IELTS is a well-acclaimed exam taken by international students either to study or migrate to English speaking nations for employment opportunities. IELTS is considered as the most renowned language proficiency test as it measures the language skills of the test takers. In Canadian universities, most of the courses are taught in English. IELTS measures four skills of the test takers- Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking.
To study or work in Canada, test takers can avail of exams all across the world in 138 locations. One can appear IELTS 48 times a year mainly on Thursdays and Saturdays. Test takers can write both paper delivered and computer-delivered tests for IELTS.
IELTS Scores Accepted by Canadian Institutions
Test takers write IELTS to manage admissions in the top universities of Canada. Almost every university requires an IELTS score as an admission requirement. It is advisable to have a minimum score band of 6 with 5.5 in each segment to get a call from the universities of Canada. To get a better overview of the admission requirements, applicants can also check Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) to check the IELTS score requirement. Most universities in Canada take admissions at an overall score band of 7.
Minimum IELTS Score required by students for Canadian Universities
Test takers write IELTS to manage admissions in the top universities of Canada. Almost every university requires an IELTS score as an admission requirement. It is advisable to have a minimum score band of 6 with 5.5 in each segment to get a call from the universities of Canada. To get a better overview of the admission requirements, applicants can also check Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) to check the IELTS score requirement.
IELTS Score for Top Ranking Universities of Canada
| University | QS Rankings | UG Score | PG Score |
| University of Toronto | 28 | 6.5 | 7 |
| McGill University | 33 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| University of British Columbia | 47 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| University of Alberta | 109 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| McMaster University | 146 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| University of Waterloo | 163 | 6.5 | 7 |
| University of Calgary | 229 | 6.5 | 7 |
| University of Ottawa | 289 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| Concordia University | 464 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| York University | 481 | 7 | 6.5 |
| University of Manitoba | 601-650 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
Apart from universities, IELTS score for top colleges in Canada are as follows
| Colleges | Required IELTS Score |
| Centennial College | 6.5 |
| Seneca College | 6.5 |
| Humber College | 6 |
| Conestoga College | 6.5 |
| George Brown College | 6.5 |
In most universities of Canada, test takers need IELTS or TOEFL score to get admission as per choices. Other admissions, IELTS score is one of the primary objectives to improve Express Entry Point. It is a kind of Comprehensive Ranking System, where applicants have to apply for the immigration programs. Only those applicants are selected permanent residence in Canada with higher ranks. To score high ranks in CRS, applicants have to score well in IELTS.
Each university has a minimum IELTS score requirement. If an applicant has a score higher than the minimum can be considered as a priority candidate. With this higher score, applicants also have higher chances of getting Teaching Assistantship as compared to others. Teaching assistants help the professor to take a few credit hours of undergraduate students. Students can get a good amount for assistantship which acts as scholarships.
Minimum IELTS Score for Express Entry in Canada
Applicants must know about the average IELTS score to get through Express Entry in Canada. IELTS score is considered a Canadian Language Benchmark. Applicants can score CLB 9 by scoring a good overall band in IELTS for each component. For 9 bands in CBL, the applicant requires 7 on each band of Speaking, Reading and Writing and 8 in Listening.
IELTS Score for Canadian Work Permit
Canadian Language Benchmarks have made demarcation for the English language for adults who wish to work in Canada on a work permit. The difference in the CLB score will define different job types. It is believed that the candidates scoring less than 6 is not considered a good score. IELTS Score seems to be an entry option for Canada. With a better IELTS score, applicants will get a higher CLB score along with work experience. Work Permit renews only depending on all these above-mentioned factors. After spending quality days in Canada, applicants get Permanent Residency (PR) that in turn helps the applicants to get permanent visas to work or stay in Canada permanently. CLB score is dependent on the work experience of candidates, higher education degree and proper growth in career paths.
IELTS Score band required for a student visa in Canada
IELTS score required by the applicant to take admission to the best universities in Canada. Before appearing for IELTS, applicants must know about the band limit for the university application. Many applicants find it difficult to cope up with the required IELTS Score. Get a proper list of top 4-5 universities where one wants to apply for higher studies. One will find out universities accepting band scores of 5.5. This band score doesn’t mean that the university will confirm the admission of the student with such a low score. It is just a qualifying requirement. It is required to maintain a minimum score of 6.5
IELTS Preparation Tips
Applicants can perform better in IELTS by following strict preparation tips. It is an exam where one needs to perform the best after managing time along with skills. One can perform the best with hard work and practice. Few IELTS Preparation Tips are as follows
- Start reading English novels, journals, newspapers, magazines whatever you get to improve vocabulary
- Scanning and Skimming reading passages are the building blocks for basic IELTS preparations
- Always read questions before you start writing answers or reading the passage
- Maintain strict time management while reading unless one will lose reading speed completely
- While reading questions, try to find out the main keywords so that it will be easy to find out answers from passages
- Usage of correct grammar will help in scoring the best possible score in IELTS
- This exam is a complete package of grammatical usage along with best possible vocabulary
- Never use words without knowing proper meaning
- Practice mock tests to know about strengths and weaknesses
- Before appearing for the test, get an overview idea of exam pattern
- Plan a realistic score to achieve for IELTS
- Start speaking in English on regular terms to improve pronunciation
- For the Writing section, practice essay writing within a stringent time period
- Listen to native English speakers to know about accents
- Never try to naturalize native English accents for aiming high scores
- Examiners prefer native accent and look for logical articulation through writing and speaking
- Spend time in reviewing answers given in mock tests to find out mistakes
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