Policy - Fluency in English

[Effective January 14, 2012]

In order to be granted a license by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Newfoundland and Labrador, applicants must establish their fluency in the English language.

Applicants are exempted from language proficiency testing if their medical education and patient care experience was in one of the countries that have English as a first language (see list below).

All other applicants must have taken IELTS or TOEFL iBT within the last 48 months at the time of application, and achieved the following minimum score:

• IELTS academic version: minimum 7.0 in each of the components.
• TOEFL IBT academic version:  with a minimum score of 24 in speaking and a minimum score of 20 in each of listening, writing and reading. The total score required is 92.

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Newfoundland and Labrador recognizes the countries and dependencies listed below as having English as the first language:

• Anguilla
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Australia
• Barbados
• Bermuda
• Canada
• Dominica
• Grenada
• Ireland
• Jamaica
• New Zealand
• St. Kitts and Nevis
• St. Lucia
• St. Vincent and the Grenadines
• Singapore
• South Africa
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
• Virgin Islands (United States)
• United Kingdom
• United States of America

Note:   While TOEFL and TSE are no longer available as tests of English language ability, the College will continue to recognize TOEFL and TSE scores if obtained within the last 48 months at the time of application.  The minimum acceptable scores are:

• 50 in the International Test of Spoken English (TSE), and,
• 580 or a computer-based score of 237 on the International Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) of the Educational Testing Service.