Metadata
Title
English Language Requirements
Category
undergraduate
UUID
59fe21c9724748d0aa4c0427b9a8618f
Source URL
https://future.utoronto.ca/english-language-requirements
Parent URL
-
Crawl Time
2026-03-10T06:57:35+00:00
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English Language Requirements

Source: https://future.utoronto.ca/english-language-requirements

English is the language of instruction and examination at U of T, and success in our degree programs requires a high level of English language proficiency.

Who needs to provide proof of English proficiency?

If English is notyour first language (i.e. is not the first language you learned at home as a child), you will need to provide evidence of adequate English facility for admission consideration, unless you qualify for an exemption.

Exemptions from our English language requirement

You may qualify for an exemption from the English facility requirement if one of the following applies to you:

If you meet any of the exemption criteria, you can request an English language test exemption after you apply. Once you receive your application acknowledgement email, you'll be able to access the "English Language Test Exemption Request Form" on the Join U of T applicant portal.

English course requirement for admission

All applicants, including those who must present proof of English facility, are required to present a senior level English course (equivalent to Ontario ENG4U/EAE4U) for admission to all undergraduate programs. The English course result will be considered in the admissions process and calculated as part of an applicant’s admission average.

Accepted English proficiency tests or qualifications

If you are required to present evidence of English language facility, you can satisfy the requirement by completing one of the tests/qualifications listed below with acceptable results.

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#### Requirements

A minimum overall score of 180, with at least 170 in each component. For information, visit the Cambridge English website. Results from the B2 First exam are not accepted (regardless of the result achieved).

#### Submitting results

Use the "Send Your Result" function of the Candidate Results portal to send your results electronically to the University of Toronto. - ### Canadian Academic English Language Assessment (CAEL) including CAEL Online

#### Requirements

The minimum score required to meet our English facility requirement is an overall score of 70 and no part below 60. For information, visit the CAEL website.

#### Submitting results

Sign in to your CAEL Account and select University of Toronto as a recipient institution. Results are transmitted to us electronically. - ### Caribbean Examinations Council English courses

#### Requirements

The minimum requirement is a final grade of A (I) or B (II) in CSEC English.

#### Submitting results

Upload a copy of your Statement of Results (issued by CXC) to the Join U of T applicant portal or the Engineering Applicant Portal. - ### Duolingo English Test

#### Requirements

The minimum requirement for tests completed on or after July 1st, 2024 is an overall score of 120 with a score of 120 in Production. The minimum requirement for tests completed before July 1st, 2024 is an overall score of 120, with no subscore below 100. For more information, visit the Duolingo English Test website.

#### Submitting results

To avoid processing delays, do not send your results until you have received your U of T applicant number. To send your results, log in to your Duolingo English Test account and use the “Send Results” function to forward your results to “University of Toronto – Undergraduate”. You will be prompted to add your U of T applicant number to your request. - ### English Language Diagnosis and Assessment/Certificate of Proficiency in English (ELDA/COPE)

#### Requirements

The minimum requirement is a total score of 86, with 32 in Writing and 22 in each of Reading and Listening\ Discretionary Range: total score 80 or higher, with 32 in Writing and 22 in each of Reading and Listening

Test results that fall into the discretionary range will be reviewed automatically. Applicants will be notified if their discretionary range score satisfies the English language requirement. As we cannot guarantee that these scores will be accepted, it is recommended that applicants arrange to take another test if the official results can be submitted to us by the appropriate document deadline.

ELDA/COPE is currently available in Toronto only. For information, visit the COPE Testing website.

#### Submitting results

Results must be sent to us electronically by the testing service. - ### GCSE/IGCSE/GCE/AICE English

#### Requirements

A minimum final grade of “B” (“6” in reformed qualifications) in GCSE/IGCSE/GCE Ordinary Level English, English Language, or English as a Second Language; OR a minimum final or predicted grade of “C” in GCE A Level/AS Level/AICE English or English Language. Note that English as an Additional Language and English Literature are not accepted.

#### Submitting results

Final results should be sent to us directly by the appropriate examination authority. Predicted results should be sent by your school. - ### International Baccalaureate (IB) English

#### Requirements

The minimum requirement is a score of at least 4 (predicted or final) in Higher or Standard Level English A: Literature or English A: Language and Literature. IB English B HL with a score of 7 is also acceptable.

#### Submitting results

Final results should be sent to us directly by the International Baccalaureate Organization. You can make your request online at ibo.org (select "University of Toronto" as the transcript recipient). Predicted results should be sent by your school. - ### IELTS Academic (including IELTS Online)

#### Requirements

The minimum requirement is an overall band of 6.5, with no band below 6.0. Results from IELTS (Academic) for UKVI test sittings are accepted. For information, visit the IELTS website.

