Before you can enrol in any RECA-recognized pre-licensing course, your eligibility application must be approved by RECA. For most applicants who completed their education in Canada, this is straightforward. If your education was completed outside Canada, or if your English proficiency cannot be demonstrated through a Canadian transcript, additional documentation is required.
This page outlines exactly what RECA requires and where to get it.
Important: As of March 1, 2025, all applicants for an Alberta real estate licence must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Temporary residents are no longer eligible for licensing in Alberta.
Note: All fees paid to RECA as part of the eligibility application process are non-refundable, including if your application is refused. Review all requirements carefully before submitting.
Education Requirements
RECA requires proof of a minimum Canadian high school education or
equivalent. Submit one of the following depending on where your education
was completed:
Education Completed in Canada
Submit one of the following:
- Accredited Canadian high school transcript showing a diploma was awarded
- Alberta GED or Canadian Adult Education Credential (CAEC) transcript,
if you did not complete high school or your transcript cannot be provided - Post-secondary transcript from a Canadian college or university showing
a diploma or degree was awarded from a minimum 2-year program delivered
in English
Education Completed Outside Canada
Your credentials must be assessed by a member of the Alliance of Credential Evaluation Services of Canada (ACESC). Your assessment must confirm your education is equivalent to Canadian high school graduation, or to a Canadian post-secondary diploma or degree with a minimum of two years of instruction.
Exception: If you completed a degree or diploma at a Canadian college
or university (minimum two years, delivered in English), you may use that
transcript instead of an international assessment.
RECA-Accepted ECA Providers
Contact one of the following ACESC members to initiate your assessment.
Reports must be submitted to RECA directly by the assessing institution —
not by you.
IQAS — International Qualifications Assessment Service (Alberta Government)
alberta.ca/international-qualifications-assessment
ICES — International Credential Evaluation Service (BCIT)
bcit.ca/ices
ICAS — International Credential Assessment Service of Canada
icascanada.ca
Note: ICAS reports do not meet RECA’s English proficiency
requirement. If you use ICAS for your education assessment, you must
also provide a separate English proficiency test result.
CES — Comparative Education Service (University of Toronto)
learn.utoronto.ca/ces
WES — World Education Services**
wes.org
Note: Your WES report must explicitly state that your degree or diploma was delivered exclusively in English to meet RECA’s English proficiency requirement. Contact WES directly to ensure this is included in your assessment.
What RECA Will Not Accept for Education
- Trade or vocational certificates or diplomas
- Apprenticeships or fast-tracked programs
- Professional or occupational memberships or designations
- Non-credit college or university courses
- Online education programs
- Work experience
English Proficiency Requirements
RECA requires proof that you have completed a minimum of Grade 12 English
or equivalent. This can be demonstrated in one of three ways:
Option 1 — Canadian Transcript
A Canadian high school or post-secondary transcript that demonstrates successful completion of Grade 12 English or equivalent is sufficient. No additional test is required.
Option 2 — ACESC Education Assessment
If your education assessment from an ACESC member explicitly confirms that your degree or diploma was completed in English, this may satisfy the English proficiency requirement — depending on which provider you used.
| Assessment Provider | English Proficiency Accepted? |
| IQAS | Yes — if assessment shows completion of a course equivalent to Alberta English 30 and contains no reference to another language |
| ICES | Yes — if report explicitly states instruction was exclusively in English (comprehensive evaluation only) |
| ICAS | No — ICAS reports do not include language of instruction information |
| CES (University of Toronto) | Yes — if report explicitly states instruction was exclusively in English |
| WES | Yes — if report explicitly states instruction was exclusively in English |
| Quebec Comparative Evaluation | No — does not provide language of instruction information |
Option 3 — Approved English Proficiency Test
If your transcript or education assessment does not meet the English
proficiency requirement, you must provide results from one of the following
approved tests. Results must be from within the past three years.
| Test | Minimum Required Score |
| IELTS Academic | 6.5 in all areas — Academic only, General not accepted |
| CELPIP General | 7 in all areas |
| TOEFL iBT | Overall 92, with minimums: Listening 21, Speaking 26, Reading 21, Writing 24 |
| CAEL | 60 in all areas |
Where to Register
- IELTS — ielts.org
- CELPIP — celpip.ca
- TOEFL — ets.org/toefl
- CAEL — cael.ca
What RECA Will Not Accept for English Proficiency
- Canadian birth certificate
- ESL course completion or ESL program certificates
- Employment experience
- Trade or vocational certificates or diplomas
- Non-credit college or university courses
- Online education programs
Submitting Your Documents
Education assessments and English proficiency results must be submitted to RECA directly by the issuing institution. RECA will only accept documents submitted by applicants if they include verifiable security features confirming authenticity.
Documents can be submitted in one of two ways:
By email: From an official institutional email address to registration@reca.ca
By regular mail:
Real Estate Council of Alberta
202, 1506 – 11 Avenue SW
Calgary, Alberta T3C 0M9
English proficiency test results must be emailed directly to registration@reca.ca — they cannot be uploaded through myRECA.
Before You Apply
RECA will not pre-assess your eligibility before you submit and pay the application fee. Compare your documents carefully against the requirements on this page before submitting — the application fee is non-refundable regardless of outcome.
Current processing times are posted on the myRECA login page.
Ready to Get Started?
Once your eligibility is confirmed, the next step is enrolling in your pre-licensing education.
Back to Licensing Pathway →
Enrol in Fundamentals of Real Estate →
Requirements on this page are based on RECA guidelines current as of 21.04.2026. Always verify the latest requirements at reca.ca before submitting your application.