New Delhi: The TOEFL test is now accepted for use on Canada’s Student Direct Stream (SDS), an expedited study permit processing program for international students wishing to enroll in one of the country’s post-secondary educational institutions, according to the Educational Testing Service (ETS).
The test is approved by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Previously, IELTS was the only English language test option allowed for the SDS pathway.
“Not only will the addition of the TOEFL benefit the hundreds of thousands of students who take the SDS route each year, but institutions can also rest easy knowing they have access to a larger pool of applicants who are proving their skills on the first test English Skills,” Rohit Sharma, Senior Vice President of Global Higher Education and Workskills at ETS.
Students can start submitting iBT Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores as part of their SDS application from August 10, 2023. According to IRCC, as long as all eligibility requirements are met, most SDS applications are processed within 20 calendar days.
“The acceptance of the TOEFL iBT for the SDS route is a welcome step that will benefit many Indian students wishing to study at Canadian institutions. Indians are the largest student population in Canada and this change will ease their visa and admissions process, potentially making Canada a… “It’s an even more popular study abroad destination for Indian students,” said Maria Mathai, founder of MM Advisory Services, a consulting firm for foreign education.
ETS, which administers TOEFL and Graduate Record Examinations (GRE), announced a number of changes to the English proficiency test last month to provide students with the best possible experience. The changes will come into effect on July 26th.
Welcomed by more than 12,000 institutions in over 160 countries, TOEFL is widely accepted in popular tourist destinations such as the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and by over 98 percent of universities in the United Kingdom.
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