ELP Exams and other assessments
For applicants without 3 years of consecutive, full-time academic study in English, a formal assessment (such as an ELP exam) is required.
- Exam results are valid for 2 years after the test date. Applicants will be assessed on the basis of their most recent English Language Proficiency results.
- ESL Placement Exams are intended for students entering a NAIT ESL program. They cannot be used to prove English Language Proficiency when applying to most NAIT programs.
- If your ESL Placement Exam is your most recent ELP assessment, it may still impact your application to other NAIT programs.
- If you already meet the ELP requirements for your program, please speak to an advisor before taking an ESL Placement Exam at NAIT.
- Accepted exams and scores vary by program. Find your program under the tabs below to see what tests are accepted and what scores are required.
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Programs
- Advanced Care Paramedic
- Animal Health Technology
- Laboratory & X-ray Combined
- Dental Assisting Technology
- Dental Technology
- Denturist Technology
- Diagnostic Medical Sonography
- Magnetic Resonance
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Medical Laboratory Assisting
- Medical Laboratory Technology
- Medical Radiologic Technology
- Veterinary Medical Assistant
English Language Proficiency
For the programs listed above, ELP can be met with ONE of the following exams:
- NAIT English Language Proficiency Exam
Minimum 75% or higher in each of the four components
- NAIT’s Level 6 Courses NEAP611, NEAP621 and NEAP631
Successful completion of all 3 courses with 60% or higher in each course
- Completion of the Canadian Language Benchmarks Assessment (CLB)
with minimum test scores for each component
- 8 in the Speaking component
- 8 in the Reading component
- 8 in the Listening component
- 8 in the Writing component
- IELTS (Academic Format)
with minimum band scores for each component
A minimum overall band score of 6.5 will be required for the Fall 2021 intake onwards
- 6.5 in the Speaking component
- 6.0 in the Reading component
- 6.0 in the Listening component
- 6.0 in the Writing component
- TOEFL IBT (Internet Based)
- 23 in the Speaking component
- 20 in the Reading component
- 20 in the Listening component
- 20 in the Writing component
English Language Proficiency
For the Respiratory Therapy program, ELP can be met with ONE of the following exams:
- Completion of the Canadian Language Benchmarks Assessment (CLB)
with minimum test scores for each component
- 9 in the Speaking component
- 9 in the Reading component
- 9 in the Listening component
- 9 in the Writing component
- Completion of IELTS (Academic Format)
with minimum band scores for each component
- 8.0 in the Listening component
- 7.0 in the Reading component
- 7.0 in the Speaking component
- 7.0 in the Writing component
- Completion of TOEFL IBT (Internet Based)
- 23 in the Speaking component
- 24 in the Reading component
- 28 in the Listening component
- 27 in the Writing component
English Language Proficiency
For the Bachelor of Applied Information Systems Technology program, ELP can be met with ONE of the following exams:
- NAIT’s Level 6 Courses NEAP611, NEAP621 and NEAP631
Successful completion of all 3 courses with 60% or higher in each course
- Completion of the Canadian Language Benchmarks Assessment (CLB)
with minimum test scores for each component
- 8 in the Speaking component
- 8 in the Reading component
- 8 in the Listening component
- 8 in the Writing component
- IELTS (Academic Format)
with the minimum band scores for each component
- 6.5 in the Speaking component
- 6.0 in the Reading component
- 6.0 in the Listening component
- 6.0 in the Writing component
- TOEFL IBT (Internet Based)
- 23 in the Speaking component
- 20 in the Reading component
- 20 in the Listening component
- 20 in the Writing component
English Language Proficiency
For Business Administration , ELP can be met with ONE of the following:
- NAIT English Language Proficiency Exam
Minimum 73% or “B” in each of the four components
- NAIT’s Level 6 Courses NEAP611, NEAP621 and NEAP631
Successful completion of all 3 courses with 60% or higher in each course
- IELTS (Academic Format)
Minimum overall band score of 6.5 with no band less than 5.0
- Canadian Academic English Language Assessment (CAEL)
- Completion of the Canadian Language Benchmarks Assessment (CLB)
with minimum test scores for each component
- 8 in the Speaking component
- 8 in the Reading component
- 8 in the Listening component
- 8 in the Writing component
- Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB)
Minimum score of 85
- Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic)
Minimum overall score of 55
- TOEFL
- TOEFL IBT (Internet Based)
Minimum total score of 80 with no individual component below 20
- TOEFL Paper Based
Minimum Score of 550
- University of Alberta
Successful Completion of ESL140 and ESL145, which is now equivalent to EAP140 and EAP145
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.
- Successful completion of NESL511, NESL521 and NESL531
- IELTS (Academic Format)
- 6.0 Overall Band Score, with no band less than 5.5
- Pearson Test of English- Academic
- 50, with no less than 40 in each communicative skill
- TOEFL iBT (Internet Based)
- Overall score of minimum 74
Learn more about NAIT’s Flexible Learning Options for Business Administration
English Language Proficiency
For all other programs, ELP can be met with ONE of the following exams:
- NAIT English Language Proficiency Exam
Minimum 73% or “B” in each of the four components
- NAIT’s Level 6 Courses NEAP611, NEAP621 and NEAP631
Successful completion of all 3 courses with 60% or higher in each course
- IELTS (Academic Format)
with minimum overall band score of 6.5 with no band less than 5.0
- Canadian Academic English Language Assessment (CAEL)
- Completion of the Canadian Language Benchmarks Assessment (CLB)
with minimum test scores for each component
- 8 in the Speaking component
- 8 in the Reading component
- 8 in the Listening component
- 8 in the Writing component
- Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB)
Minimum score of 85
- Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic)
Minimum overall score of 55
- TOEFL
- TOEFL IBT (Internet Based)
Minimum total score of 80 with no individual component below 20
- TOEFL Paper Based
Minimum Score of 550
- University of Alberta
Successful Completion of ESL140 and ESL145, which is now equivalent to EAP140 and EAP145
Learn more about NAIT's English Language Proficiency test
Additional English Tests During COVID-19
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, resulting in closures of schools and English Language Testing Centres, we recognize the need to provide applicants an alternate way to provide proof of English Language Proficiency. During this time, NAIT continues to offer the NAIT English Language Proficiency Exam online. We will temporarily accept the Duolingo English Test, the TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition Test, or the CAEL Online Test to meet English Language Proficiency Requirements for the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 academic years. Accepting these tests for future intakes is under review. Applicants must request their results be sent directly to NAIT.
Acceptable Minimum Duolingo English Test score required for Business Administration with Provisional Admission: 100
Acceptable Minimum Duolingo English Test score required for all other NAIT programs: 115
Duolingo is not accepted for the Respiratory Therapy program.
TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition and CAEL Online test scores vary by program, and require the same score as the TOEFL IBT or CAEL test scores below.
We recognize our need to review and adjust our response as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve. To stay informed of NAIT’s response to COVID-19 please visit nait.ca/coronavirus.