How to Become a Medical Laboratory Technologist in Alberta
Become a medical laboratory technologist in Alberta through the CMLTA: an approved diploma or degree, the CSMLS certification exam, and a practice permit.
How to Become a Medical Laboratory Technologist in Saskatchewan
Become a medical laboratory technologist in Saskatchewan through the CMLPSK: a recognized program, the national certification exam, and a practising licence.
Applies in: Saskatchewan
The short answer
To work as a medical laboratory technologist (MLT) in Saskatchewan you must hold a current valid licence with the College of Medical Laboratory Professionals of Saskatchewan (CMLPSK). The College was previously called the Saskatchewan Society of Medical Laboratory Technologists (SSMLT) — the older name still appears in its bylaws and on its pages, but the regulator is the same body.
The route, in order, is: complete a recognized medical laboratory technology program, pass the approved Canadian entry-to-practice examination — the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS) national certification exam for graduates of accredited programs — apply for a practising licence with the College, complete the College's jurisprudence examination, and hold a current licence before you work. Do not carry Alberta's, Manitoba's, or Ontario's steps into this guide — Saskatchewan's college, licence year, and jurisprudence requirement are its own.
Step 1 — Complete a recognized medical laboratory technology program
Complete a recognized program in medical laboratory technology. In Saskatchewan that is the Saskatchewan Polytechnic Medical Laboratory Technology program in Saskatoon: a nationally accredited two-and-a-half-year advanced diploma. Admission needs Grade 12 with a minimum grade of 70 percent in 30-level English Language Arts, Foundations of Math 30 or Pre-Calculus 30 or Calculus 30, Chemistry 30, and Biology 30. Accepted applicants must provide evidence of a criminal record check and vulnerable sector search before the program starts, and Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) certification on admission. Graduates write the national CSMLS certification exam, and CSMLS certification allows you to register with the College, which is a requirement to work in Saskatchewan.
Step 2 — Pass the approved entry-to-practice exam
Pass the Canadian entry-to-practice examination approved by the College. For graduates of an EQual-accredited Canadian program, the CSMLS National Certification Examination is the route, and eligibility runs for up to 12 months after completing the program. If you trained outside an accredited program, a Prior Learning Assessment comes first: that process was run by CSMLS and is transitioning to the Canadian Alliance of Medical Laboratory Professionals Regulators (CAMLPR) — CSMLS stopped accepting new Stage 1 applications on May 31, 2025, and new applicants start with CAMLPR. Internationally educated applicants must email the College office before applying for any licence to confirm eligibility.
Step 3 — Apply for a practising licence with the CMLPSK
Apply to the College for a practising licence. Practising membership and initial licensure need: a recognized program completed within the previous five years, or at least 1,200 working hours in medical laboratory technology activities approved by the Council during the previous five years, plus a pass on the required examination. The general requirements for every applicant are: meet the English language requirement approved by the Council, submit evidence of good character including a satisfactory police information record check, submit government-issued photo identification, provide proof of professional liability insurance against professional negligence of at least $2,000,000 per incident and $2,000,000 per year, and satisfactorily complete the College's jurisprudence examination. You must be eligible to work in Canada to register, and registration happens after your arrival in Canada.
Step 4 — Complete the jurisprudence examination
Review the College's jurisprudence manual and complete its jurisprudence quiz. The bylaws list the jurisprudence examination as a general requirement for practising and provisional practising membership, alongside the police check, photo identification, and liability insurance. It covers Saskatchewan's rules for the profession, and it is separate from the national certification exam.
Step 5 — Hold a current licence before you work
The College's licence year runs December 1 to November 30. Any person working as an MLT in Saskatchewan must have a current valid licence with the College for that year. If you have completed a recognized program and are registered to write the required examination, you can hold a provisional practising licence and work while you wait — but you must write the examination at the first opportunity after becoming eligible. Keep your licence current and renew each year.
What the licence costs, and what renewal needs
The application fee is $150 and non-refundable. A practising or provisional practising licence costs $375 for the full licence year (December 1 to November 30); new applicants who apply part-way through the year pay a prorated fee of $187.50 from June 1 to September 30, or $93.75 from October 1 to November 30. A non-practising registration costs $25.
Renewal opens October 1 and the deadline is November 30. Late fees apply automatically: $75 for renewal from December 1 to 31, and $100 from January 1 to 31. If you do not renew by February 1 you are removed from the register and must reapply as a new applicant. To renew you need 30 hours of continuing professional education in the previous five years, at least 15 of them Category 1, and 1,200 practice hours within the previous five years.
What the opened pages do not state
The licence fees are in the section above, from the College's Administrative Bylaws, 2025 and its 2026 renewal guide; check the College's current fee schedule before you pay, because fees change. The pages do not publish a processing timeline for licence applications, so this guide gives none. The College's new-applicant pages describe the practising, provisional, and internationally educated routes in general terms; where this guide gives a specific requirement it comes from the College's Regulatory Bylaws, 2023, which the College publishes on its own site. This guide gives no advice on whether you qualify — that is the College's decision when it assesses your application. Job Bank's NOC 32120 page confirms registration is required in Saskatchewan, but it does not set Saskatchewan's rules — the CMLPSK does.
