What English Test Scores Do Canadian Universities Actually Require?

There is no single national cut-off

Canada has no national English-score requirement for universities. Education is run by each province and territory, and each university — often each faculty or program within it — sets its own accepted tests and minimum scores. That means the 'required score' depends entirely on where and what you apply to.

Because of this, the only reliable number is the one published on the specific program's official admissions page. Treat any threshold you see in a blog, forum or general list as a rough guide, and confirm the exact requirement on the university's own English-proficiency page before you sit a test.

Overall score vs. per-section minimums

Many programs ask for two things: an overall minimum on your chosen test, and sometimes a minimum in each individual section (for example, a floor on Writing or Speaking). It is possible to clear the overall number but still fall short on one section, so read both parts of the requirement carefully.

Some programs are stricter on particular skills for academic or professional reasons — writing-heavy degrees may set a higher Writing floor, and programs with substantial spoken interaction may emphasise Speaking. Always check whether a per-section minimum applies in addition to the overall score.

• Look for the overall minimum AND any per-section minimum
• A high overall score does not always offset a low section
• Some faculties set higher floors on Writing or Speaking
• Requirements can differ between two programs at the same university

Undergraduate vs graduate requirements

Undergraduate and graduate admission can have different English expectations. Graduate programs — especially research degrees and competitive professional programs — sometimes ask for higher scores or stricter per-section minimums than undergraduate entry, but this is not a fixed rule and varies widely by department.

There is no shortcut that maps every undergraduate threshold to a graduate one. Check the requirement at the exact level and department you are applying to: an undergraduate faculty page and a graduate department page at the same university may list different numbers.

Pathways, conditional offers and waivers

If your score is below a program's minimum, some universities offer routes that do not require an immediate retake. A conditional offer may admit you on the condition that you reach the required score before you enrol, and some universities run English for Academic Purposes or pathway programs that lead into the degree once you complete them.

A number of universities also waive the English test in specific cases — for example, where your prior education was completed in English in an eligible setting. Waiver rules are detailed and differ by institution, so confirm whether you qualify on the official university page rather than assuming a waiver applies.

How to confirm your target score

Build a short checklist for each program on your shortlist so you are comparing like with like, and use only official pages. Score expectations and accepted tests change between admission cycles, so verify them again close to when you apply.

Remember the score is for admission. A Canadian study permit is a separate immigration matter; the language evidence IRCC recognises for any study-permit pathway is set by IRCC, not by the university. This is general information, not immigration advice — verify study-permit rules on the official Government of Canada source.

• Open the official English-proficiency page for each exact program
• Note the accepted tests, overall minimum and any per-section minimum
• Check whether the level is undergraduate or graduate
• Ask whether a conditional offer, pathway or waiver is available