Canada accepts TOEFL iBT under Student Direct Stream scheme

IELTS was the only English-language testing choice made available for the SDS route prior to this change.

Hyderabad: The Student Direct Stream (SDS) in Canada will now accept the Toefl (Test of English as a Foreign Language) exam. According to Educational Testing Service (ETS), it is an accelerated study permit processing programme for international students who want to register in one of the nation’s recognised post-secondary schools.

Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will now accept the exam. IELTS was the only English-language testing choice made available for the SDS route prior to this change.

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“Not only will the addition of Toefl benefit the hundreds of thousands of students who take advantage of the SDS route each year, but institutions can feel confident knowing that they can access a wider pool of applicants who can demonstrate their skills with the premier test of English-language proficiency,” said Rohit Sharma Senior Vice President of Global Higher Education and Workskills at ETS.

To ensure those test takers have the best possible experience, ETS, which administers the GRE and Toefl, made a number of adjustments to the English language proficiency test last month. The modifications will take effect from July 26.

According to the reports, students can start including their Toefl iBT results from August 10, 2023, when submitting their SDS applications. As long as all qualifying conditions are satisfied, the majority of SDS applications are handled within 20 calendar days, as per the IRCC.

More than 12,000 universities in more than 160 nations accept TOEFL, which is universally accepted in well-known locations including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as by more than 98% of universities in the United Kingdom.