Waiver of the English Language Admission Standard

Applicants who do not meet UBC’s English Language Admission Standard but who believe they have the proficiency of a native English speaker may request to have the requirement waived. A student should consider arranging to meet the requirement through regular means in the event that the student's request for a waiver of the requirement cannot be granted. To request a waiver, students should send to Admissions:

  • a brief letter or email explaining why they believe the requirement should be waived;
  • a letter of recommendation from the student's high school English teacher, guidance counsellor, principal, or headmaster, that attests that the student's level of English proficiency is close to or equal to that of a native speaker. The letter should provide information as to how the writer may be contacted (including an email address if possible);
  • an official transcript of grades, including the student's interim senior year or Grade 12 marks and predicted IB or AP grades (if not already sent); and
  • any additional evidence that may reflect the student's English competence such as achievement test scores (e.g., Scholastic Aptitude Test [SAT] scores).

UBC Crest The official logo of the University of British Columbia. Urgent Message An exclamation mark in a speech bubble. Caret An arrowhead indicating direction. Arrow An arrow indicating direction. Arrow in Circle An arrow indicating direction. Arrow in Circle An arrow indicating direction. Chats Two speech clouds. Facebook The logo for the Facebook social media service. Information The letter 'i' in a circle. Instagram The logo for the Instagram social media service. Linkedin The logo for the LinkedIn social media service. Location Pin A map location pin. Mail An envelope. Menu Three horizontal lines indicating a menu. Minus A minus sign. Pencil A pencil indicating that this is editable. Telephone An antique telephone. Plus A plus symbol indicating more or the ability to add. Search A magnifying glass. Twitter The logo for the Twitter social media service. Youtube The logo for the YouTube video sharing service.