For decades, all candidates aspiring to study in Canada must have to sit and pass IELTS before being admitted in any Canadian universities. Is it possible to now study in Canada without having IELTS? Has the practice changed or still the same? Can I get admission into any Canadian universities without IELTS or TOEFL exams?
This article intends to answer these questions.
Owing to deteriorating state of education in Nigeria especially at the tertiary level due to negligence by the government authorities, Canada has become a major destination for Nigerian students to get quality education. Unfortunately, some intending students are denied the opportunity of obtaining an education there because of IELTS requirements.
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What is IELTS?
IELTS which stands for International English Language Testing System, is an international standardized test of candidate’s proficiency in English language. IELTS is jointly managed by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge Assessment English. Established in 1989, IELTS tests English proficiency of candidates mainly from non-native English speaking countries especially Africa, Asia, Europe.
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Top Universities In Canada That Do Not Require IELTS
To qualify for IELTS scores exemption to study in Canada, the applicant must either be native English speaker; or student coming from non English countries who has received formal degree education of three or more consecutive years in English.
Students who have completed either O-level or A-level examinations written in English language also earn an IELTS exemption.
Each of the universities has its own set of exemptions criteria and requirements to prove candidate's English language proficiency.
For example, University of Altberta and Athabasca University have each recognized Nigeria as English-speaking country and have deleted Nigeria from their lists of countries to write IELTS and Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) before enrollment.
This followed protest letter written to the universities by a Canadian-based Nigerian, Dr. Olumuyiwa Igblalajobi. He argued that Nigeria as a British colonised country and country that teaches its children in English language from elementary to tertiary does not require to be tested on English language proficiency.
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Top Universities in Canada to Study without IELTS Exam
Here is the list of some universities in Canada that offer admission to international students without writing any IELTS or TOEFL exams:
- University of Regina
- Brock university
- Memorial university
- University of Saskatchewan
- Concordia university
- Carleton university
- University of Winnipeg
- University of Alberta
- Athabasca University