4 New English Tests For Canada Study Visa Under SDS

Last Updated On 27 May 2023, 12:36 AM EDT (Toronto Time)

IRCC will start accepting 4 new English tests for Canada study visa under Student Direct Stream (SDS) beginning August 10, 2023.

Previously, only IELTS general or academic were acceptable English proficiency test for Canada study visa under SDS.

Remember, in-person testing is required for all the tests. SDS candidates cannot take remote-proctored examinations online.

Resident of 14 countries are eligible for faster processing under the Student Direct Stream (SDS) study permit.

CELPIP General

CELPIP general exams must meet the Canadian Language Benchmark of 7 in each of the 4 modules of this test.

CELPIP score ranges from 0-12 and 7 bands each in listening, reading, speaking, and writing will be acceptable for SDS.

Cost of CELPIP general is $280 + taxes.

Best thing about CELPIP General, it is also acceptable for permanent residency program such as Express Entry and Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs).

So an international student with CELPIP general having a study permit will be again able to use the same test for their permanent residency.

CAEL

The Canadian Academic English Language exam is a Canadian English proficiency test. Cost of CAEL is same as CELPIP at $280 + taxes. 

The CAEL score runs from 10 to 90. A score of 60 will be acceptable for Canada study visa under SDS.

It is offered at over 40 CAEL test locations in Canada, the United States, India, the United Arab Emirates, the Philippines, and China.

CAEL takes roughly three and a half hours to complete in order to evaluate the four domains of language competency.

Pearson PTE Academic

In a two-hour exam, PTE Academic assesses the four components of English language ability.

Cost of PTE Academic is $330 plus taxes.

Your performance in writing, speaking, listening, and reading is scored between 10 and 90. A score of 60 will be acceptable to apply for study visa under SDS.

Speaking and writing are combined, with reading and listening as independent components.

TOEFL iBT Test

For Canada study visa under SDS a score of 83 or above will be required in ETS TOEFL iBT Test.

Each of the four iBT parts is worth 30 points, ranging from 0 to 120. Total duration of the exam is three hours.

This test is priced at $240 USD which will be equivalent to $330 CAD or may cost more due to forex exchange.

Good thing to see in this test is, will IRCC accept overall total score? if yes, then this will be best option for someone who is just losing 0.5-2 bands in one of the IELTS module, but able to score more in rest of the modules.

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