Register for the Professional Certification Exams


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The Gold Standard of Editing

Being certified by Editors Canada is the recognition of an editor’s high level of professional knowledge and skill. In today’s competitive job market, certification demonstrates your expertise—and gives you a marketing advantage.

Editors Canada typically offers two professional certification exams each year, on a two-year rotation.   

Exam Registration

Registration for the structural editing and proofreading exams closed on October 28, 2023. The exams will be held on November 18, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., local time (structural editing), and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., local time (proofreading). 

Professional certification exams for copy editing and stylistic editing will be offered in 2024.

Exam Format

Candidates will write the exam on their own computer at home (PC or Mac). The 2023 Structural Editing and Proofreading exams will both be written onscreen. The Structural Editing exam will be on Microsoft Word. The Proofreading exam will be on PDF, which can be edited with Adobe Acrobat Reader DC (available for free) or other Adobe tools.

We’ll provide you with the exam and ask you to download it, complete it and upload it within the exam time frame. You will need to have reliable Internet access and Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, or other Adobe tools, and Microsoft Word installed on your home computer (NOT Google Docs). You should also have a quiet, private space in your home during the exam, in which to write the exam.

For further details on how the exam will be administered, visit the Professional Certification page.

Exam Date 2023

Structural Editing

Saturday, November 18, 2023
10 a.m. to 1 p.m., local time

Proofreading

Saturday, November 18, 2023
2 p.m. to 5 p.m., local time

Exam Fees 

 Editors Canada membersNon-members
One exam$450$550
Two exams (when two are offered in the same year)$850$1,050

Cancellation: If Editors Canada cancels an exam for which you have registered, you’ll have the opportunity to either transfer your registration or receive a full refund of your registration fees. If you cancel your registration for any other reason and the association receives written notice of your cancellation on or before October 28, 2023, Editors Canada will refund your registration less a $100 cancellation fee. No refunds will be issued for cancellations received after October 28, 2023.

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