Health and Public Safety Entrance Testing
Thank you for your interest in the School of Health and Public Safety’s allied health programming.
Please carefully review the entrance testing process (ETP) information below before applying to one of the following programs:
- Diagnostic Medical Sonography
- Medical Laboratory Assistant
- Medical Laboratory Technology
- Medical Radiologic Technology
- Nuclear Medicine Technology
- Respiratory Therapy.
Important
Applicants interested in applying to one of the School of Health and Public Safety’s allied health programs must complete the entrance testing process as part of the admission process.
You will be granted one attempt at the HPS-ETP per intake to a program. You are responsible for completing all required components of the process for each program you apply for.
Applications will be reviewed once the following requirements have been completed:
- all required entrance testing components for the program,
- application for admission to the program and,
- academic transcripts and/or sufficient evidence has been submitted.
Anticipated final scores for entrance tests will not be accepted.
🚨 You must use the same name and email address for each entrance testing process component and application to SAIT to ensure the timely processing of your application.
Tests by program
Dates and deadlines are subject to change. Test fees for the Profession Specific Entrance Assessment (PSEA) and CASPer are non-refundable.
It is strongly encouraged if you have a documented disability, you arrange accommodation for the entrance testing assessments as outlined below.
Semester | CASPer | CASPer Deadline | Profession Specific Exam (PSEA) | PSEA Deadline | Application closes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Medical Laboratory Assistant | |||||
Fall 2024 | n/a | - | Required | Feb. 9, 2024, 4:30 pm MST | Feb. 2, 2024 |
Winter 2024 | n/a | - | Required | Nov. 7, 2023, 4:30 pm MST | Oct. 31, 2023 |
Spring 2024 | n/a | - | Required | March 1, 2024, 4:30 pm MST | Feb. 23, 2024 |
Medical Laboratory Technology | |||||
Fall 2024 |
n/a | - | Required | Dec. 8, 2023, 4:30 pm MST | Dec. 1, 2023 |
Medical Radiologic Technology | |||||
Fall 2024 | Required | Feb. 22, 2024 | Required | Feb. 22, 2024, 4:30 pm MST | Jan. 31, 2024 |
Diagnostic Medical Sonography | |||||
Fall 2024 | Required | Dec. 7, 2023 | Required | Dec. 7, 2023, 4:30 pm MST | Dec. 1, 2023 |
Fall 2024 SK applicants only |
Required | April 9, 2024 | Required | April 9, 2024, 4:30 pm MST | March 31, 2024 |
Nuclear Medicine Technology | |||||
Fall 2024 | Required | April 9, 2024 | Required | April 9, 2024, 4:30 pm MST | March 31, 2024 |
Fall 2024 SK applicants only |
Required | May 2, 2024 | Required | May 10, 2024, 4:30 pm MST | April 30, 2024 |
Fall 2024 MB applicants only |
Required | May 2, 2024 | Required | May 10, 2024, 4:30 pm MST | April 30, 2024 |
Respiratory Therapy | |||||
Fall 2023 |
Required | Additional information will be provided. | Required | Additional information will be provided. | July 19, 2023 |
Fall 2024 |
Required | March 5, 2024 | Required | March 5, 2024, 4:30 pm MST | Feb. 29, 2024 |
Fall 2024 |
Required | May 2, 2024 | Required | May 10, 2024, 4:30 pm MST | July 19, 2024 |
Entrance testing process
Once you begin an assessment, you must complete it in one sitting.
Stepping away from the screen or having someone in the room during the assessment is prohibited. This would be considered a violation of the student code of conduct and result in initiating the SAIT procedure.
Step one: Schedule and complete testing requirements
Before you begin, please ensure you know which tests you are required to complete for your program.
Each assessment requires a piece of government-issued photo identification to complete the assessment.
This exam must be completed by students applying to: Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Medical Laboratory Assistant, Medical Laboratory Technology, Medical Radiological Technology, Nuclear Medicine Technology and Respiratory Therapy
Component | Fee | Description |
Profession-Specific Entrance Assessment (PSEA) | $25 USD* | Applicants pay separately for each program entrance assessment. The cost of applying to multiple programs is $25 per program entrance assessment. |
*Test fees are non-refundable.
The PSEA is used to evaluate your ability to answer questions delivered in written format and your capacity to understand and follow directions. The assessment may include multiple-choice and short-answer questions on reading comprehension, math, science, career awareness, typing skills, reasoning, and career awareness.
This assessment may be written at any time beginning July 4th. One assessment must be completed for each health program and intake you are applying to at SAIT. Only one assessment result will be accepted per program application.
Once you pay for the assessment, you must write it immediately. We advise that students do not submit the payment until they are ready to write their exam.
Preparing for the test
The test typically takes 40-60 minutes to complete and must be completed in one sitting. The exam includes multiple-choice, math calculation, short-answer and/or typing questions in an online exam format. Applicants must be prepared to demonstrate that they have knowledge of the subjects at the level listed as an academic requirement for the program.
Practice exams are not available for the PSEA assessment. Applicants may prepare by reviewing,
- Alberta curriculum material for the admission requirement subjects for their program.
- Career information on your program page and the ALIS website.
Please review the assessment instructions to know what to bring to an assessment as they differ by program. An external calculator is permitted only for the Nuclear Medicine Technology program. All other programs must use the PSEA built-in calculator.
Assessments are labelled by program name and intake term, for example, Medical Laboratory Assistant – Fall 2023.
