In a significant development that is set to impact international students seeking education opportunities in Canada, the country has announced a change to its International English Language Testing System (IELTS) requirements. Effective today, August 10, applicants under the Study Direct Stream (SDS) programme will no longer need to achieve a minimum of six bands in individual sections of the IELTS exam.

Under the revised guidelines, aspiring students will only be required to attain an overall band score of 6.0 to qualify for the SDS programme. This decision effectively eliminates the mandatory individual score of 6.0 bands in each section of the test, marking a departure from the previous criteria. 

The decision to eliminate the individual score of 6.0 bands was taken to emphasise the importance of the comprehensive abilities of the test-takers. This change aims to provide better opportunities for international students to pursue education in Canada.

Piyush Kumar, the Regional Director for South Asia and Mauritius at IDP Education, welcomed the decision, stating, "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."