Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) widened the English tests accepted for its Student Direct Stream (SDS) on 10 August 2023. Pearson announced that day that IRCC had begun accepting PTE Academic test centre scores for all SDS applications. Before this, only IELTS and CELPIP results had been accepted, according to Pearson.
Key facts
- From 10 August 2023
- Added PTE Academic (test centre scores)
- IELTS Academic Overall 6.0, no minimum per skill (was 6.0 in each skill)
- Older tests Usable if within IRCC's validity period
- Ended SDS closed on 8 November 2024
The IELTS change
IELTS reported on 4 October 2023 that, from the same date, SDS applicants using IELTS Academic needed only an overall band of 6.0, with no minimum in each skill. Previously the rule was 6.0 in each of Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. IELTS Academic could be taken on paper or on computer.
Older results
Both Pearson and IELTS said tests taken before 10 August 2023 could be used for applications made after that date, as long as they were still within the validity period set by IRCC, which IELTS gave as two years from the test date.
Who SDS was for
SDS offered faster study permit processing to legal residents of 14 countries, including India, Pakistan, the Philippines and Vietnam. It required, among other things, a letter of acceptance, proof of first-year tuition, a Guaranteed Investment Certificate of CAD 10,000 and an English or French test result.
What this means
This item is now history: IRCC closed SDS on 8 November 2024, and all students apply through the regular study permit stream. If you are applying to study in Canada now, the English test and score you need are set mainly by your college or university, so check its admissions page before you book IELTS, PTE or another test.