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.
In 2025, we are offering the Proofreading and Structural Editing exams.
Exam registration
Discounted early-bird pricing is in effect! Register by Saturday, August 23, 2025, and save $50 for each exam. See fee info below.
The professional certification exams for Copy Editing and Stylistic Editing will be offered in 2026.
Exam format
Candidates will write the exam on their own computer at home (PC or Mac). The 2025 Proofreading and Structural Editing exams will both be written onscreen. The Proofreading exam is in PDF format (candidates should be familiar with electronic markup in Adobe Acrobat) and the Structural Editing exam is in Microsoft Word.
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 access to Google Drive. Please register with an email address that has a Google account associated with it. You will need to have reliable Internet access 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
Proofreading
Saturday, November 22, 2025
10 a.m. to 1 p.m., local time to candidate
Structural Editing
Saturday, November 22, 2025
2 p.m. to 5 p.m., local time to candidate
Exam fees until August 23, 2025 (early-bird discount)
| Editors Canada members | Non-members | |
|---|---|---|
| One exam | $400 | $500 |
| Two exams (when two are offered in the same year) | $750 | $950 |
Exam fees as of August 24, 2025
| Editors Canada members | Non-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 27, 2025, Editors Canada will refund your registration less a $100 cancellation fee. No refunds will be issued for cancellations received after October 27, 2025.
Certification quick links
- Order the Test Preparation Guide
- Order Meeting Professional Editorial Standards
- Editors Canada Professional Certification home page
- Registration
- The exams
- Qualifying for the exams
- Preparing for Editors Canada Professional Certification
- Frequently asked questions
- Credential maintenance
- Roster of certified editors
- Download our policy on certification