The Pathway to Undergraduate Studies is available to students that do not meet the English proficiency requirement for admission to undergraduate studies at KPU within the Faculty of Arts, the Faculty of Science, or the Melville School of Business. A student admitted to the Pathway to Undergraduate Studies is required to enroll in English proficiency upgrading courses, and also has the option to complete other upgrading courses or a limited number of undergraduate courses at KPU. The undergraduate courses available to Pathway Students will help them advance towards various undergraduate programs and aid their eventual transition to full undergraduate studies. Students interested in upgrading their English proficiency while getting a head-start on undergraduate studies can apply to the Pathway to Undergraduate Studies.

Admission Requirements

Students must apply for admission to the Pathway to Undergraduate Studies within one of the following Faculties:

• Faculty of Arts
• Faculty of Science
• Melville School of Business

All applicants to the Pathway to Undergraduate Studies must satisfy the requirements for admission to either Pathway Level 1, Pathway Level 2, or Pathway Level 3, according to their level of English proficiency as assessed at the point of admission. 

Pathway Level 1 Admission Requirements

High-School Courses

• BC Communications 12 (C+)

Testing Options

• Duolingo English Test: Minimum score of 65, taken within the last two years from the term of admission.
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS): overall band of 4.5 or higher, with a minimum 4.0 in each band, taken within the last two years from the term of admission.
• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): iBT 32 or higher, with 12 in Writing and Speaking, 6 in Listening and Reading taken within the last two years from the term of admission
• KPU English testing with placement into one of ELST 0041 through 0183, or ENGQ 1079
• Accuplacer: Reading score of 230, Writing score of 220 and WritePlacer Essay score of 3, or higher, taken within the last 2 years from the term of admission.

Pathway Level 2 Admission Requirements

High-School Courses

• BC English Studies 12 (C-), English First Peoples 12 (C-), Literary Studies 12 (C-), or Communications 12 (B)
• IB English A (HL or SL) (2 or C-)
• AP English Language and Composition (C-), or AP English Literature and Composition (C-)

Testing Options

• Canadian Academic English Language Assessment (CAEL): Score of 50 or higher with no sub score less than 40, taken within the last two years from the term of admission.
• Duolingo English Test: Minimum score of 85, taken within the last two years from the term of admission.
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS): overall band of 5.5 or higher, with a minimum 5.5 in each band, taken within the last two years from the term of admission.
• Pearson Test of English (PTE): Score of 46 or higher, taken within the last two years from the term of admission.
• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): iBT 61 or higher, with no sub score less than 18, taken within the last two years from the term of admission.
• KPU English testing with placement into one of ENGQ 1089 or ELST 0281
• Accuplacer: Reading score of 240, Writing score of 230 and WritePlacer Essay score of 4, or higher, taken within the last 2 years from the term of admission.

Other Course Options

• Successful completion of ELST 0181 (B-), or ENGQ 1079 (C)
• Successful completion of 15 credits at the undergraduate level, with a minimum CGPA of 2.0, at a recognized post-secondary institution where English is the primary language of instruction.

Pathway Level 3 Admission Requirements

High-School Courses

• BC English Studies 12 (C),  English First Peoples 12 (C), or Literary Studies 12 (C)
• IB English A (HL or SL) (C)
• AP English Literature and Composition (C) or AP English Literature and Composition (C)

Testing Options

• Canadian Academic English Language Assessment (CAEL): Score of 60 or higher with no sub score less than 50, taken within the last two years from the term of admission.
• Duolingo English Test: Minimum score of 95, taken within the last two years from the term of admission.
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS): overall band of 6.0 or higher, with a minimum 6.0 in each band, taken within the last two years from the term of admission.
• Pearson Test of English (PTE): Score of 54 or higher, taken within the last two years from the term of admission.
• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): iBT 80 or higher, with no sub score less than 19, taken within the last two years from the term of admission.
• KPU English testing with placement into one of ENGQ 1091, ENGQ 1092, ENGQ 1099 or ELST 0381
• Accuplacer: Reading score of 250, Writing score of 240 and WritePlacer Essay score of 5, or higher, taken within the last 2 years from the term of admission.

Other Course Options

• Successful completion of KPU ELST 0281 (B-) or ENGQ 1089 (C)
• Successful completion of one year of study (30 credits) at the undergraduate level, with a minimum CGPA of 2.0, at a recognized post-secondary institution where English is the primary language of instruction

Note: For BC English Studies 12 and all other provincially examinable courses, KPU will accept the blended grade (classroom grade + provincial examination grade) OR the classroom grade — whichever is higher — for the purposes of  admission, and for satisfying course prerequisites, where applicable. Current students wishing to use a higher classroom mark for the purposes of satisfying prerequisites should request to have an official copy of their high school transcript sent to Admissions should they wish to have their academic record updated to include the classroom mark for any provincially examinable courses.