Canada: IELTS 6 bands in individual sections no longer needed for these students starting today

livemint.com:

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. "This update represents a positive shift towards recognising the comprehensive abilities of test takers rather than focusing solely on individual band scores. We believe this change will provide greater opportunities for talented students worldwide to pursue their educational goals in Canada and also reflects authorities' confidence in IELTS," he had said earlier.

IELTS is a widely used English proficiency test for education, migration, and work. With three million annual takers, it's recognized by 11,000+ global employers, schools, and immigration bodies. Canada's Student Direct Stream expedites study permit processing for those entering designated learning institutions.

"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.