English Language Test Score Requirements for Major Canadian Universities

TESL Canada Federation

English Language Test Score Requirements for Major Canadian Universities

Updated August, 2010

The following English language test score table presents an overview of the minimum English language requirements for Canadian universities. Please note the following:

This table lists English test score requirements as indicated on the universities' official websites for the 2010/11 academic year. Universities have the right to change score requirements without notice. Users should thus always consult the university's admission office or website to confirm test score requirements.

The table includes test score requirements for seven English language tests:

• CAE (Certificate in Advanced English)
- CAEL (Canadian Academic English Language Test)

• CanTest (Canadian Test of English for Scholars and Trainees)

• CPE (Certificate of Proficiency in English)

• IELTS (International English Language Testing System)
- MELAB (Michigan English Language Assessment Battery)

• TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)

» If the table indicates '---' for a given language test, it means that the university's official website did not list this test as an acceptable proof of English. However, users should make further enquiries with the university's admission office.

» Some universities accept additional language tests not listed on this table. For more information, visit the university's website.

» Universities indicate 'minimum' test score requirements. Competitive programs or programs with limited student spaces may require higher test scores than indicated. For more information, contact the university's admission office.

» Many universities offer 'Bridging Programs' or 'sheltered courses' that allow students who do not meet English language requirements to earn academic credits while improving their language skills in the university's English language training program. For more information, consult the university's website.

» Please refer to footnotes for additional information where indicated.

Institution	CAE	CAEL	CanTest	CPE	IELTS	MELAB	TOEFL paper	TOEFL CBT	TOEFL ibt
Acadia University	---	Overall 60	---	---	6.5	80	580	237	93
University of Alberta	---	Overall 70	---	---	6.5 no part less than 5	85	580 4 on TWE	---	86 no score less than 21
Athabasca University[1]	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---
Bishop's University	---	---	---	---	6.5	85	580	237	90
Brandon University	---	Overall 60	4.5 R & L 4 W&S	C	6.5	80	550	---	80
University of British Columbia	B	Overall 70 S 60	---	C	6.5 no part less than 6	85	55 each in R,L,W 4 on TWE	---	Overall 90 R&L 22 W&S 21
Brock University	---	70 60 in W no part less than 60	---	---	7.0 no part less than 6.5	85 no part less than 80	580 4.5 on TWE	237 4.5 on TWE	88 21 in S&W
University of Calgary[2]	---	Overall 70	---	---	7.0	85	560 or 550 with 5 on TWE	---	83
Cape Breton University	---	Overall 60	4 on W 4.5 on R and L	---	6.5 no part less than 6	85	550 4.5 on TWE	213 4.5 on TWE	80
Carleton University[3]	---	Overall 70	---	---	6.5 no part less than 6	85 no part less than 80	580	237	86 with 22 in S & W, 20 R & L
University College of the Fraser Valley	---	Overall 70	--	C	6.5 no part less than 6	---	570 4 on TWE	---	88
Concordia University	---	---	---	---	6.5	85	550	---	75
Dalhousie University	---	Overall 70	4.5	---	6.5	81	580 4 on TWE	237 4 on TWE	90
First Nations University of Canada	---	Overall 60	4 on W 4.5 on R and L	---	6.5 no part less than 5	85	550 3.5 on TWE	213 3.5 on TWE	80 with 18 in S&W, 19 R & L
University of Guelph	---	Overall 70	---	---	6.5 no part less than 6	85 oral test score 3	Overall 600 5 on TWE	Overall 250 5 on TWE	89 no score less than 21
University of King's College	B	Overall 70	4.5	C	6.5	81	580 4 on TWE	237 4 on TWE	90
Kwantlen University College	---	---	---	---	6.0 no part less than 6	---	550 4.5 on TWE	---	80
Lakehead University	---	Overall 60	---	---	6.5 no part less than 6	85	550	213	80 no score less than 19
Laurentian University	---	Overall 60 with 60 in W	---	C	6.5	85	550	213	79
University of Lethbridge	C	50 in L&R&S 60 in W	---	C	6 no part less than 6	80	550 4 on TWE	213	8016 in S&L&R 18 W
University of Manitoba	---	Overall 60 or higher	4 on W 4.5 on R and L	C	6.5	80	550 no score less than 50	213 no score less than 17	80 no score less than 19
McGill University	B	---	---	C	6.5	85	577	233	90 no score less than 21
McMaster University	---	Overall 70	---	---	6.5	85	580	---	86 no score less than 20
Memorial University of Newfoundland	---	50 to 60 with at least two 60 scores	4 on W 4.5 on R and L	---	6.5 with 6 in R & W	85	550	213	79 with 20 in R&W, 17 in L&S
Mount Allison University	B	Overall 70 no part less than 60	---	C	6.5	---	550	213	80
Mount Saint Vincent University	---	Overall 60	4.5 no part less than 3.5	---	6.5 no part less than 6	80	550	213	79-80 no score less than 20
University of New Brunswick SJ Campus[4]	---	Overall 60 or higher	5.0 or higher	---	6.5 or higher	85 or higher	550 or higher	213 or higher	80 or higher
Nipissing University	---	Overall 60	---	---	6 no part less than 6	90	550 5 on TWE	213 5 on TWE	80 no score less than 20
University of Northern British Columbia	B	Overall 70 Speaking 60	---	---	6.5 no part less than 6	---	---	---	88 no score less than 20
Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University	---	Overall 70	4.5	---	6.5	80	575	233	90-91
University of Ottawa	---	Overall 70 60 in W	4 on W 4.5 on R and L	---	7 6.5 in W	90 85 inW	580 4.5 on TWE	237 4.5 on TWE	92 24 in W
University of Prince Edward Island[5]	---	60 no part less than 50	4.5	---	6.5	80	550	213	80 no score less than 20
Queens University[6]	---	Overall 70 no part less than 60	---	---	7.0	90	580 5 on TWE	237 5 on essay	88 with 22 in S & R, W 24, L 20
University of Regina	---	Overall 60	4 on W 4.5 on R and L	---	6 no part less than 5	85	550 3.5 on TWE	213 3.5 on TWE	80 with 18 in S&W, 19 R & L
Royal Military College of Canada[7]	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---
Royal Roads University	---	Overall 70	---	---	7.0 no part less than 6.5	---	600	233	100 no score less than 20
Ryerson[8] University	---	Overall 70	---	---	6.5	90	580	---	92-93
Saint Mary's University	---	Overall 60	4.5 no part less than 3.5	---	6.5	80	550	213	80 no score less than 20
University of Saskatchewan	---	Overall 60 or higher	4 on W 4.5 on R and L	C	6.5	85	550	213	80
Simon Fraser University[9]	---	Overall 60	---	---	6.5	---	---	230 4.5 on essay / or 250	80 no score less than 20
St.Francis Xavier University	---	Overall 70	---	---	6.5	90	580 4 on TWE	236 4 on TWE	92
St.Thomas University	---	50 to 60 dep. on program	---	---	6.5	80	570	230	88-89
Thompson Rivers University	---	70 no part less than 60	4.5 no part less than 4	---	6.5 no part less than 6	81 or higher	570 4.5 on TWE	---	88 no score less than 20
University of Toronto[10]	B	70 no part less than 60	4.5 no part less than 4	C	6.5 no part less than 6	85 no part less than 80	Overall 600 5 on TWE	---	Overall 100 + 22 in W
Trent University	---	Overall 60	---	C	6.5 no part less than 6	85 no part less than 80	580 4.5 on TWE	237 4.5 on TWE	86
Trinity Western University	---	70 no part less than 60	---	---	6.5 no part less than 6	---	600 (no TWE) 570 5 on TWE	30	88
University of Victoria	B	70 no part less than 60	---	C	6.5 no part less than 6	90 or higher	575 or higher	233 or higher	90 no score less than 20
University of Waterloo[11]	---	70 W&S 70 R&L 60	---	---	7.0	85 Oral test score 3	580 50 on TSE	---	90 with 25 in S & W
University of Western Ontario	---	70 no part less than 60	4.5 no part less than 4	---	7.0 no part less than 6.5	85 no part less than 80	580 5 on TWE	---	88 S&R&W 22 L 20
Vancouver Island University	B	---	---	B	6.0	---	550	213	80 no score less than 19
Wilfrid Laurier University	---	70 no part less than 60	---	---	6.5	85	560	220	83 no score less than 20
University of Windsor	---	Overall 60	---	---	6.5	85	Yes (no specified score)	220 4.5 on TWE	83 20 in W
University of Winnipeg	---	Overall 60	4 on W 4.5 on R and L	C	6.5	80	550	213	80 no score less than 19
York University[12]	---	---	---	---	6.5 to 7.5	---	560 to 600	220 to 250	83-87 to 100

