Are Canadian Universities Strict on IELTS Scores for Engineering Programs?

[shayekh-arjan]

In order to get admitted into the ENGINEERING UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM in Canada for the foreigners, good score in IELTS is a must. But most of the universities have increased the requied score in IELTS from this year. For insrance, Waterloo University is now asking for 7.5, York University 7 and Ottawa University 7. But my question is do the universities are strick upon their such score in IELTS? I mean, if i get 6.5 or 7 in IELTS then will the waterloo university accept me for the Engineering Undergard Progarm? Because, Toronto University, McGill University are asking for 6.5 only. So does it really matter?

 

[MATLABdude]

Well, I Googled IELTS and Waterloo, and got this page:
http://www.ucalendar.uwaterloo.ca/0708/ADMISSIONS/eng_lang.html

You are NOT required to provide an English proficiency test score if

• your first language is English, or
• you are a bilingual francophone Canadian and you have been education in Canada, or
• your 4 most recent years of education have been taught entirely in English in a country outside of Canada.

Please be aware that official transcripts indicating subjects taught, grades achieved, and language of instruction must be provided by your secondary and/or post-secondary institution(s) to support your claim.

You ARE required to provide an English proficiency test score if

• your first language is not English and
• your 4 most recent years of education have not been taught entirely in English

And perhaps the quote which directly answers your question of why they ask for this, and what they can do if you fail to meet the requirements:

The official language of instruction at the University of Waterloo is English. It is the responsibility of the University to ensure that its undergraduate students have sufficient English language skills to cope with the demands of the academic curriculum as well as, for many, the communication skills to be successful in co-operative education programs.

The University reserves the right to withdraw any Offer of Admission if the applicant fails to meet the minimum English language requirements for the faculty to which they have applied.

So, if you can somehow convince the Waterloo admission people that you a singularly talented person who must be recruited, then you are probably in. Otherwise, probably not.