English Proficiency for Vancouver Admissions

Exemptions at Time of Application for Admission

Non-U.S. Institutions

Students who have completed at least two years of study in any of the following countries are exempt from providing an English proficiency test score at the time of admission.

  • Anguilla
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Australia
  • Bahamas
  • Barbados
  • Belize
  • Bermuda
  • Botswana
  • British Virgin Islands
  • Canada (except Quebec)
  • Cayman Islands
  • Dominica
  • Fiji
  • Gambia
  • Ghana
  • Gibraltar
  • Grenada
  • Guyana
  • Ireland
  • Jamaica
  • Kenya
  • Lesotho
  • Liberia
  • Malawi
  • Mauritius
  • Montserrat
  • Namibia
  • New Zealand
  • Nigeria
  • Papua New Guinea
  • St. Kitts and Nevis
  • St. Lucia
  • St. Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Seychelles
  • Sierra Leone
  • Singapore
  • Solomon Islands
  • South Africa
  • Swaziland
  • Tanzania
  • Tonga
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Turks and Caicos Islands
  • Uganda
  • United Kingdom
  • Vanuatu
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe

FDU English Placement testing (EPT) at the time of enrollment may be required, even for those exempt at the time of application for admission.

Applicants who have previously attended a high school, college or university in the United States, Canada, or other English speaking countries for more than two years and have earned passing grades in English courses may be exempt from an English proficiency exam.

COVID-19 Update

English Proficiency Requirements For Students Affected by Testing Unavailability

Effective May 16, 2021, the Duolingo English Test will no longer be accepted by FDU as an admissions test.  Please select one of the tests that satisfy FDU’s English language admission standards from the list below.

The IELTS Indicator and the TOEFL iBT® Home Edition are both acceptable for applications from countries where testing is currently suspended due to Covid-19.

Accepted Tests of English Proficiency

Minimum bands in individual scores may be required by specific academic programs. Please refer to the program pages for program specific requirements. Some applicants may be asked to take FDU English Placement Test before the final admission decision is made.

  • TOEFL – Internet-based: 70 or higher
    • FDU Vancouver Campus testing code: 7627
  • IELTS – Overall band score of 6.0 or higher. 
  • PEARSONS – PTE Academic English Exam: 53 or higher
  • SAT (for first-year undergraduate freshman students only)
    • 420 or higher on the Critical Reading (old testing system)
    • 480 or higher on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing
    • FDU Vancouver Campus testing code: 5823
  • CAE – Cambridge Advanced English with score = C
  • FCE – Cambridge English First with score = B
  • Step Eiken – Grade 1
  • MELAB – Michigan English Language Assessment Battery = 77
  • CAEL – Canadian Academic English Language Assessment = 65
  • CanTEST – Canadian Test of English for Scholars and Trainees = 4.0
  • GTEC – General Test of English Communication = 1150
  • ACT – English = 22
  • iTEP – International Test of English Proficiency = 3.7

Academic English Preparation Programs

Fairleigh Dickinson University offers an exciting opportunity for international students with intermediate English language skills who meet the University’s academic admission standards but require additional training in academic English (speaking, listening, and/or writing skills).

All new students are required to take the Academic Writing test once they arrive on campus. Based on the results of the test you may be placed into one of the following:

Our Pre-University and Pre-Masters Programs provide students with highly specialized English language and support courses in the first semester while they study and earn academic credit toward their bachelor’s or master’s degrees.

Conditional Admission and Vancouver Campus Partner Language Schools

Students who are academically prepared to pursue a university program but are unable to meet the minimum English proficiency requirement may apply to the intensive English language program offered by our Partner Language Schools in Vancouver.

The language and entrance examination (if required) must be fulfilled in order for a student to matriculate to the University.