Take the CAEL CE

Avalon Community College is a career training institution located in the heart of Nanaimo on BC’s beautiful Vancouver Island. The College is just a few blocks up from the city’s famous waterfront parks, shops, cafes and city centre. Avalon’s test centre started accepting test takers in June 2020, in the midst of COVID-19, offering CELPIP testing on Saturdays and Sundays. In 2021, Avalon will expand its test centre to include CAEL testing and will add additional test dates to include at least one day during the week.

Health and Safety Policy

All visitors must pass an electronic temperature check when they arrive at the test centre, and must show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination. Full vaccination means that it has been 14 days since receiving the final required dose of a COVID-19 vaccine approved by Health Canada (two doses of Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca, including COVISHIELD in any combination or one dose of Johnson & Johnson).

Proof of vaccination can be the physical vaccination card showing all doses or a digital version of the provincial or federal vaccination passport QR code.

Negative test results will not be accepted.

Parking Directions

Directions to Avalon Community College are simple.

If you are coming from the north or south of Vancouver Island, you can take the “inland” highway to the Nanaimo “City Centre” turnoff and drive straight down until you reach Skinner Street on your left (just over the Bastion Street Bridge and just before reaching the waterfront). Nanaimo is approximately 1.5 hours by highway from Victoria and 1.5 hours from Courtenay.

By Ferry

You can take Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay. Once off the ferry, go straight towards the City’s downtown area – it’s only a 5-minute drive. The office building is behind the Royal Bank of Canada which is just up from the Coast Bastion Hotel. If you prefer to walk on the ferry, you can hail a taxi once you’re outside the terminal and be at the test centre within minutes. You may want to schedule your taxi in advance if you are arriving close to the start time of your test session.

By Plane

You can take Harbour Air from downtown Vancouver or Richmond to Nanaimo. It’s a short walk up to the Test Centre from the seaplane terminal on the waterfront. Flights are normally 20-25 minutes.

By Car

There is plenty of pay parking in the parkade located right beside the test centre building on Skinner Street.

Gallery