English Language Proficiency
English language proficiency (ELP) is a requirement for any student not educated in an ELP exempt country (see list at the bottom of this page). Students should be aware that their program may also have a requirement for an Academic English or Literature requirement that is not fulfilled by completing their ELP requirement. All ELP exams must be academic and not general where applicable.
The official policy for Medicine Hat College on ELP is located in the Academic Calendar.
NOTE: If you have completed a AP, IB or GCE curriculum, you may be exempt from ELP. Dual language countries such as Cameroon should provide documentation to show their curriculum was in English and not another language.
General English Language Proficiency is required for applications to:
- Administrative Office Management Diploma
- Administrative Office Professional Certificate
- Bachelor of Applied Arts – Art & Design
- Business Administration Diploma
- Criminal Justice Diploma
- Early Childhood Education Certificate/Diploma
- Engineering Design & Architectural Technology Diploma
- Environmental Biology & Reclamation Technology Diploma
- Information Technology Diploma
- Post-Diploma Advanced Accounting Certificate
- Post-Diploma Intermediate Accounting Certificate
- Power Engineering Technology Diploma
- Service Dog & Canine Studies Management Diploma
- Sport & Event Marketing and Management Diploma
Intermediate English Language Proficiency is required for applications to:
- Addictions Counselling Diploma
- Child & Youth Care Counsellor Diploma
- Humanities & Social Sciences Diploma
- Kinesiology Diploma
- Occupational Therapist Assistant / Physical Therapist Assistant Diploma
- Post-Diploma Certificate in Marketing & Design
- Social Work Diploma
- Speech-Language Pathologist Assistant Diploma
- University Transfer: Arts, Commerce, Education, Kinesiology, Science or Social Work
Advanced English Language Proficiency is required for applications to:
- Aviation Management Certificate
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing
- Bachelor of Applied Health Sciences (Paramedic)
- Practical Nursing Diploma
Exceptions:
Health Care Aide
For admission to Health Care Aide, all students for whom English is a second language must meet the ELP requirements by completing one of the following:
- Obtain a Canadian High School Equivalency Diploma through successful completion of all 5 GED or Canadian Adult Education Credential (CAEC) tests.
- Attend high school in Canada. Studies must be in English with at least 3 consecutive years of full-time academic study.
- Attend 2 consecutive years of full-time equivalent post-secondary study in English in English subject other than a Health Care Aide program at a Canadian institution.
- Submit an approved ELP test with the required Canadian Language Benchmark score of 7 in each of the four language skills (Speaking, Listening, Reading, Writing), not an average of 7.
Approved ELP tests and accepted minimum scores:
- IELTS Academic – 6 (no band score below 5.5)
- TOEFL IBT – 71 on the 0-120 scale, or a score of 4 on the new 1-6 scale
- CELPIP General – 7 (with no section score below 6)
- CLB Tests, Milestones Test – 7 in each strand, not an average of 7
- Duolingo English Test – 95
- CELBAN – 7 in each area of listening, reading, writing and speaking, not an average of 7
ELP test results must have been obtained within two years of the start date of the program. IELTS (Academic) and TOEFL results are valid for two years from the day of testing. Results that expire prior to the start date of the program will not be accepted.
Pharmacy Technician
All applicants to the Pharmacy Technician program must meet the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA) language proficiency requirements. Language proficiency test results must be no more than two years old and not expired at the start of the program. Proof of English language proficiency may be met in one of two ways:
- Graduation from a high school, CEGEP, community college, private career college, or university program in Canada if the program was of at least 3 years’ duration and was provided in English with successful completion of three consecutive English language courses. Second-language or additional language courses are not acceptable as evidence.
- Submission of an approved ELP test.
Approved ELP tests and accepted minimum scores:
- IELTS Academic: Reading 7.0, Listening 7.0, Speaking 7.0, Writing 6.5
- Occupational English Test (OET) with the following minimum scores: Reading B, Listening B, Speaking B, Writing C+
| Name of Assessment | General ELP | Intermediate ELP | Advanced ELP |
| Completion of an Alberta Education English Language Arts course (or Canadian equivalent) that meets the requirements of the applicant’s intended program of study | Accepted | Accepted | Accepted |
| Advanced Placement Coursework | AP English with a 4 or better | AP English with a 4 or better | AP English with a 4 or better |
| CAE (Cambridge English Language Assessment)/CPE Cambridge English Proficiency)/ Cambridge English Scale | 180 | 180, with no less than 170 in each skill | 185 |
| CAEL (Canadian Academic English Language Computer or Paper-Based) | 60 with no score below 50 | 70 | Not accepted |
| CLB (Canadian Language Benchmark Assessment) | Score of 7 in each band | Score of 8 in each band | Score of 8 when completed with a LINC program |
| Duolingo | 105 | 120 | 130 |
| GCE Advanced Level (A or AS level), GCSE, IGCSE | B grade or better | B grade or better | B grade or better |
| IELTS (International English Language Testing System) | 6.0 with no band below 6.0 | 6.5 with no band below 6.0 | 7.0 with no band below 7.0 |
| MELAB (Michigan English Language Assessment Battery) | 80 | 85 | Score of 90 with a minimum score of "3 plus" on the speaking test |
| PTE (Pearson Test of English) | 54 | 60 | 64 but students must also complete another exam with a spoken language requirement |
| TOEFL PBT (Test of English as a Foreign Language - paper-based) | 550 | 566 | Not accepted |
