2.2 English Language Proficiency Requirements

Office of the Registrar
University Regulations (2007/2008)

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2.2 English Language Proficiency Requirements

Since English is the primary language of instruction at this University, all applicants seeking admission to Memorial University of Newfoundland must possess an adequate knowledge of written and spoken English as a prerequisite to admission. Regardless of country of origin or of citizenship status, applicants will be required to provide proof of proficiency in the English language based on one of the following forms.

2.2.1 English Language Secondary Institution

Applicants are required to have successfully completed the equivalent of three years of full-time instruction in an English language secondary institution as recognized by Memorial University of Newfoundland including successful completion of appropriate course(s) in English at the Grade XII or equivalent level. English as a Second Language (ESL) courses are not acceptable for meeting this requirement.

2.2.2 English Language Post-Secondary Institution

Applicants who have attended a recognized post-secondary institution where English is the language of instruction must have successfully completed the equivalent of 30 credit hours. These 30 credit hours must include 6 transferable credit hours in English courses. For information on transfer credit refer to Transfer Credit.

2.2.3 Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

A minimum score of 550 is required on the paper-based test or 213 on the computer-based test of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). A minimum score of 79 with at least 20 in each of Reading and Writing, and no less than 17 in Listening and Speaking is required on the internet-based TOEFL. The official results of the TOEFL must be forwarded to Memorial University of Newfoundland directly from the Educational Testing Service.

Information regarding the TOEFL program is available from the Educational Testing Service (ETS), TOEFL/TSE Services, P.O. Box 6151, Princeton, New Jersey, U.S.A., 08541-6151, from U.S. embassies or consulates, or from offices of the U.S. Information Services. The Division of Lifelong Learning at Memorial University of Newfoundland is an official ETS testing center and may be contacted at (709) 737-7979 or online at www.mun.ca/lifelonglearning.

Applicants will be required to write a placement test in English language prior to the commencement of classes to determine the appropriate course in English for which they should register. For further information refer to English Language And Mathematics Placement Tests.

2.2.4 Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB)

A minimum score of 85 is required on the Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB). The official results of the MELAB must be forwarded to Memorial University of Newfoundland directly from the appropriate testing authority.

Information on the Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB) testing program may be obtained from the Testing and Certificate Division, University of Michigan, 2001 North University Building, Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.A., 48109-1057.

2.2.5 Canadian Academic English Language (CAEL) Assessment

Minimum band scores between 50 and 60 in each of the four skills tested (Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking), with at least two band scores of 60 are required on the Canadian Academic English Language (CAEL) Assessment. The official results of the CAEL must be forwarded to Memorial University of Newfoundland directly from the appropriate testing authority.

Information regarding the Canadian Academic English Language (CAEL) Assessment may be obtained from the Ottawa Test Centre, School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, Carleton University, 215 Paterson Hall, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6.

2.2.6 Canadian Test of English for Scholars and Trainees (CanTEST)

Minimum band scores of 4.5 in the listening comprehension and reading comprehension sub-tests and a score of 4 in writing are required on the Canadian Test of English for Scholars and Trainees (CanTEST).

The official results of the CanTEST must be forwarded to Memorial University of Newfoundland directly from the appropriate testing authority.

Applicants will be required to write a placement test in English language prior to the commencement of classes to determine the appropriate course in English for which they should register. For further information contact the Department of English Language and Literature.

2.2.7 Memorial University of Newfoundland's Intensive English Program

Applicants are required to have successfully completed Memorial University of Newfoundland's Intensive English Program together with an acceptable score, as noted above in 2.2.5, on the CAEL administered by the Department of English Language and Literature at the University.

Applicants may be required to write a placement test in English language prior to the commencement of classes to determine the appropriate course in English for which they should register. For further information, refer to the section of this Calendar describing the Faculty of Arts' English as a Second Language programs.

2.2.8 International English Language Testing System (IELTS)

A minimum overall band score of 6.5, with at least band 6 in each of Writing and Reading. The official results of the IELTS must be forwarded to Memorial University of Newfoundland directly from the appropriate testing authority.

Information regarding the IELTS may be obtained from the IELTS Subject Officer, University of Cambridge Local, Examinations Syndicate, 1 Hills Road, Cambridge, CB1 2EU, U.K. or via www.ielts.org/.

2.2.9 Other

Other forms of proof of English language proficiency, acceptable to the University Committee on Admissions, may be considered.