Prior academic learning

A second form of PLA applies to learning that has occurred within a formal educational system in another jurisdiction. It may consist of courses taken at a recognized educational institution for which credit has been earned or qualifications granted (degrees, diplomas, or certificates) in another Canadian province/territory or outside Canada. Accurate assessment of academic learning depends on the availability of comprehensive knowledge about the education systems in other parts of Canada and around the world. Unfortunately, the methods used to evaluate academic credentials are often applied on an ad hoc basis and differ in each province/territory. The process is frequently confounded by lack of knowledge about the education system in the country issuing the qualification. This too frequently results in immigrants having to repeat much of their education, or having to accept jobs in which their capabilities are underutilized. Formal education acquired out-of-province or in another country, should be subjected to an objective and knowledgeable assessment to determine equivalencies and allow evaluators to make recommendations about the credentials of the individual.

Quebec has a system for assessing the prior academic learning of its immigrants. The provincial government has developed a data bank with extensive information on many foreign educational systems. It is updated continually and permits rapid referral to previous decisions and established norms. The applicant is charged $90 for the assessment in addition to the cost of translating original documents. If the appropriate information is in the data bank, the service can be completed within 10 days. About 9000 requests are received annually.

The applicant receives a certificate of equivalency, which states how their education compares with the Quebec system (e.g., incomplete secondary, 3 years of college, 1 year of university). A weakness of this system stems from the fact that neither the education system nor the occupational bodies that govern entry to practice automatically accept the equivalency. In practical terms, this means that the individual may still not receive advanced standing from an educational institution for courses already taken or receive certification from an occupational association that may have regulatory control.