What IELTS score do you need for Dawson College?

Dawson admits applicants who hold a Certificate of Eligibility for English instruction first. Applicants without one, which includes international students, are admitted after all certificate holders who meet the program thresholds, and their cut-offs may vary with the number of applications.

International students are not eligible to apply for a winter semester unless they already hold a valid college-level CAQ (or CSQ) and a valid study permit. For foreign transcripts you can pay Dawson a $50 evaluation fee or submit an attestation of equivalence from Quebec's immigration ministry, which Dawson recommends.

Dawson's scores decide admission only. IRCC sets no minimum English score for a study permit; any language condition is written into your letter of acceptance (see IELTS for a Canada study permit). The Post-Graduation Work Permit is a separate test again. IRCC's PGWP eligibility page asks for CLB 7 in all four skills if you graduate with a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree or from any other university program, and CLB 5 for any other college, polytechnic or non-university program. On IELTS General Training, CLB 7 is 6.0 in every skill and CLB 5 is Reading 4.0 and Writing, Listening and Speaking 5.0 (IRCC score table). The PGWP takes IELTS General Training, CELPIP-General or PTE Core, not IELTS Academic, and college programs also face a field-of-study rule if you applied for your study permit on or after 1 November 2024 (see IELTS for the PGWP). In Quebec there is one more step first: after you accept your offer you need a Certificat d'acceptation du Québec (CAQ) from the Quebec immigration ministry, and only then can you apply for the federal study permit.