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Becoming a Golden Hawk means more than just cheering on our (really good) varsity teams – it means being a student who cares about your community, who works hard in the classroom, and who takes advantage of all the learning opportunities that can happen outside the classroom, too.
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Laurier's language of instruction is English, and so we may require you to provide evidence of your English proficiency to help make sure you experience success in your academic courses.
Your three most recent years of full-time education must be in English without taking any ESL (English as a Second Language) courses. If you do not meet this requirement, you must provide evidence of your English proficiency.
We reserve the right to request an English-language test from any applicant.
If you do not meet Laurier's English proficiency requirement but are academically qualified for your program, you may be eligible for a conditional offer of admission.
You must make arrangements to write an English-language test and have the results forwarded directly to our office. Some testing centres may require our institution code, which is 0893.
Language Test or Preparation Program |
Minimum Score Requirement |
---|---|
Internet-based testing (TOEFL iBT or TOEFL iBT Home Edition): an overall score of 83 or higher with a minimum score of 20 in each component. Paper-based testing: 560 overall. |
|
IELTS Academic or IELTS Online score of 6.5 or higher, with a minimum of 6.0 in each band. |
|
CAEL or CAEL Online: 70 overall; 60 in each band. |
|
PTE Academic or PTE Academic Online score of 59 overall or higher. |
|
Cambridge Assessment English, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency: 176 overall. |
|
Minimum score of 115. |
|
Atlantic Canada Language Academy (ACLA) |
Completion of Level 7/B2+. |
International Language Academy of Canada (ILAC) University Pathway Program |
University Pathway III Certificate: PW 3.3. |
International Language Schools of Canada (ILSC) University Pathway Program |
Completion of Level A2. |
Completion of Level 5. |
|
Renison University College’s English for Academic Success (EFAS) |
Level (400) with a satisfactory final score of 75%. |
Level 4 with a satisfactory final score of 70%. |
|
Advanced level 9 and 10 with a satisfactory final score of 75%. |
|
Completion of Advanced Level (C1). |
1 The information listed above is used for admission purposes only. For questions about accepted tests for immigration to Canada, please get in touch with Laurier International at laurierinternational@wlu.ca.
The following options may provide you with a helpful alternative if you are unable to write an English-language test in person.
If you meet the academic requirements for your program but do not meet our English-proficiency requirement, you may receive an offer of admission with a condition to provide evidence of your English proficiency. This means you still have to complete our English-proficiency requirement, but you will have a conditional offer of admission to your academic program.
One of the options for completing our English-proficiency requirement is to complete the Laurier English and Academic Foundation (LEAF) program. By enrolling in LEAF, you will get to study at Laurier and participate in all parts of student life while improving your academic English. You’ll be ready and prepared to begin studying in your academic program.
The LEAF program is offered at our Brantford campus, and you can enrol in LEAF whether your academic program is offered at the Waterloo campus or the Brantford campus.
To receive a conditional offer of admission, you must be eligible for level 2, 3, 4, or 5 of the LEAF program. After completing level 5, you can begin studying in your academic program full time.
Which level of LEAF you are eligible for is determined according to your most recent score on an English-language test.
Your IELTS Score | Your TOEFL Score | Your CAEL Score | LEAF Level |
---|---|---|---|
6.0 | 65 | 60 | 5 |
5.5 | 50 | 50 | 4 |
5.0 | 35 | 40 | 3 |
4.5 | 32 | 30 | 2 |
Note: All accepted English-language tests can be used to determine LEAF program eligibility. Email the LEAF program office at leaf@wlu.ca to see which level you may qualify for based on another English-language test.
If we have requested proof of English proficiency from you, you can ask to be exempt from submitting an English-language test. To be eligible for exemption, you must have successfully studied in an English-language school system on a full-time basis for a minimum of three years, without completing any ESL (English as a Second Language) courses. If it has been more than two years since the completion of this education, you must submit an English-language test. We reserve the right to request an English-language test from any applicant.
Haven't received a decision yet on your application? Submit one of the following to request an exemption. If your document is not in English, you must submit a fully translated document in English. Exemptions are not guaranteed.
Recruitment and Admissions Office
Wilfrid Laurier University
75 University Avenue West
Waterloo, ON
N2L 3C5
Contact Us:
Recruitment and Admissions
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