Frequently Asked Questions - Applicants
No, you do not need to have Canadian experience to apply for certification with the BCRSP.
No, BCRSP uses Pearson VUE for the delivery of its certification examinations and therefore you can write the examination at any Pearson VUE test centre that has been approved as a delivery option by BCRSP. You can search for available test centres here.
Applicants to the CRSP certification may be selected for interview.
If you are based in Canada and selected for interview, the interview may be conducted in person or via a web-conferencing platform such as Zoom, Teams, etc.
If you are based outside of Canada and selected for interview, the interview may be conducted via a web-conferencing platform such as Zoom, Teams, etc.
No, an IELTS or TOEFL (for English) or a TFI (for French) is only required if your first language is not French or English. If you attended a post-secondary institution where the primary language of instruction was English or French, then an IELTS or TOEFL (for English) or a TFI (for French) is not required. However, please ask the University or College to write a letter to the BCRSP to verify that the program's primary instruction language was English or French. Please have the University or College email it direct to BCRSP or mail in a sealed envelope.
If you have a Canadian college/university education in addition to your international academic qualification, you are not required to submit proof of English (or French if you attended a French-language academic institution in Canada) proficiency.
If you are applying under the non-OHS Bachelor's degree pathway for the CRSP certification, the WES document-by-document report is required.
If you would like your academic credential to be considered as an occupational health and safety degree/diploma then a comprehensive course-by-course report is required.
One of your two references must have either the CRSP designation or an equivalent credential that is bound by a Code of Ethics (examples include but are not limited to: P.Eng, CSP, CMIOSH, CHRP/CHRL, CPHR/CRHA, CHSC, CIH, CPA, CHSMSA, etc.). If you cannot find anyone with a CRSP or equivalent designation such as the examples just listed, you could also use a reference with another credential that is under a Code of Ethics (such as a lawyer or doctor) with a certification number or licence number that we could use to verify their designation with their licensing board.
If you are working for a family business where you are a family member, you cannot have another family member complete the reference as this would be deemed a conflict of interest.
The practice questionnaire must be completed by your immediate supervisor/manager (or a current client for whom you are doing work) for your current OHS position.
The reference questionnaire may be completed by any other individual with whom you have a professional relationship, but does not report to you, who is familiar with your work as an OHS professional. In most instances, the questionnaire would be completed by a work colleague or client, or a former work colleague or client.
Both the practice and reference questionnaires are sent directly to the email you provide for your reference when completing the application form after submission of the application fee.
BCRSP recommends you confirm with your references that they received the email as in some instances a security filter may prevent delivery and will slow down the application process. If you have contacted your reference and they did not receive the email from us, then please contact BCRSP to advise and we will arrange to re-send it to them.
No, the job description must be your formal job description, on company letterhead and signed by your supervisor, the HR department, or the CEO of the company. A job posting is considered a tentative/conditional description that could be subject to change/negotiation prior to being hired which is why it is not considered valid documentation.
In the absence of a formal job description, your employer may include a detailed list of your role's duties and responsibilities in their job verification letter.
Each work experience item under the professional experience should be one individual position, regardless of if you held multiple positions under the same company/client. Multiple positions should be entered individually in your application, and in chronological order starting with the most recent position. The date range in your application should also not encompass multiple positions, even if they were under the same employer. For example:
- Health & Safety Manager, XYZ Company - position held January 1 2020 to present
- Health & Safety Coordinator, XYZ Company - position held March 15 2018 to December 31, 2019
- Field Safety Officer, XYZ Company - position held September 1 2013 to March 14, 2018
In instances where the company you worked for is no longer in business, or you are unable to contact anyone to obtain documentation, you may supply a Record of Employment (ROE) from Service Canada. In this instance, in the absence of a formal job description, you may also supply an Offer of Employment if it contains the scope of your duties and responsibilities.
Application requirements include an up-to-date resume outlining your relevant work history in OHS, as well as documentation to prove the OHS work history listed in your application. For each job position, you must submit a formal job description on official company letterhead, with the list of duties and responsibilities you performed while in that position, as well as an official employer verification letter, on company letterhead and signed by the employer or HR department, stating your position and exact dates you held that position.
Employment details (start/end dates, employer names, job titles) in your work history must be 100% consistent across all documentation (application form, resume, job verification letters). The Qualification Review Committee (QRC) will not accept any discrepancies in these details.
If you have submitted your certification application and are in the process of seeking new employment, you may advise prospective employers that you have made application to the Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals. You may NOT indicate that you are a CRSP®, a candidate CRSP®, a CRSP® in process or a pending CRSP®, or a CRST, a candidate CRST, a CRST in process or pending CRST or any other language that suggests certification is pending or already obtained. The designation may not be used until such time as you have successfully completed the certification process, been awarded the designation by the Governing Board and received your certificate.