A 37-year-old CMA/M.Com with 8 years' experience (last study completed in 2010) asked whether IELTS 6.0 overall was enough for the study route, and whether age would sink a study permit. The thread's guidance:
- Retake IELTS before applying. An overall 6.0 was described as merely "okay"; members advised aiming for 6.5+ to strengthen the file (and, at the time, to access the faster SDS stream — a 2022-era detail, as SDS has since been discontinued).
- A prior master's narrows your study-route options. Repeating or downgrading credentials invites refusal. Pick a course and college in line with your current profession and education — for a CMA, something in accounting/finance — so the progression is defensible.
- Expect the SOP to do the heavy lifting. With a 12+ year study gap and a completed master's, the SOP must prove the selected course concretely benefits your career.
- Weigh the study route against the job market reality. One member noted the irony: Canadian employers prefer candidates who already hold a work permit or PR, so the study route is often the practical way in even for experienced professionals — but go in with eyes open.
The question about bringing a spouse and two kids went largely unaddressed in the thread, so no guidance is drawn on it here.