Yes, you can study at some Canadian institutions without taking IELTS, if you satisfy their English requirements through another accepted route. That might be PTE Academic, another listed test or qualifying previous education. “Without IELTS” does not mean “without English evidence”, and an admission offer does not settle your study-permit application.
Official policies checked: 20 September 2026. The examples below identify their study level and policy scope. Confirm the exact course, intake, test format and document deadline before paying for a test.
Verified alternatives · English-medium education · Study-permit checks · Try a score check · Start practice
Two Canadian university policies that accept alternatives to IELTS
University of Saskatchewan: undergraduate English-proficiency policy
The USask admissions policy lists PTE Academic at 63 overall, with at least 59 in each skill. It also lists TOEFL iBT, Duolingo, Cambridge C1 Advanced and CAEL, each with its own requirements. Do not transfer the PTE numbers to another test.
For the listed test route, scores must come from one sitting and remain valid at the start of the undergraduate term; the page gives a two-year validity period. This is an undergraduate policy example, not a graduate-programme score or a Canadian visa threshold.
UBC Vancouver: graduate PTE Academic baseline
UBC's graduate PTE guidance requires 65 overall and at least 60 in Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. Individual graduate programmes can ask for higher scores. The guidance excludes PTE Home and PTE Online for UBC Vancouver applications.
UBC's wider graduate English-test policy includes other options. For example, its Duolingo entry explicitly covers May and September 2027 admission, with separate overall and component scores. Read the dated entry and your programme's requirements rather than assuming acceptance for every intake.
These examples show why “Which universities accept PTE?” needs a second question: for which programme, level and intake? A central university policy is a starting point. A professional or specialist course may add conditions, so keep the department's page beside the central policy in your notes.
Can an English-medium degree or MOI letter replace IELTS?
Only when the institution's policy accepts your particular educational history and evidence. An MOI letter records the medium of instruction; it does not create an exemption by itself.
For example, USask's previous post-secondary study route includes qualifying study where English is the institution's only language of instruction and examination, not merely the language of selected departments. Duration and recency conditions also apply.
Ask admissions a precise question: “For this course and intake, does my qualification meet your published English-evidence route, and which official documents must I provide?” State what your transcript and institution's confirmation actually establish. Do not mark the requirement complete while a waiver request is still awaiting a decision.
Does admission without IELTS mean no English evidence for the study permit?
Do the permit check separately. IRCC's document guidance directs applicants to additional instructions for the country they apply from. Follow your application checklist, local visa-office instructions and any further document requests. A university's waiver does not decide what an immigration officer may need to assess.
The Student Direct Stream closed in November 2024. Avoid choosing an exam from an old SDS checklist. Our SDS closure and current study-permit planning guide explains the separate document, funding and timing checks with official links.
If you are planning future work or immigration, check that route separately too. Our PTE Core versus PTE Academic guide explains why the two products are not interchangeable. A study-admission test should not be assumed to satisfy every later application.
Try it: an overall PTE score is not the whole check
Original fictional score report: PTE Academic overall 65, Listening 64, Reading 63, Writing 59 and Speaking 68. Compare it with the two published baseline policies above. Does it satisfy both English-score sets?
Reveal the skill check and next action
It meets the listed USask undergraduate PTE numbers, but misses the UBC graduate Writing minimum. Writing 59 is below 60 even though the overall score reaches 65. This numerical comparison does not establish admission: programme rules, delivery format, result validity and other requirements still need checking.
For a learner pursuing the UBC baseline, Writing is the immediate score gap. Take a Writing diagnostic, identify a specific weakness and practise it before reassessing. Do not predict the next official result from one practice answer.
Build a test shortlist before booking
- Record the exact course, degree level, campus and intake.
- List accepted test versions and formats, or the precise alternative-evidence rule.
- Record the overall requirement and all four skill minimums separately.
- Check result age, permitted sittings, score-delivery method and deadline.
- Find the overlap across your actual course shortlist. Resolve unlisted tests with admissions before paying.
- Compare booking availability, result delivery and possible retest time using the providers' current information.
Choose using acceptance first, then try the relevant task types. A microphone-based speaking test and an examiner interview feel different, but neither format makes the required English skills disappear. Avoid selecting solely because somebody calls a test easier or promises faster results.
Turn a verified requirement into practice
If your course accepts PTE Academic, continue with PTE Academic Writing. If IELTS Academic is the accepted option you choose, continue with IELTS Academic Writing. Start with the weakest required skill and review what needs to change in your next response.
BandLadder offers 30k+ IELTS and 25k+ PTE questions across supported exams. Free allowances and paid plans determine access. Practice feedback supports preparation; official tests, universities and immigration authorities determine their respective results and decisions.
Comparing other destinations? Use our country-by-country English requirements checklist to keep course evidence and visa checks separate.
