As an African candidate wishing to study in any western institution of higher learning, one of the bottlenecks you might face is the requirements to take and pass the TOEFL/IELTS exams.
Besides the fact that these exams are expensive, they are also a bit difficult and just annoying to most Africans. If you’re from a country like Nigeria or Ghana where English is already your official language and the language of instruction in schools, TOEFL/IELTS can feel rightly redundant.
Luckily, a handful of Canadian Universities have a waiver for it for students from African countries where their language of instruction is English.
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) and IELTS (International English Language Testing System) are the two main exams used to test English proficiency
Normally, if you meet any one of the following conditions you are not required to submit proof of proficiency in English:
- Mother tongue (language first learned and still used on a daily basis) is English
- Has obtained (or is about to obtain) an undergraduate or graduate degree from a recognized institution in Canada or the United States of America (anglophone or francophone)
- Has obtained (or is about to obtain) an undergraduate or graduate degree from a recognized foreign institution where English is the language of instruction
- Has lived and attended university, or been employed, for at least four consecutive years, in a country where English is the acknowledged primary language.
List of Canadian Universities with TOEFL/IELTS waiver for English-speaking country applicants (e.g. Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia).
Brock University
https://brocku.ca/graduate-studies/future-students/international/english-language-proficiency/
Ryerson University
https://www.ryerson.ca/graduate/future-students/apply/requirements/
York University
https://futurestudents.yorku.ca/graduate/apply-now/elp
McMaster University
https://academiccalendars.romcmaster.ca/content.php?catoid=25&navoid=4667#2-1-12_english_language_requirements
Concordia University
https://www.concordia.ca/admissions/graduate/requirements/english-language-proficiency/exempt-countries.html#n
University of Toronto
https://future.utoronto.ca/apply/english-language-requirements/#country-list
University of Manitoba
https://umanitoba.ca/admissions/undergraduate/requirements/english-language-proficiency
University of Calgary
https://www.ucalgary.ca/future-students/undergraduate/elp-exempt-countries
University of Windsor
https://www.uwindsor.ca/graduate-studies/346/admission-requirements
University of Saskatchewan
https://grad.usask.ca/admissions/english-countries-institutions.php#EligibilityforExemption
Simon Fraser University
https://www.sfu.ca/gradstudies/apply/applying/requirements/nigeria.html
University of New Brunswick
https://www.unb.ca/international/admission/english.html
Memorial University of Newfoundland
https://www.mun.ca/become/graduate/apply-to-memorial/
University of Canada West
https://www.ucanwest.ca/admissions/english-proficiency
Carleton University
https://graduate.carleton.ca/international/english-second-language/
University of Regina
https://www.uregina.ca/international/future-students/how-to-apply/3english-exempt-countries.html
University of Northern British Columbia
https://www2.unbc.ca/admissions/graduate/english-language-proficiency#N
University of Victoria
https://www.uvic.ca/graduate/admissions/language-proficiency/designated-english-speaking-countries/index.php
McGill University
https://www.mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/international/proficiency
Polytechnique Montréal (Québec)
https://www.polymtl.ca/admission/en/graduate-studies/read-eligibility-conditions/5-language-requirements/51-research-based-masters-and-doctorate
University of Waterloo
https://uwaterloo.ca/graduate-studies-postdoctoral-affairs/future-students/applying-graduate-school/before-you-apply/admission-and-english-language-proficiency-requirements
Brandon University
https://www.brandonu.ca/future-students/apply/international/english-proficiency-requirements/exempt-countries/
Thompson Rivers University
https://www.tru.ca/truworld/new-students/before-you-leave-home/english-requirements.html#countries-without-english-requirements
Mount Royal University
https://www.mtroyal.ca/Admission/AdmissionRequirements/english-language-proficiency-requirement-institutional.htm
