The CAEL (Canadian Academic English Language) Test is a popular English proficiency exam whose scores are accepted in more than 180 Universities in Canada. The test is held in two modes: test center (computer-based) and from home (online). Offline test centers are present in six countries (USA, Canada, India, Philippines, China, and UAE), and the online test is available in 13 countries.
The CAEL test has five segments, testing different English proficiency skills including reading, listening, and writing. There are approximately 100 questions/tasks in total, and candidates are given approximately three and a half hours. Students can take the test online throughout the year, between Friday and Sunday. The frequency of the offline computer-based test varies in different countries, between one and four times a month. There are usually more exam dates available between April and June, when the number of test takers peaks.
| Exam Name | CAEL (Canadian Academic English Language) Test |
| Governing Organization | Paragon Testing Enterprises (Overall) Prometric (India) |
| Official Website | https://www.cael.ca/ |
| Registration Date | (for test date October 15 2023) October 14 2023 |
| Registration Fee | CAD 280 + local taxes (with small variations in each country) |
| Mode of Exam | Online (from home) Offline (computer terminal test) |
| Accepted in | 180+ Universities across Canada |
| Exam Frequency | 52 times per year (online) 1-4 times per month (offline) |
| Exam Duration | ~210 minutes |
| Total Questions + Tasks | 79 to 117 |
In countries other than India, candidates may only register for the CAEL in the online mode. Even if an applicant visits a CAEL test center, it will not be possible to register. However, in India, there is a second option to register for the CAEL, by visiting one of 20 locations.
Candidates must produce a valid identification document issued by a national authority at the time of appearing for the CAEL test. There are no age, gender, or educational restrictions for the examination. However, test takers must keep in mind that they can only use their CAEL score to apply to Canadian Universities if they are able to satisfy the minimum requirements for admission to degree programs in their target colleges. Therefore, the majority of people who appear for the CAEL have either already completed their Year 12 higher secondary examinations, or are pursuing the final year of their school studies.
The CAEL test has five sections, each of which is assigned equal weightage while computing the overall Band Score. The overall score is between 10 and 90, in multiples of 10. Scores above 70 (signifying an Adept proficiency level) are generally sufficient to gain admission into most Canadian Universities.
| Sections | Time (Minutes) | Questions/Tasks |
| Speaking | 7-10 | 3 |
| Integrated Reading | 35-50 | 15-26 |
| Integrated Listening | 25-35 | 15-26 |
| Academic Unit A | 60-70 | 23-31 |
| Academic Unit B | 40-45 | 23-31 |
| Total | 167-210 | 79-117 |
Depending on the number of questions in the test on a given day, the total duration may vary from approximately 3 to 3.5 hours.
All five CAEL test sections emphasize aptitude and reasoning skills more than knowledge or rote learning.
Each of the three tasks in the CAEL Speaking section requires the candidate to view information on screen and respond to it verbally. Two of the tasks are based on short paragraphs, and the third on a chart or table. To prepare for this section, candidates should focus on speaking clearly and correctly, and ensure that they cover all the points shown on screen.
The Reading Section of the CAEL Test is similar to those in the TOEFL and IELTS examinations. Candidates must read several short and long passages before answering questions based on them. The skills required to succeed are the ability to understand the overall meaning of a body of text, read quickly enough to identify specific details, and use logical deductions to make conclusions based on information in each passage.
The CAEL Listening Section is similar to the Reading section in terms of the questions to be answered. However, all the passages are audio recordings. Therefore, the key skill required is to quickly understand and assimilate information played in each 30-60 second recording, and make mental notes of important details. While preparing for this section, candidates can start with text reading comprehension passages and use text-to-speech tools to convert them into listening exercises.
This section brings together skills from the first three sections. The first two parts of this Academic Unit involve a long reading passage and a long listening passage. Based on each of these, 11-15 multiple choice questions are to be answered. Finally, candidates must attempt one long writing task, using information obtained in the reading and listening tasks. This is a difficult integrated exercise, and candidates must practice ensuring full alertness for over one hour.
This is very similar to Academic Unit A; however, the comprehension questions are shorter and more direct, and the Writing exercise requires a short response, as distinct from the Extended Essay in Academic Unit A.
