Test Centre: HOAE

The Health Occupations Aptitude Exam is a mandatory pre-admission test for Dental Hygiene, Occupational Therapist Assistant & Physiotherapist Assistant, Practical Nursing, Practical Nursing - Alternative Delivery and Paramedic programs at Niagara College.

The HOAE test assesses an applicant's abilities, skills, knowledge and attitudes important for success in a variety of health-related programs an occupations.
The HOAE is a mandatory component of the admission process for the Dental Hygiene, OTPTA, PN, and Paramedic Programs.Niagara College will use these results as a component of the selection process.

The HOAE test covers the following: vocabulary, arthmetic, comprehension of form relationships, spelling, reading comprehension, natural science (biology, chemistry, health, safety, etc.) and vocational adjustment index. Each section has a specific time limit and set of questions.

• Academic Aptitude - 40 minutes; 75 questions
• Spelling - 15 minutes; 45 questions
• Reading Comprehension - 35 minutes; 35 questions
• Information in the Natural Sciences - 25 minutes; 60 questions
• Vocational Adjustment Index - 15 minutes; 90 questions

Applicants to programs that require the HOAE will receive an email with details on how to book their HOAE appointment. Applicants are encouraged to check their email regularly for pertinent information.

The first round of HOAE submissions are typically aligned with equal consideration periods. Any additional deadlines are determined by the Admissions department. Niagara College Key Dates can be found here: https://www.niagaracollege.ca/enrolmentservices/important-dates/

Due to the current pandemic, Niagara College is unable to offer in-person testing at any Niagara College campus locations. The HOAE will be offered through a virtual at home proctoring service using a third-party testing platform. Applicants must ensure that they meet all mandatory system requirements prior to their scheduled appointment.

The HOAE will be virtually proctored using PearsonVue. Applicants are strongly encouraged to visit the link below for information and FAQ’s on their virtual proctoring policies and procedures. It is also recommended to run a systems requirement check:

• Go to https://home.pearsonvue.com/psb/onvue
• Scroll down and run a system test by clicking “Test my system”

Yes, there is a $85 USD fee to write the HOAE. Please note - payment is not made to Niagara College. The fee is in USD as the HOAE test and proctoring services are based in the United States. .

PayPal, credit card/debit card is required. After submitting your request to write the HOAE with Niagara College, applicants will receive an email with the next steps in the registration process. During the registration process, applicants will be required to process their non-refundable testing fee.

External aids are not permitted, including calculators, dictionaries, or scrap paper. Applicants will have access to a virtual whiteboard while writing their HOAE. Please see the link below for additional information on this feature: https://home.pearsonvue.com/op/online-proctored-whiteboard-overview It is strongly recommended to practice using the whiteboard feature prior to your scheduled testing appointment.

Applicants who require testing accommodations are asked to contact wctesting@niagaracollege.ca.

Your results will be available on the Ontario Colleges portal one to two weeks after writing. Please check your Ontario Colleges application to view your test results. These will be included under the “experience” section on your application. Please note that it is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure their scores have been successfully applied to their application.

Your application will be incomplete, therefore you will not be considered for admissions into the applicable Niagara College program.

Rewrites are not permitted. You may only write the HOAE once per application cycle.

No. Test results from a previous academic year cannot be used for the current admission cycle. HOAE scores for Niagara College are valid for one OCAS application cycle only.

Within 14 days of test completion, your results will be distributed through the Ontario Colleges system to other colleges where you have applied. It is the student's responsibility to ensure they meet the college specific deadlines for HOAE score submissions for each College. Please note that each college has its own deadlines for receiving HOAE results. Please check the HOAE information provided by each college to which you have applied to ensure that you are meeting all deadlines.

Yes. If you have written at another institution for the current application cycle, your results will be distributed by ontariocolleges.ca. All colleges that require the HOAE as part of the admission process will receive a copy of your results. Please ensure your scores appear on your Ontario OCAS application https://www.ontariocolleges.ca/en. They will be included in the “experience” section on your application.

Your OCAS ID is your 9 digit application number and can be found on your Acknowledgement Letter or on your Ontario Colleges on-line account.

Due to the current situation with COVID-19, the Niagara CollegeTesting Centre is unable to accept HOAE testing requests for non-Niagara College applicants