Note: We do not accept the IELTS Indicator test or results from the IELTS One Skill Retake. Applicants must achieve the scores listed above on a single date.

#### Submitting results

We only accept scores submitted electronically by the IELTS test centre. An institutional code is not required. Contact your IELTS test centre directly to arrange for your scores to be sent electronically to our account via the IELTS Results Service. All test centres worldwide are able to transmit your scores to our system. You must provide the following information to your test centre when submitting:

#### Requirements

The minimum requirement is a three-year/Advanced Diploma or current enrolment in the final semester of a three-year/Advanced Diploma or Applied Degree program with overall standing of “B+”. A current, updated transcript is required. All three or four years of study must be completed in Ontario.

#### Submitting results

Official transcripts must be sent to us directly by the OUAC. - ### Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic

#### Requirements

The minimum requirement is an overall score of 65 with no part below 60. Results from PTE (Academic) UKVI test sittings are accepted. For more information, visit the Pearson Test of English website.

#### Submitting results

We only accept scores submitted electronically through myPTE account. For more information, visit the PTE Help Center: Scoring page. - ### TOEFL iBT (including Home Edition and Paper Edition)

#### Requirements

The minimum requirement for tests taken before January 21, 2026 is a total score of 89 with 22 in each of Speaking and Writing. The requirements for applicants who took the test on or after January 21, 2026 is an overall score of 4.5 with 4.5 in Writing and 4.0 in Speaking.

Applicants must achieve the scores listed above on a single date. TOEFL MyBest (super-scored) results will not be used.

We do not accept TOEFL Essentials, TOEFL ITP or TOEFL ITP Plus for China for admission purposes.

#### Submitting results

Results must be sent to us electronically from ETS – TOEFL. The institution code is 0982-00. For information, visit the TOEFL website. - ### University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies “Academic English” course

#### Requirements

The minimum requirement is a grade of “B” at the 60/Advanced level. For information, visit the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies website.

#### Submitting results

Upon successful completion of the Academic English Level 60 course, you must ask the English Language Program office to send the results electronically to the Office of University Admissions and Outreach. - ### University Studies

#### Requirements

The minimum requirement is one year of full-time study completed at a recognized university in a country where English is the dominant language. At least four full-year transferable courses completed with a grade of “C” in each are required. Courses in progress will also be considered. A current, updated transcript is required.

#### Submitting results

Official final transcripts should be sent to us directly by the university, or through the OUAC if you attended university in Ontario.

Don't meet our English language requirement?

If you’re academically qualified but don't yet meet our English language requirement, our English language transition programs can help. Offered on all three campuses and ranging from six weeks to eight months, these programs build your English skills and prepare you for university studies.

Browse our English language transition programs

Submitting your results

Your results need to be sent to us as soon as possible and received no later than your deadline for submitting supporting documentation—find the appropriate deadline in Important Application Dates and on your applicant portal. You will not be penalized for an unacceptable result, so we encourage you to send all test results as they become available.

We accept only official test scores sent directly to University Admissions & Outreach by the testing agency.

Be sure that you register for a test using the same first name, surname (last/family name) and date of birth as on your application for admission. We cannot match your results to your application if this information differs.

For verification purposes, the university reserves the right to share English facility test results sent in support of your application for admission with other English facility test provider(s) who have submitted results to University Admissions & Outreach on your behalf. We also reserve the right to require recent, government-issued photo identification for verification purposes.

Countries that may qualify for exemption

You may qualify for an exemption if you have studied in English (for at least four years) in any of the following countries/territories:

Please note that this list is for information only. Your eligibility for an exemption will be determined after you have submitted your application for admission and relevant supporting documents like your transcripts.

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Frequently asked questions

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No. A senior-level English course is required for admission, but it does not meet the English language proficiency requirement. If you're required to provide proof of English facility, you must do so using an accepted test or qualification. - ### Can I send my test scores myself?

No. Be sure to carefully follow the instructions—test scores must be sent directly to the University of Toronto by the testing agency. Scores submitted by the applicant or their school will not be accepted. - ### What happens if I don't meet the minimum test scores?

Meeting our language requirement is a condition for admission. If you don't meet the required scores but are otherwise admissible, you may be considered for one of our English Language Transition Programs. - ### Do I need to meet the English requirement if I'm a transfer student?

Yes. All applicants, whether entering from high school, college or university, must meet the English language proficiency requirement, unless they qualify for an exemption.