Starting from August 10, 2023, Canada study visa applicants via SDS will no longer need IELTS Score (Academic) of 6 bands in each module. Instead, only an overall score of 6 will be required in IELTS Academic.

The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), recently announced that Indian students applying through the Student Direct Stream (SDS) category for Canadian study permit will not be required to achieve a minimum score of 6.0 bands in all individual sections (Reading, Speaking, Writing, and Listing) of the test. For example, if you achieve a 5.5 in Reading and Writing and a 6.5 in Speaking and Listening you would achieve an overall 6.0 band score.

However, applicants who sit the IELTS General Training will need a minimum band score of 6.0 in each skill; Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. 

This can help those students who wish to pursue higher education from abroad but were unable to do so simply because of the language barrier. It can be viewed as an opportunity for individuals who previously faced difficulties achieving higher band scores. It offers a chance for those who possess exceptional skills beyond their proficiency in the English language but have been impeded by the same.

You can apply to SDS with IELTS Academic or General Training test scores that are up to 2 years old. This means you can also use test scores received before 10th August 2023 to apply to SDS after the changes take effect on 10th August 2023. 

And also, from August 10, 2023, applicants will be able to submit English language test results from alternative proficiency exams, including the Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) General, Canadian Academic English Language (CAEL) Test, Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic, and Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) iBT.

The new academic tests which will now be accepted by the IRCC as proof of English proficiency for SDS.

Applicants to the SDS visa program will still need to achieve the following minimum scores for their application to be successful. The table below highlights the minimum overall score required for each English proficiency test.