What is CAEL?

CAEL is a test designed to measure the English language proficiency of students planning to study in Canadian post-secondary institutions.

CAEL is one of the best tools for identifying students with the right English skills for academic success. It provides an authentic representation of language use in a Canadian academic context. Test takers read articles, listen to a lecture, answer questions, and write a short essay, as they would be expected to do in a first-year Canadian university or college classroom.

Test Scores

Test takers receive individual English proficiency scores for the Reading, Listening, Writing, and Speaking components, as well as an overall score. CAEL scores are reported on a scale from 10 – 90 with accompanying descriptors of what performance represents. The overall score will now be calculated as an equally weighted average of the four component scores rounded to the nearest ten-point interval. The table below presents descriptions of test taker proficiency at each full band level.

CAEL Band Descriptor CAEL Score
Expert: Demonstrates a high level of competence, accuracy, and effectiveness in academic/professional settings 80-90
Adept: Uses generally accurate language in most settings; some limitations in flexibility are evident 70
Advanced: Displays competence in academic or professional settings 60
High Intermediate: Exhibits some competence in academic or professional settings; communication may break down in places 50
Intermediate: Demonstrates some ability to comprehend and articulate complex ideas and arguments typical of academic or professional settings 40
High Beginner: Expresses basic ideas about familiar topics in routine settings 30
Low Beginner: Communicates with limited ability 10-20

Who Accepts CAEL

CAEL is accepted by over 180 Canadian post-secondary institutions

CAEL is accepted by over 180 Canadian post-secondary institutions, as well as by a number of professional organizations as proof of English proficiency. Click below for a full list of accepting institutions and organizations.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can we help you with?

CAEL Test Centres

40+ testing locations across the world
Algonquin College
1385 Woodroffe Avenue, Ottawa, Nepean, Ontario, Canada
Ashton Testing Services
1190 Melville Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Association for New Canadians
10 Smithville Crescent, St. John's, NL, Canada
Avalon Career College
155 Skinner Street, Nanaimo, BC V9R 5E8, Canada
Centennial College
941 Progress Avenue, Scarborough, ON, Canada
Columbia International College
1003 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, Canada
Concordia University Montreal
1250 Guy Street, Montreal, QC, Canada
Concordia University of Edmonton
7128 Ada Boulevard Northwest, Edmonton, AB, Canada
Coquitlam College
516 Brookmere Avenue, Coquitlam, BC, Canada
DIVERSEcity – Surrey City Centre
10070 King George Blvd, Surrey, BC, Canada
ELS Vancouver
549 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada
English Testing Canada – Ottawa
150 Isabella Street, Ottawa, ON, Canada
Heartland International English School
280 William Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
Herzing College Montreal
1616 Boulevard René-Lévesque Ouest, Montreal, QC, Canada
Herzing College Winnipeg
1700 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
Hotel Saskatchewan Regina
2125 Victoria Avenue, Regina, SK S4P 0S3, Canada
ILAC – International Language Academy of Canada
688 W Hastings St, Vancouver, BC V6B 1P1, Canada
Kwantlen Polytechnic University – Civic Plaza
13485 Central Avenue, Surrey, BC, Canada
Kwantlen Polytechnic University – Richmond Campus
8771 Lansdowne Road, Richmond, BC, Canada
Mount Saint Vincent University
166 Bedford Highway, Halifax, NS, Canada
Okanagan College
1000 K. L. O. Road, Kelowna, BC, Canada
Ottawa Chinese Community Service Centre (OCCSC)
400 Cooper Street, Ottawa, Ontario K2P 2H8, Canada
Paragon Testing Enterprises
2925 Virtual Way, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Paragon Testing Enterprises Toronto
180 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON, Canada
People Analytics
7191 Yonge Street, Markham, ON, Canada
People Analytics – Scarborough
3601 Victoria Park Avenue, Scarborough, ON, Canada
Precise Solutions Brampton
11 Queen Street East, Brampton, ON L6W 2A7, Canada
Precise Solutions Calgary
115 9th Avenue Southeast, Calgary, AB, Canada
Precise Solutions Toronto
20 Eglinton Ave W, Toronto, ON, Canada
Queen’s Collegiate
5535 Eglinton Ave W, Etobicoke, ON M9C 5K5, Canada
Red Deer College
100 College Boulevard, Red Deer, AB, Canada
Saint John College – UNB
100 Tucker Park Road, Saint John, NB, Canada
Saskatchewan Polytechnic Regina
4500 Wascana Parkway, Regina, SK, Canada
Saskatchewan Polytechnic Saskatoon
1130 Idylwyld Drive North, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society
1004 North Park Street, Victoria, BC, Canada
Xyna International School – Brampton
60 Gillingham Drive, Brampton, ON, Canada
Xyna International School – Vaughan
180 Winges Rd, Vaughan, Woodbridge, ON, Canada
Beijing Royal School
No.11, Wangfu Street, Changping District, Beijing, China
Guangdong University of Foreign Studies
Room 306, Yunshan Apartment Area A, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, No.2 Baiyun Avenue North, Guangzhou, P. R. China
Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority
17 Tseuk Luk Street, San Po Kong, Hong Kong
Shanghai University of Finance and Economics
No. 8 Jinian Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai, China
Centre for Success
B412, 4th Floor (across from the Consulate General of Canada), Elante Offices, Industrial Area Phase I, Chandigarh, India
Loyola Centre for Research and Development – St. Xavier College
St. Xavier's College Campus Navarangpura, Gangotri Society, Gulbai Tekra, Ahmedabad, Gujarat 380009, India
Magsaysay Center for Hospitality and Culinary Arts, Inc
Times Plaza Building, United Nations Avenue corner Taft Avenue, Manila, Philippines
Mexico Centre
$Mexico
TEPTH
Apricot Towers - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
CAEL
I appreciated the availability of test dates for CAEL, and found it convenient and inexpensive compared to other English proficiency tests.
- Aashima, CAEL - Test Taker
CAEL
What I liked most about the CAEL was that you can do the test on the computer, it uses Canadian English, and the results are released quickly!
- Alinsson, CAEL - Test Taker
paragon
A Subsidiary of:
ubc