Students must have passed 2 of the 3courses (603‑101, 603‑102, 603‑103) and be in the process of completing the third (603‑102 or 603‑103) when they register for the examination. Students register for the exam at the college they attend.
The examination takes place 3times a year. The next examinations will be held on the following dates:
May 18, 2022
August 10, 2022
December 14, 2022
May 17, 2023
August 9, 2023
December 13, 2023
May 15, 2024
August 7, 2024
December 18, 2024
May 14, 2025
August 6, 2025
December 17, 2025
May 13, 2026
August 12, 2026
December 16, 2026
Preparation for the examination
You may contact your college for additional resources or assistance.
Reference Materials
Abrams, M.H. A Glossary of Literary Terms. 7th ed. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1999.
Davis, F., and S. Woodruff. Exit with Success! A Manual for Students Preparing to Write the Ministerial Examination of College English. Sainte-Foy: Les éditions Le Griffon d’argile, 2001.
Cambridge International Dictionary of English. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995.
Collins Cobuild English Dictionary. London: Harper Collins Publishers Ltd., 1995.
Hodges, John C., et al. Harbrace Handbook for Canadians. 5th ed. Toronto: Harcourt Brace Canada, 1999.
Langan, J., and S. Winstanley. College Writing Skills with Readings. 2nd Canadian ed. Toronto: McGraw Hill, 2000.
Norton, S., B. Green and N. Waldman. The Bare Essentials Plus. 2nd ed. Toronto: Nelson, 2002.
Passing the examination
Students pass the exam if they have grades of C or better in each of the three criteria:
Comprehension and insight
Organization of response
Expression
Appeals are permitted. The procedures for appeals are explained on the back of the grade report.
Students who fail must rewrite the exam and pass before a DCS can be issued. There is no limit to the number of times a failed exam may be rewritten.
You must sign all requests sent by email, post or fax.
If you live outside of Canada, you must send us your document or service request by fax or regular mail.
Keep your confirmation that the form has been sent or submitted.
The following are the standard timeframes for requests:
Copy of the results: 5working days
Copy of an examination: 10working days
Revision of a mark: 20working days
Contact us
Service de la formation préuniversitaire et de la recherche Ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur 1035, rue De La Chevrotière, 12e étage Québec (Québec) G1R 5A5 Télécopieur:418643‑1926