Applicants who leave the test/room during the assessment may be disqualified.
During the assessment
Applicants are expected to follow SAIT’s policies and procedures as it pertains to invigilation and security of examinations (AC.3.3.1 and schedules), distance education invigilation and security of examinations (AC.3.3.2 and schedules) and student academic conduct (AC.3.4.3 and schedules).
During the assessment, applicants must;
- Remain seated in their chair during the assessment;
- Complete the assessment in one sitting;
- Keep their face in the field of view of the camera;
- Only use permitted resources – no electronic devices except when permitted in the instructions;
- Verify their identity through the system;
- Complete the assessment as an individual with no support from additional resources.
Results
PSEA scores are generated automatically and sent to your program administrator. Once you have completed the entrance testing process and have submitted your program application, review mySAIT to monitor the status of your application.
This exam must be completed by students applying to: Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Medical Radiological Technology, Nuclear Medicine Technology and Respiratory Therapy
Component | Fee | Description |
CASPer Assessment | $50 CAD + $16 per program* | Applicants pay once to write the assessment. The additional fee is for sending the assessment score to each program application. |
*Test fees are non-refundable.
The CASPer assessment evaluates non-cognitive skills and interpersonal characteristics important for academic and professional success in healthcare. This assessment is comprised of 12 sections of video and written scenarios. Following each scenario, you will have a set amount of time to answer a set of probing questions. Proficient typing skills may be an asset to applicants.
To complete the CASPer assessment, visit TakeAltus.com to create an account and register to book an appointment to complete the assessment.
The assessment can only be completed once within the academic year (July 1 through June 30 the following year). One CASPer result will be accepted per application, however, you can use the same assessment results for multiple program applications.
Make sure to pay the distribution fee for each program you are interested in so that your results are forwarded to the appropriate program(s).
Note: you do not need to complete a Snapshot assessment.
Preparing for the test
The CASPer test typically is a 90-110 minute online, open-response situational judgement test. The test is divided into 2 response sections; the video response section, which is the first portion of the test, followed by the typed response section for a total of 14 scenarios.
It is recommended that applicants complete the assessment as early as possible.
During the assessment
CASPer assessments are done by appointment. Once you have paid for the assessment, you will need to book an appointment to complete the assessment. All appointments are in Eastern Standard Time (EST).
Once you have completed the exam, you must distribute the results to ensure they are forwarded to the appropriate program(s).
Results
CASPer assessment scores are distributed to the program approximately two weeks following the session. Once you have completed the entrance testing process and have submitted your program application, review mySAIT to monitor the status of your application.
Step two: Apply to the program
Applicants must submit a program application to each program they are interested in and are responsible for submitting all required documents to complete their academic admission requirements.
See admission requirements on the program page for application deadlines and academic admission requirements.
Step three: Await the application decision
Once we receive each testing component's final score, a combined score is generated for the applicant. An overall testing score of 50% or higher is required to meet the admission requirement.
Once entrance testing scores, an application and all related documents have been received, an application decision will be made.
The status of the application and the final decision can be tracked on mySAIT.
- You must submit final transcripts/grades to show you have completed the courses and met the minimum admission requirements by the transcript deadline, or your seat will be rescinded.
- All seats will be offered on a first-qualified, first-offered basis until the program is full. Once the program is filled, qualified applicants will be placed on the current intake cycle waitlist.
- If you are not admitted into the program, you may re-apply for the next program intake and must repeat the application and entrance testing process.
Due to the volume of applications received for our programs, individualized feedback for the CASPer assessment and the PSEA is not provided to applicants.
Accessibility and accommodation services
Step 1: Contact Accessibility Services for an accommodations memo outlining the requirements. You must provide your name, SAIT ID (if available), and the name of each program you are applying to at SAIT.
Step 2: Set up accommodations for each ETP component:
- Profession-Specific Entrance Assessment: Accessibility services will provide the accommodation memo directly to the School of Health and Public Safety learner experience team, who will contact you to schedule the assessment.
- CASPer - situational judgement test: Reach out to the Altus Assessments Inc support team and provide the accommodation memo received from Accessibility Services. They will support the completion of CASPer in alignment with your support requirements. Find more details about the accommodation process for CASPer.
Technical requirements
The entrance testing process is completed remotely and requires the following:
- a personal computer with a high-speed internet connection
- webcam
- speakers
- a microphone
- administrator access to the personal computer to download and install test software features
- extended time for the screen saver and sleep function settings on your personal computer so they will not trigger during the exam
- a credit card or PayPal account for online payment of fees for each component
Frequently asked questions
SAIT library has only one or two computers available for guests. These computers are in a public area of the library which does not provide applicants with a distraction-free environment. The Calgary Public Library has alternative computer/technology options which an applicant can investigate.
An applicant will need to communicate with the technical resource team available through the testing system to address any issues which arise during the assessment.
As the assessment is invigilated through the software platform, the program will review each applicant’s assessment completion and will determine on a case-by-case basis if an assessment retake is granted. Technical issues, not related to the Profession Specific Exam platform, are the responsibility of the applicant and rewrites will not be granted.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to ensure a stable internet connection in advance of writing their assessment. An applicant will need to communicate with the technical resources persons available through the testing system to address any issues which arise during the assessment. As the assessment is invigilated through the software platform, the program will review each applicant’s assessment completion and will determine on a case-by-case basis if an assessment redo is granted.
For the Profession Specific Entrance Assessment (PSEA), the following notification may pop up. Follow the instructions carefully.