[1] Athabasca University does not indicate any specific language test requirements on its official website. Visit http://www.athabascau.ca/ for more information.

[2] U of Calgary has varying test-score requirements depending on the academic program. The scores listed apply to general undergraduate programs. Visit www.ucalgary.ca/admissions/admission_requirements/elp.html for more information.

[3] Carleton U offers a 'Foundation Program' to students who do not meet score requirements (e.g. from TOEFL 500-579, CAEL 30 -69 etc.), which allows them to earn academic credits while completing the English requirement for full-time study. Visit www.admissions.carleton.ca/prospis/english/index.html for more information.

[4] UNB Saint John allows applicants to be admitted with a test-of-English score below the requirement for admission to academic programs if they otherwise meet the academic requirements of the university. For more information visit www.unb.ca/prospective/international/requirements/saintjohn-language.html

[5] UPEI considers applicants with test scores below the minimum and applicants without a test score to present for admission. For more information visit http://www.upei.ca/registrar/3_english_proficiency

[6] If a 'Pass' on an advanced level English course is achieved at the time of application, an English language test score may not be required. See www.queensu.ca/qsoe for details.

[7] RMC lists no specified language test score requirements. Students who have completed its secondary schooling outside of Canada must present Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores.

[8] Ryerson U has lower language test score requirements for science and engineering programs. Visit

http://www.ryerson.ca/undergraduate/admission/overview/english/#scores for more information.

[9] SFU requires students to satisfy additional literacy requirements within their first three terms of enrolment. Visit http://students.sfu.ca/admission/requirements/english.html for more information.

[10] U of T uses 'Discretionary Ranges' below the minimum score requirements, which means that it automatically considers other academic evidence of English proficiency if the applicant is otherwise well qualified for admission. See its admissions website www.adm.utoronto.ca for more information.

[11] Test score requirements vary depending on program (e.g. score requirements for Science, Computer Science and Mathematics are lower than the ones indicated in this chart). Visit http://findoutmore.uwaterloo.ca/admissions/elr.php for more information.

[12] York U lists different language test score requirements depending on academic departments. Visit http://www.yorku.ca/web/futurestudents/requirements/language_tests.html for more information.

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