Starting today (August 10), IELTS test takers applying through Canada’s Student Direct Stream (SDS) for study permits are no longer obligated to attain a minimum score of 6.0 bands in each individual section. Instead, a cumulative band score of 6.0 is now sufficient for IELTS. The changes have been made by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to make the process smoother for the aspirants.

IDP Education’s Regional Director, Piyush Kumar, had earlier cited modification is expected to simplify the application process and broaden opportunities for international students aspiring to study in Canada under the SDS program.

Here’s all you need to know:

• IRCC announced changes in the IELTS requirement for Canada SDS starting August 10, 2023.
• The IELTS test-takers applying via the SDS program will now be required to score an overall 6.0 band to qualify.
• The decision to eliminate the individual score of 6.0 bands was taken to emphasize the importance of the comprehensive abilities of the test-takers.
• The latest change in the requirement of IELTS is to facilitate better opportunities for international students to pursue their education in Canada.

“Now test takers would find it even more attractive for the SDS programme. IELTS has the biggest network of test centres. It provides the option of paper-based tests in more than 150 venues across over 80 cities in India and computer-delivered tests in 46 centres, making it very convenient for the candidates. We also plan to introduce IELTS One Skill Retake (OSR) in India soon to ensure the candidates have the flexibility to retake any one section of the test,” Kumar said.