English Language Proficiency
How to satisfy NAIT's language proficiency requirements
English is the language of instruction at NAIT. If you have previous education outside of Canada in a country that is not on the exempt country list – or you completed your studies in a language other than English – you will need to demonstrate English Language Proficiency (ELP) as part of the admissions process.
NAIT’s ELP requirement is different than academic English language arts requirements your program may have. NAIT may also require you to provide additional ELP proof or documentation during the admissions process. Make sure you monitor your To-Do list in your MyNAIT portal.
1. Complete consecutive, full-time studies in English
You will meet this requirement if you have completed at least:
-
3 years of high school (or combination of high school and post-secondary) in Canada or in a country on NAIT’s ELP exempt country list – including completion of Grade 12 English; or
-
2 years of post-secondary in Canada or an ELP exempt country.
Your studies must have been in English, full-time, and consecutive.
Effective for applicants to Fall 2025 and beyond: You can meet ELP requirements by completing the Cambridge O and/or A level examinations.
View list of ELP exempt countries
Applicants with the qualifications listed above from these countries meet the English Language Proficiency requirement.
- American Samoa
- Antigua & Barbuda
- Anguilla
- Australia
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- Bermuda
- Botswana
- British Virgin Islands
- Brunei
- Canada (except Quebec)
- Cameroon (English curriculum)
- Cayman Islands
- Dominica
- Falkland Islands
- Fiji
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Gibraltar
- Grenada
- Guam
- Guyana
- Ireland
- Jamaica
- Kenya
- Kiribati
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Malta
- Malawi
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritius
- Montserrat
- Namibia
- New Zealand
- Nigeria
- Northern Ireland
- Pacific Islands
- Panama Canal Zone
- Papua New Guinea
- Philippines
- Puerto Rico
- Russell Islands
- Ryukyu Islands
- Scotland
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Singapore
- Solomon Islands
- South Africa
- St. Helena
- St. Kitts & Nevis
- St. Lucia
- St. Vincent & Grenadines
- Swaziland
- Tanzania
- Trinidad & Tobago
- Turks & Caicos Islands
- Tuvalu
- Uganda
- United States of America
- U.S. Virgin Islands
- United Kingdom
- Wales
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Canadian accredited schools abroad
If you completed your studies in English at a high school outside of Canada which is accredited to offer the curriculum of a Canadian province, you meet NAIT's ELP requirement. This is different from IQAS or WES recognition.
If I completed my education in English, but my country is not listed above, do I meet NAIT’s ELP requirements?
If you didn't study English in an exempt country or attend a Canadian-accredited school abroad, you'll need to take an ELP test to meet NAIT's ELP requirements.
- Effective for applicants to Fall 2025 and beyond: You can submit your post-secondary credentials for possible ELP exemption consideration. After reviewing your education, NAIT may still require you to take an ELP test to satisfy the ELP requirements.
2. Complete specific English language courses
Achieve acceptable marks in one of the following English language courses:
| School or institution |
Course(s) |
Minimum required grade |
|
Canadian high schools
Review out-of-province course equivalencies
|
- English 30-1 or
- English 30-2
|
- 65% or higher
- 70% or higher
|
| Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) |
All three ESL Level 6 courses:
- NEAP611 - Listening & Speaking, and
- NEAP621 - Reading & Vocabulary, and
- NEAP631 - Grammar & Writing
|
- Passing grade of 60% or higher in each course
|
| Bayswater |
University Pathway Program - Level 8 |
80% or higher in:
- General English; and
- EAP Pathway Modules; and
- in attendance
|
| Global Village (Canadian offices only) |
English for Academic Purposes (EAP) - Level 7 |
- 80% or higher; and
- 80% or higher in attendance
|
| ILSC Canada |
English for Academic Purposes – Advanced 1 program ( or higher) |
- Passing grade of B or higher; and
- 80% or higher in attendance
|
| International Language Academy of Canada (ILAC) |
Pathway 3.2 or Pathway 3.3 or Pathway 3.4
|
|
| St. George International College (SGIC) |
University & College Preparation Program (Pathway Program) |
70% or higher in:
- Argumentation; and
- Problem Solving; and
- Canadian Academic Culture; and
- No more than 5 absences
|
| University of Alberta |
EAP137 (or equivalent) |
|
Applicants to Fall 2025 and beyond
Effective for Fall 2025 applications, NAIT will also accept any of the following institutions or curriculums with acceptable marks:
| School/institution or curriculum |
Course(s) |
Minimum required grade |
| Advanced Placement (AP) English |
AP English College Board Examination |
|
| International Baccalaureate (IB) |
- English A: Literature, or Language and Literature or
- English B
|
|
Are you currently taking one of the courses listed above?
- If you meet a program's admission requirements, you can receive a conditional offer of admission if you are currently enrolled in NAIT’s ESL Level 6 courses or another course listed above.
- Note if you’re taking ILAC, Global Village, Bayswater, or SGIC pathway courses, you will need to submit proof of your enrolment, including the end date of your course, to be considered for conditional admission.
3. Take an ELP test
Accepted assessment tests
NAIT accepts the following ELP assessment tests and the minimum test score. ELP test results are only valid for two years from the test date.
| English Language Proficiency (ELP) test |
Minimum accepted test score |
| IELTS Academic
|
6.0 in each section |
| NAIT’s ELP Exam |
73% or “B” in each section |
| Canadian Language Benchmarks Assessment (CLB) or Canadian Language Benchmark Placement Assessment (CLBPA) |
8.0 in each section |
| CAEL or CAEL Online |
60 overall score |
| Cambridge English Language Assessment |
B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency: 169 in each section |
| TOEFL iBT; Home Edition is also accepted |
20 in each section
- Effective Fall 2025: 70 overall score, with a minimum score of 17 in each section
|
| Duolingo |
115 overall score, with a minimum score of 100 in each integrated subscore.
|
| Michigan English Test (MET) |
59 overall score |
| PTE Academic or PTE Academic online |
58 overall score |
| LanguageCert B2 Communicator Test |
38 in each section |
Provisional admission – Business Administration
Students who do not meet regular ELP listed above for Business Administration but meet the other academic requirements may qualify for provisional admission with ONE of the lower English Language Proficiency requirements listed below. Provisional admissions allows students to complete their NAIT ESL Level 6 courses within the first 12 months of starting the program.
| Assessment test |
Minimum accepted test score |
| NAIT’s Level 5 Courses |
60% in each of these courses:
- NEAP511 and
- NEAP521 and
- NEAP531
|
| IELTS Academic |
6.0 overall score, with no section below 5.5
- Effective Fall 2025: 5.5 overall score, with a minimum score of 5.5 in each section
|
| PTE Academic or PTE Academic online |
50, with no less than 40 in each communicative skill |
TOEFL iBT
Home Edition is also accepted |
74 overall score
- Effective Fall 2025: 56 overall score, with a minimum score of 14 in each section
|
| Duolingo |
100 overall score
- Effective Fall 2025: 100 overall score, with a minimum score of 100 in Production
|
Learn more about NAIT's Flexible Learning Options for Business Administration
How to submit your ELP test results
Send your test results to NAIT by doing the following:
- Select NAIT as a recipient of your test results when registering for your ELP test so we can review and verify your test results online; and
- Upload a copy of your test results in MyNAIT (Open Self Service > Admissions > Submission of Documents). This is an important step to ensure NAIT is notified that you took an ELP test.
If you take a test but do not complete both steps mentioned above, your admissions decision could be delayed.