not required.
Applicants should visit www.acuityinsights.app to sign up and reserve a test date/time for Undergraduate Nursing, Western-Fanshawe - Western University. Please direct any inquiries about the test to the Casper Support Team at www.acuityinsights.app/contact-us/.
English Language Proficiency
The Undergraduate Admissions Office may require any applicant to write a test of English proficiency. Students applying for admission to undergraduate Nursing programs must satisfy ONE of the following criteria:
- English as a first language
- Completion of the Fanshawe College two-year Practice Nursing Diploma Program
- The required level of proficiency on an acceptable test of English language and an acceptable test of spoken English. The applicant is encouraged to write a test at the earliest possible date and at the latest before March in the year in which the student is applying for admission. Scores for any test written more than two years prior to applying may not be accepted.
International Applicants
International applicants planning to practice as a Registered Nurse in Ontario should review the residency requirements for the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO). It is also recommended that applicants review the eligibility requirements for becoming a nurse in their desired country to ensure Western’s Nursing program meets those requirements.