Related guides:
- How to Become a Medical Laboratory Technologist in Ontario — the Ontario route, through a different regulator but the same CSMLS exam.
- How to Become a Licensed Practical Nurse in Saskatchewan — another Saskatchewan regulated health profession, through a Saskatchewan Polytechnic diploma and the CPNRE.
- How to Become a Registered Nurse in Saskatchewan — the registered nurse route in the same province, a different profession with a different regulator.
- How to Become a Real Estate Agent in Saskatchewan — a Saskatchewan licensed occupation outside health care, for comparison.
Becoming a medical laboratory technologist in Saskatchewan, in five steps
- Complete a recognized medical laboratory technology programSaskatchewan Polytechnic offers a nationally accredited two-and-a-half-year advanced diploma in Saskatoon.
- Pass the approved Canadian entry-to-practice examThe CSMLS national certification exam for graduates of accredited programs.
- Apply for a practising licence with the CMLPSKThe College of Medical Laboratory Professionals of Saskatchewan, formerly the SSMLT, issues the licence.
- Complete the jurisprudence examinationReview the College's jurisprudence manual and complete its quiz.
- Hold a current licence before you workThe licence year runs December 1 to November 30, and a licence is required to work as an MLT in Saskatchewan.
Questions people ask
Who regulates medical laboratory technologists in Saskatchewan?
The College of Medical Laboratory Professionals of Saskatchewan, known as the CMLPSK, regulates the profession. It was previously called the Saskatchewan Society of Medical Laboratory Technologists, or SSMLT, and the older name still appears in its bylaws and on some of its pages. Any person working as a medical laboratory technologist in Saskatchewan must hold a current valid licence with the College.
What education do I need to become an MLT in Saskatchewan?
You need a recognized medical laboratory technology program. Saskatchewan Polytechnic offers a nationally accredited two-and-a-half-year advanced diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology in Saskatoon, and its graduates write the national CSMLS certification exam. Admission needs Grade 12 with at least 70 percent in 30-level English Language Arts, Foundations of Math 30 or Pre-Calculus 30 or Calculus 30, Chemistry 30, and Biology 30, plus a criminal record check and vulnerable sector search before the program starts.
Which exam do Saskatchewan MLTs write?
The approved Canadian entry-to-practice examination. For graduates of accredited programs that is the CSMLS national certification examination. Practising licence applicants must have successfully completed the examination approved by the College. Provisional practising membership is available to applicants who have completed a recognized program and are registered to write the required examination.
What does the CMLPSK application need?
The College's bylaws list the general requirements for practising and provisional practising membership: meet the English language requirement, submit evidence of good character including a satisfactory police information record check, submit government-issued photo identification, provide proof of professional liability insurance of at least 2,000,000 dollars per incident and 2,000,000 dollars per year, and satisfactorily complete the College's jurisprudence examination. Practising membership also needs a recognized program completed within the previous five years, or at least 1,200 working hours in medical laboratory technology in the previous five years, plus a pass on the required examination.
Can I work in Saskatchewan before I pass the exam?
Yes, on a provisional practising licence. Provisional membership is available to an applicant who has completed a recognized program and is registered to write the required examination. The College's bylaws require a provisional member to write the examination at the first opportunity after becoming eligible. You must be registered as a practising or temporary practising member working under supervision to work as an MLT in Saskatchewan.
Is registration compulsory in Saskatchewan, or can I work without it?
It is compulsory. Job Bank lists medical laboratory technologists under NOC 32120 and states that registration with a regulatory body is required in Saskatchewan, as well as in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, and Alberta. The College's licence year runs December 1 to November 30, and you must hold a current valid licence to work.
Sources
- Saskatchewan Society of Medical Laboratory Technologists, Regulatory Bylaws, 2023 — the categories of membership, the general requirements including the $2,000,000 liability insurance and the jurisprudence examination, and the practising and provisional practising rules.
- Saskatchewan Polytechnic, Medical Laboratory Technology — the nationally accredited two-and-a-half-year advanced diploma in Saskatoon, the admission requirements, and the CSMLS exam and SSMLT registration after graduation.
- Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science, Certification — the CSMLS National Certification Exams, eligibility for EQual-accredited program graduates, and the Prior Learning Assessment route.
- Job Bank, Medical Laboratory Technologist in Canada — Job Requirements — NOC 32120, the two- or three-year college program, and registration required in Saskatchewan and seven other provinces.
- College of Medical Laboratory Professionals of Saskatchewan, Administrative Bylaws, 2025 — the $150 non-refundable application fee, the $375 practising and provisional licence fee with prorated amounts, the $25 non-practising fee, and the late fees.
- College of Medical Laboratory Professionals of Saskatchewan, 2026 Licence Renewal Guide — the October 1 renewal opening and November 30 deadline, the late fees, the 30 CPE hours in five years with at least 15 Category 1, and the 1,200 practice hours in five years.