Upgrade Your Teaching Certificate

Upgrade to a professional teaching certificate by completing the coursework outlined in the evaluation letter that we send to you. Your courses must be completed before your certificate expires.

Email us to get pre-approval for your courses before you register or pay tuition. We will need the institution name, course code and name, and course description.

If you hold a Conditional Certificate and you choose a course from our approved coursework list, you do not need to email us to request pre-approval.  

When you have completed the courses, ask the post-secondary institution to send an official copy of your transcript directly to us. We will contact you after we have reviewed the transcript.

We may be able to excuse your education coursework. Email us to make the request if:

• your eligibility letter states that we may be able to excuse some education coursework, and
• you have taught successfully in an acceptable B.C. school for at least 1.5 years full-time (or equivalent part-time) while you hold a valid Conditional Certificate. Note: Offshore school and teacher-on-call or substitute teaching experience is not accepted. Other academic coursework requirements cannot be excused.  

At the same time, you will need to ask your employer to provide two pieces of information to support your request:       

1. Proof of teaching experience. Ask your employer to provide an outline of your full- and part-time teaching experience – be sure not to include teacher-on-call or substitute teaching experience.

• Download the Verification of Employment Form (PDF) or le Formulaire de vérification de l'historique d'emploi (PDF)

2. A teaching report. Ask your superintendent, principal or vice principal to provide a comprehensive report that describes your overall competency as a teacher that includes:

• Topics such as planning, organization, lesson delivery, classroom management, assessment, interaction with parents, etc.
• Details about your competency in specific areas that relate to education courses you would like excused (For example: If you would like to excuse a special needs course, the report should describe your ability to plan Individualized Education Programs and integrate special needs students into your class)

Upload the teaching report through Your Account. 

Subject Restricted Certificate

To upgrade from an interim to a non-expiring Subject Restricted Certificate, you need to complete 1.5 years of full-time (or equivalent part-time) teaching experience in a school authorized by the Ministry to teach the B.C. curriculum while holding a valid interim independent school teaching certificate. Teacher-on-call or substitute teaching experience is not accepted.

School and Subject Restricted Certificate

To upgrade from an interim to a non-expiring School and Subject Restricted Certificate, you need to complete 1.5 years of full-time (or equivalent part-time) teaching experience in an acceptable B.C. independent school while holding a valid interim independent school teaching certificate. Offshore school and teacher-on-call or substitute teaching experience is not accepted.

Send a written request to trb.certification@gov.bc.ca with your request for a non-expiring certificate.

Provide an outline of your full- and part-time teaching experience – be sure not to include teacher-on-call or substitute teaching experience.

• Download the Verification of Employment Form (PDF) or le Formulaire de vérification de l'historique d'emploi (PDF)

Ask your superintendent, principal or vice principal to send a teaching report directly to us. This comprehensive report should describe your overall competency as a teacher and include:

• Topics such as planning, organization, lesson delivery, classroom management, assessment, interaction with parents, etc.