The Educational Testing Service (ETS) announced on May 30, 2023, that the TOEFL iBT test has been approved by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for use in Canada’s Student Direct Stream (SDS). Students can start sending their TOEFL iBT scores beginning August 10, 2023. “This is available to legal residents in Antigua and Barbuda; Brazil; China; Colombia; Costa Rica; India; Morocco; Pakistan; Peru; Philippines; Senegal; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Trinidad and Tobago; and Vietnam,” the statement by ETS read.
The announcement comes after the ETS in April 2023 announced new changes to the test format. According to the press statement, SDS is an expedited study permit processing program for international students from 14 countries who seek to enrol in Canada’s postsecondary designated learning institutions. Earlier, only an English-language testing option was authorized for the SDS route. The expansion will now let the test takers choose a test that best suits them.
Rohit Sharma, senior vice president of Global Higher Education and Workskills at ETS, said, “We are thrilled to be unlocking more opportunities for students to access one of the world’s most desirable study abroad destinations.”
“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,” Sharma added.
TOEFL iBT is accepted by all Canadian universities. The announcement comes after the ETS in April 2023 announced new changes to the test format, introducing shortened duration, simplified registration and increased score transparency. The test score is accepted by over 12,000 institutions from over 160 countries worldwide for admissions.
