Language Requirements

English-Language Proficiency Requirements 

All applicants to Nipissing University undergraduate degree programs (excluding BEd) from countries where the dominant language of instruction is not English, are required to demonstrate proficiency in English for admission consideration.

Permanent Resident applicants whose first language is not English may be required to provide proof of proficiency in English. Permanent Resident applicants whose first language is not English but who have lived at least 3 years in Canada, or in a country where English is the dominant language, may be exempt.

Applicants can demonstrate proficiency in 1 of the following ways:

1. Completion of 3 or more consecutive years of full-time education in English within Canada immediately prior to attending Nipissing University.
2. Completion of 3 or more consecutive years of full-time education in English in a country other than Canada where English is the dominant language. These years must be immediately prior to attending Nipissing University.
3. Achieve the required proficiency level on 1 of the following tests of English-language proficiency:
   1. Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): Minimum score of 86 (iBT) with no score below 20 in any section. The Nipissing University TOEFL institution code is #3614
   2. International English Language Test Service (IELTS): Minimum overall band score of 6.5 with no band below 6.0.
   3. The Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB): Minimum overall score of 90%.
   4. Canadian Academic English Language Assessment (CAEL): Minimum score of 60.
   5. Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic: Minimum overall score of 55 with a minimum score of 55 in writing.
   6. Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE): Minimum overall score of 176 with no less than 176 in each skill (Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking) and Use of English.
4. Completion of an International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma with a minimum score of 5 or better in HL or SL English A: Literature or HL or SL English A: Language and Literature.
5. Graduate from a regionally accredited US secondary school and achieve a minimum score of 4 or better in Advanced Placement (AP) English Language & Composition or English Literature & Composition.
6. Achieve a minimum grade of B in GCSE, IGCSE or GCE Ordinary Level English Literature or English Language, a minimum grade of C in GCE A Level or AS Level or AICE or CAPE English or English Language, or a minimum score of M3 in Cambridge Pre-U English.
7. Achieve a minimum score of 75% or better in the All India Senior Secondary School Certificate (ISSC) Core or Functional English or the Indian School Certificate (ISC) English, issued by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE).

Applicants who have met all of Nipissing University’s admission requirements – except for the English-language proficiency requirement – can enroll in an EAP program. Applicants who enroll in 1 of the following programs will receive a conditional offer of admission. By successfully completing the program level indicated below, applicants can begin their studies at Nipissing University without further testing.

UOIT English Language Centre: Level 5

AYJ Global EAP Program: Highest Level

Brock University’s Intensive English Language Program: Level 5

Canadian as a Second Language Institute (CSLI): Advanced Level 10

Capital English Solutions: College/University Preparation Course (CUPIC)

CultureWorks: Level 7

Applicants who have successfully completed EAP programs associated with other Canadian universities and obtained that university’s minimum level for admission consideration may also be considered to have met Nipissing University’s English-language proficiency requirement.

Alternatively, Nipissing University may enter into an agreement with a Languages Canada accredited program/school to offer such services on its campus, with similar minimum levels of proficiency.