If you are an adult learner and have not completed high school or need to upgrade to meet university requirements, the Adult Basic Education (ABE) program can help you. Improve basic English, math, and computer skills for personal benefit or to prepare for a job; finish high school and earn the provincially-recognized Adult Graduation Diploma (Adult Dogwood); or complete specific courses the meet the prerequisites for vocational, technical, academic, or career programs.
There are four levels to the Adult Basic Education program, and your personal circumstances will determine which level is right for you:
Fundamental level
This level will help you bring your skills up to a Grade 8 level
Includes reading, writing, spelling, math, and computer courses
Intermediate level (Grade 10 Equivalency)
Includes English courses
Advanced level (Grade 11 Equivalency)
Includes English, math, biology, chemistry, and physics courses
Provincial level (Grade 12 Equivalency)
This level will qualify you for the provincially recognized Adult Graduation Diploma (Adult Dogwood)
Includes English, math, biology, computer, education and career planning, and Indigenous People's Knowledge (IPK) courses
CAREER EXPECTATIONS
Upgrading your education is your passport to better job prospects.
On average, Canadians with a high school diploma earn 25% more than those without. The average earnings are even higher with a university diploma, certificate or degree.
Those without a high school diploma are more likely to be unemployed, especially during economic downturns. Many employers now specify post-secondary education as a minimum qualification for employment, even when a degree or college diploma exceeds the actual skills requirements of their entry-level jobs.
Location
ABE courses are scheduled according to the UFV timetable. During the Fall and Winter semesters, courses are offered in Abbotsford, Chilliwack, and Hope. Summer semester courses are offered in Abbotsford and Chilliwack.
*Price shown is for indicative purposes, please
May 2025
Chilliwack Campus
45190 Caen Avenue,
Building A, office A1312,
CHILLIWACK,
British Columbia (BC),
V2R 0N3, Canada
*Price shown is for indicative purposes, please
May 2025
Hope Centre
1250 7th Avenue,
HOPE,
British Columbia (BC),
V0X 1L4, Canada
For entry into ABE courses, students must:
Be at least 19 years of age; or
Have a secondary school graduation diploma; or
Be 17 or 18 years of age and out of public school for at least one year.
All Upgrading applicants who apply to ABE will not be able to take any university-level course until they have completed ENGL 081 or equivalent (see below) with a grade of C+ or better, or have been assessed at ENGL 091 or higher. The following are considered equivalent to ENGL 081:
• Communications 12 with a C+ or better
• Any English Language Arts 11 course or English 11 with a C or better
• English Studies 12 or English First Peoples 12 with a C- or better
• LPI essay ? 24 or higher (level 4)
• CPT ? 41
• TOEFL IBT 79–80
• TOEFL PBT 550
• IELTS Academic 6
*There may be different IELTS requirements depending on your chosen course.
The University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) offers over 100 study programs in over 30 subject areas, ranging from accounting to graphic design.
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