Medical Office Assistant Program FAQs

Applicants may be considered for standard admission if they meet all of the following criteria:

Applicants may be considered for admission and/or advanced standing through Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR).

PLAR recognizes knowledge and skills gained outside of formal education, including but not limited to:

• Work experience
• Professional certifications or licenses
• Military training
• Volunteer experience
• Non-credit training or workshops

PLAR assessment methods may include:

• Portfolio review
• Skills demonstration
• Challenge exams
• Interviews or competency validation

PLAR decisions are made in accordance with institutional policy and may result in:

• Admission eligibility
• Course exemptions
• Advanced standing

If the credentials are from outside Canada, the International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS) may be accepted to determine equivalencies. 

Applicants who do not meet the standard admission requirements, including homeschool applicants, may be considered through a mature admission pathway.

Eligibility:

All applicants whose primary language is not English must demonstrate English language proficiency. Acceptable evidence includes one of the following (subject to institutional approval):

• IELTS Academic: Overall 5.5 (no individual band below 5.0)
• TOEFL iBT: Overall score 59 or 3.5
• PTE Academic: Overall score 45–52
• CAEL: Overall score 50
• CLB: Level 6 overall
• CELPIP: Overall score 6
• Duolingo English Test (DET): Score 95
• ELL 6 of higher
• Completion of post-secondary or continuing education, including certificates, diplomas, or degrees, completed in the English Language

Additional Considerations:

• MaKami College supports multiple entry points and may recommend upgrading, preparatory studies, or conditional admission where appropriate.
• Official test results must be submitted directly to the institution.
• English language test results must be valid within two (2) years of the date of testing.

The English language proficiency requirements for the Medical Office Assistant program described herein came into effect for applications submitted on or after January 2026.

Applicants may be eligible for admission and/or advanced standing through a transfer pathway based on prior post-secondary education.

Transfer pathways may include:

1. Internal Program Transfers
   • Graduates or students from MaKami College programs may transfer into another program or cohort subject to:
     • Program relevance
     • Academic standing
     • Credit transfer eligibility
     • Institutional approval
2. External Transfer Agreements

• Applicants who have completed coursework at recognized post-secondary institutions may be considered for admission and/or advanced standing through:
  • Formal articulation or transfer agreements, where applicable.

3. Transfer Alberta

• Where applicable, transfer credit may be granted in accordance with Transfer Alberta guidelines.
• Transfer decisions are subject to:
  • Transfer Alberta equivalency listings
  • Institutional policies
  • Program-specific learning outcomes

Transfer credit does not guarantee admission and is assessed on a case-by-case basis. Applicants still are required to meet the program admission standards.