CAEL exam dates depend on the venue. For example, even within India, test dates in Chandigarh and Tamil Nadu may vary by up to a week in the same month. The dates listed below are for the Chandigarh center in India, and the registration deadline is one business day before the test date. Test center exams are always scheduled on Saturday or Sunday.
| CAEL Test Date | Last Date for Registration | Deadline for Changes, Regular Cancellation, and Late Registration |
| October 8, 2023 | October 6, 2023 | October 6, 2023 |
| November 5, 2023 | November 3, 2023 | November 3, 2023 |
| December 3, 2023 | December 1, 2023 | December 1, 2023 |
The deadline for transfer of the test center is one week before the exam date.
There are physical test centers where candidates can take the CAEL computer-based test in six countries (USA, Canada, India, Philippines, China, and UAE). Each country has multiple exam venues, with India being home to centers in three cities: Chandigarh, Gurugram, and Chennai. The online version of the CAEL test can be attempted once a week throughout the year, and can be completed from home as long as the candidate has access to the required IT infrastructure (a modern browser, high speed internet, webcam, and microphone).
CAEL allows candidates to cancel their registration and apply for a change of test center. Both these facilities have additional fees attached. The fees in the table below are in Canadian dollars; there are small local variations in the amount for each country in which the test is offered.
| Service | CAEL Exam Fees |
| Registration Fee | $280 + taxes (with local changes) |
| Cancel Registration (Within deadline; 7 days before test date) | $140 + taxes (50% refund) |
| Cancel Registration (After deadline; 7 days before test date) | $280 + taxes (no refund) |
| Transfer Test Center (Within deadline; 7 days before test date) | $50 + taxes |
| Transfer Test Center (After deadline; 7 days before test date) | Transfer not allowed |
The exam pattern of CAEL is slightly different from other popular English standardized tests. Therefore, even if a candidate is familiar with the TOEFL or IELTS format, it is important that he/she attempts at least three CAEL mock tests before the scheduled test date.
Sample CAEL papers
are available on the website, where candidates can go through the test interface and improve their timing and accuracy. If a test taker does not perform well in the sample tests provided, it is recommended that he/she signs up with a coaching service to access customized topic-wise tests. Candidates may also follow the blog on the CAEL website for helpful tips and tricks, in addition to interviews with successful test takers.
To compute the overall CAEL score, the authorities take the four scores in the individual sections (Writing, Reading, Listening, and Speaking), and find the average of these scores. After that, the number obtained is rounded off to the nearest multiple of 10 to obtain the overall CAEL Band Score. For example, if the average is 52.5, it is rounded off to 50. If the average score is 65, the overall CAEL Band Score is 70.
Preparation resources on the CAEL website can be divided into three categories:
There is no restriction on the total number of times that a candidate can attempt the CAEL test. He/she can choose to send the best score to Canadian Universities. However, two consecutive attempts cannot be within four days of each other. In practice, candidates can appear for the test every weekend without breaking any rules. However, if a student wishes to retake the test, it is recommended that he/she spend adequate time to fill the gaps in preparation before the second or subsequent attempts.
Prometric, which facilitates the online version of CAEL, uses its tried and tested Proctor system to ensure that everything runs smoothly. The first step is for the candidate to take a photograph of his/her face using the webcam, and to present a valid government issued ID in front of the camera. This is matched with the soft copies of all documents uploaded earlier, and any mismatch will be flagged for further investigation. In addition, the proctor monitors any suspicious behavior throughout the duration of the test, and any entry of unauthorized personnel into the test room may lead to cancellation of the attempt with no refund. The online version of the CAEL test is completely secure.
If dates are available at a conveniently located test center, most candidates prefer to opt for the computer-based offline version of the CAEL test. This is due to the additional assistance available at the exam venue, and the guarantee that there will be no technical issues. The online version of the CAEL test is a good option for candidates who live far from the nearest exam center, and for those who must give the test before an urgent deadline, and cannot find open offline seats within the desired date.
Ordinarily, CAEL test scores can be accessed from the candidate’s application account within 8 business days of the exam date. However, delays may occur if the CAEL team suspects that unfair means were used, or if the candidate reported a technical or other issue to the team within two days of the test date. If a test taker receives no email with additional information within eight business days of the test date, he/she should contact the authorities directly for clarification.