| TOEFL iBT (Test of English as a Foreign Language - internet-based) | 79 | 86 | 92 with a minimum of 23 in each sub-score |
| TOEFL iBT (Test of English as a Foreign Language – Internet-based) On or after January 21, 2026 | 4.0 no band less than 4.0 | 4.5 no band less than 4.5 | 5.0 no band less than 4.5 |
| Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) General | Not accepted | Not accepted | Not accepted |
| Canadian English Language Benchmark Assessment for Nurses (CLEBAN) | Not accepted | Not accepted | Not accepted |
| Canadian High School Equivalency Diploma (GED or CAEC) | Not accepted | Not accepted | Not accepted |
| IB (International Baccalaureate Coursework) | English A1, A2, A Literature, or A Language & Literature with a 5 or better; or I8 English 8 with a 6 or better. | English A1, A2, A Literature, or A Language & Literature with a 5 or better; or I8 English 8 with a 6 or better. | English A1, A2, A Literature, or A Language & Literature with a 5 or better; or I8 English 8 with a 6 or better. |
| Full-time secondary education in English within an ELP exempt country | 3 years of full-time secondary education | 3 years of full-time secondary education | 3 years of full-time secondary education |
| Full-time post-secondary education in English within an ELP exempt country | Successful completion of 2 years of full-time post- secondary education | Successful completion of 2 years of full-time post- secondary education | Successful completion of 2 years of full-time post- secondary education |
| Completion of accredited diploma or degree from a Canadian postsecondary institution where English is primary language of instruction | Accepted | Accepted | Not Accepted |
Additional Notes
Official test results must be submitted directly to Medicine Hat College.
Only the most recent validated ELP test result will be considered for admission. ELP tests older than 2 years from the test date are not normally accepted. Medicine Hat College requires academic versions of English language examinations.
University transfer students should become acquainted with the English Language Proficiency requirements of the institution to which they plan to transfer. Gaining admission to Medicine Hat College does not guarantee meeting the requirements of the university.
An English as a Second Language or English for Academic Purposes program from a public post-secondary institution may be accepted if deemed equivalent to Medicine Hat College's General or Advanced English Language Proficiency requirements. Please contact admissions at admissions@mhc.ab.ca for more details.
Applicants who submit an English Test score, even if not required for admission consideration, may have their test score considered as part of their application for admission.
Students should be aware that their program may also have a separate Academic English or Literature requirement that is not fulfilled by completing their ELP requirement.
The official policy for Medicine Hat College on ELP is located in the Academic Calendar.
| Name of Assessment | General ELP | Intermediate ELP | Advanced ELP |
| ILAC (International Language Academy of Canada) | Successful completion of Pathway Program level 3.2 | Successful completion of Pathway Program level 3.3 | Not accepted |
| Oxford International Digital Institute (OIDI) | Successful completion of OIDI 6 with a low of 6 | Successful completion of OIDI 7 with a low of 7 | Successful completion of OIDI 8 with a low of 8 |
Conditional Admission
Students enrolled in pathway programs with our language school partners may be eligible for conditional admission prior to meeting the English Language Proficiency requirement for their program. Students will need to demonstrate expected completion of the relevant program/level by the application deadline for their semester of application. Contact IntEd@mhc.ab.ca for more information.
Language pathway conditional admission is not available for Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Health Care Aide Certificate, or Pharmacy Technician Diploma programs. See ELP Conditional Admission FAQs for more information.
Applicants who’ve completed three full-time years of education in English in an English language proficiency exempt country (see below) may be exempt from providing proof of English language proficiency.
- American Samoa
- Anguilla
- Australia
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Bermuda
- Belize
- Botswana
- British Honduras
- Brunei
- Canada
- Cayman Islands
- England
- Falkland Islands
- Fiji
- Ghana
- Gibraltar
- Grenada
- Guam
- Guyana
- Ireland
- Jamaica
- Kenya
- Liberia
- Malta
- Mauritius
- Montserrat
- New Zealand
- Nigeria
- Pacific Island
- Panama Canal Zone
- Philippines*
- Puerto Rico
- Ryukyu Islands
- Seychelles
- Singapore
- South Africa
- St. Helena
- St. Kitts and Nevis
- St. Lucia
- St. Vincent and the Grenadines
- Scotland
- Tanzania
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Turks and Caicos Island
- Uganda
- United States of America
- Virgin Islands
- United Kingdom (see England, Wales, Scotland)
- Wales
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Dual language countries such as Cameroon should provide documentation to show their curriculum was in English and not another language.
The following may be used to meet MHC’s General, Intermediate or Advanced ELP requirements:
- Completion of 2 years of full-time post-secondary education in English within an ELP-exempt country (listed above)
- Completion of accredited diploma or degree from a Canadian post-secondary institution where English is the primary language of instruction
- Completion of an Alberta Education English Language Arts course that meets the requirements of the applicant’s intended program of study
- Completion of AP English with 4 or better; GCE Advanced Level (A or AS level) GCSE, ICCSE with a B grade or better; or IB English A1, A2, A Literature or A Language & Literature with a 5 or better, or IB English B with a 6 or better