English Language Proficiency

Your success at Emily Carr University depends on your English proficiency.

Regardless of your immigration or citizenship status, if English is not your first language (is not the first language you learned at home as a child), you will need to provide evidence of adequate English proficiency for admission consideration, unless you qualify for an exemption. See below for possible exemptions - only applicable when official transcripts are submitted.

See deadlines on the How to Apply page.

Acceptable English Language Proficiency tests:

1. TOEFL iBT - Emily Carr institution code: #0032
   • Internet-Based Test
   • minimum of 84 out of 120 total points including a minimum score in each of the four skills; Speaking 20/30, Reading 20/30, Writing 18/30, and Listening 20/30.
2. IELTS Academic Module
   • International English Language Testing System
   • minimum band 6.5, with no component less than 6.0
3. CAEL
   • Canadian Academic English Language assessment test
   • minimum level of 70 overall
4. PTE Academic
   • Pearson Test of English Academic
   • minimum score of 56
5. CAE Cambridge English Advanced
   • minimum scale score of 176 with no individual score less than 169
6. CPE
   • Cambridge Proficiency Examination
   • minimum scale score of 176 with no individual score less than 169
7. MELAB
   • Michigan English Language Assessment Battery
   • minimum level of 81
8. CELPIP Academic Test Canadian English Proficiency Index Program
   • minimum Academic Level 4L

Exemptions

If you meet any one of the following conditions, you may be exempt from having to submit an English proficiency test. Official transcripts must be submitted for exemptions to be considered.

• Successfully complete three or more consecutive years of recognized, full-time education in English within Canada immediately prior to attending Emily Carr, and receive an over all grade of a “C” or higher. - which excludes ESL studies.
• Successfully complete four or more consecutive years of full-time education in English in a country other than Canada where English is the principal language. These four years must be immediately prior to attending Emily Carr (see below for qualifying countries).
• Achieve a final grade of 4 or better on Advanced Placement (AP) English Language & Composition or AP Literature & Composition; or achieve a final grade of 5 or better on International Baccalaureate English A (higher-level or standard-level).
• Successfully complete six credits of post-secondary first-year English studies at a recognized university in a country where English is the principal language (see below for qualifying countries).
• Graduation from a recognized degree program at an accredited university where English is the principle language of instruction in a country where the dominant language is English (see below for qualifying countries).
• Attend four or more years at an eligible international secondary school that uses English as the language of instruction but operates in a country where the primary language is not English. These four years must be immediately prior to attending Emily Carr. See below for Eligible International Secondary Schools.

Qualifying Countries:

American Samoa, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Belize, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Gibraltar, Grenada, Guam, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malta, Mauritius, Montserrat, New Zealand, Nigeria, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States of America, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Eligible International Secondary Schools:

1. International Baccalaureate Diploma Program

• You must be completing the IB diploma program.
• You must have studied at a school that meets the above criteria for four years and be completing IB higher-level or standard-level English A1 or A2.
• If you’ve studied fewer than four years, your final grade in IB English A1 or A2 must be 5 or higher.

2. Council of International Schools

• Your school must be an accredited member of the Council of International Schools.
• You must have studied at a school that meets the above criteria for four years and be completing the senior or Grade 12 level (non-ESL).

3. British Curriculum (A Levels + GCSEs)

• You must achieve a final grade of A or B in A Level English (non-ESL).

4. Indian Secondary School Curricula

• Your school must be affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education or the Council for the Indian School Certificate.
• You must be pursuing or have completed the curriculum leading to either the Indian Senior School Certificate (SSC) or the Indian School Certificate (ISC).
• You must achieve a minimum grade of 75% (Indian grading scale) on your senior English subject. Emily Carr will use interim grades (e.g., pre-board exam results) if you are currently attending secondary school or final Class XII grades if you have graduated from secondary school.

Emily Carr University reserves the right to exclude schools from exemption.

Emily Carr University of Art + Design and Vancouver Community College CREATIVE ART PATHWAY program

Emily Carr University of Art + Design  (ECUAD) and Vancouver Community College (VCC) are pleased to announce the Creative Art Pathway (CAP) program for potential Emily Carr Students who have conditional acceptance to ECUAD, but who do not meet the English Language proficiency requirements for admission.  Students admitted to this program will attend both campuses and be co-registered at VCC and ECUAD.  This program will provide English proficiency upgrading at VCC and also allow students to take Emily Carr studio courses, providing a sense of community and connection to ECUAD.

The Creative Art Pathway (CAP) stream consists of three components:

• English for Creative Practice – A customized, non-credit course taken at VCC for ECUAD students exclusively that focuses on the development of core oral and written communication skills needed for success at ECUAD.
• English for Academic Purposes (EAP) – Students will be required to successfully complete courses in English for Academic Purposes at VCC (depending on the IELTS score of the student.)
• ECUAD Studio Course – first year, 6.0 credit Core Studio Course.

Eligibility:

Candidates who meet Emily Carr’s visual art portfolio and academic admissions requirements but do not meet the minimum IELTS score and whose IELTS score is not lower than 5.5 in any skill area will receive a conditional offer of admission from ECUAD to attend the Creative Art Pathway program.

Dates:

The CAP program will be offered in the Fall (September to December) term in conjunction with the Emily Carr University and Vancouver Community College academic schedules.  Students may be required to take one or two terms depending on their skill level and academic progression through the program.

Prospective Students interested in applying to this program should contact admissions@ecuad.ca

My current courses are not yet completed, can I still apply?

• If you have not completed your program of studies (high school, college or otherwise) you should submit in-progress or interim educational documents by the application deadline, and decisions will be made based on these documents.  
• If you are admitted, your admission letter will request submission of your final official documents, showing successful completion of qualifying courses, by a particular date: usually August 1 for students starting in September, or December 31 for students starting in January.

Have you received my transcripts yet?

Due to the heavy volume of documents being received, we are not able to determine if your documents have arrived. If you require notification that we have received your transcripts, you can either drop them off in person or send them by a courier service through which you can personally track receipt. 

My English proficiency test will not be complete by the application deadline. What can I do?

All educational documents must be received by Emily Carr including English Language Proficiency Tests by the application deadline, however, you may email a scanned copy of your documents to admissions[at]ecuad.ca which will suffice until the original documents arrive.