Your raw test score is not what Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) scores. IRCC converts every result into a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level, and it is the CLB level – not the band, not the percentage – that decides whether you meet a program minimum and how many Comprehensive Ranking System points you earn. Two candidates with what looks like the same English ability can land two CLB levels apart because they picked different tests.
This guide sets out the official IRCC conversion charts for all three approved English tests as of the department’s June 22, 2026 update, explains the minimum levels each Express Entry program requires, and flags the two conversion traps that cost candidates points every month. If you want to see how the resulting CLB level feeds your score, read it alongside our breakdown of the Comprehensive Ranking System.
1. The Three English Tests IRCC Accepts in 2026
For Express Entry, IRCC accepts exactly three English tests and two French tests. Nothing else counts, regardless of how well known the test is.
| Language | Approved tests | Version you must take |
| English | CELPIP | CELPIP-General (not CELPIP-General LS) |
| English | IELTS | IELTS General Training (not Academic) |
| English | PTE | PTE Core (not PTE Academic) |
| French | TEF Canada | Test d’évaluation de français |
| French | TCF Canada | Test de connaissance du français |
The version trap is real. PTE Academic and PTE Core are different products. IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training are different products. Booking the wrong one means paying twice and losing weeks. Duolingo and TOEFL results are not accepted for Express Entry. Our earlier overview of the English examinations accepted by IRCC covers how this list evolved.
French speakers should treat this differently. Strong French can be worth substantially more than a marginal English improvement – see how learning French raises your CRS score and our guide to French proficiency in the Express Entry system.
2. What CLB Actually Is – and Why Your Raw Score Does Not Matter
The Canadian Language Benchmarks scale is Canada’s national standard for describing adult English proficiency. It runs from CLB 1 (beginner) to CLB 12 (near-native). CLB is not a test you can sit. It is the common currency IRCC uses so that an IELTS band, a CELPIP level and a PTE Core numeric score can be compared on one scale.
Three consequences follow, and each one catches applicants out:
- CLB is assigned per ability, not overall. There is no “average CLB”. You get a separate CLB level for speaking, listening, reading and writing, and program minimums apply to all four.
- You cannot mix tests. All four ability scores must come from a single sitting of a single approved test. A CELPIP listening score cannot be combined with an IELTS reading score.
- Your weakest ability governs eligibility. Three abilities at CLB 9 and one at CLB 6 does not make you a CLB 7 candidate. It makes you ineligible for any program requiring CLB 7 across the board.
3. CLB Conversion Chart: IELTS General Training
IELTS is the only one of the three tests where the conversion is genuinely non-obvious, because each ability converts on a different curve. These are the official IRCC equivalencies.
| CLB Level | Speaking | Listening | Reading | Writing |
| 10 and above | 7.5 – 9.0 | 8.5 – 9.0 | 8.0 – 9.0 | 7.5 – 9.0 |
| 9 | 7.0 | 8.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| 8 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| 7 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| 6 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.0 | 5.5 |
| 5 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 |
| 4 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 4.0 |
Source: IRCC, Express Entry: Language test results (canada.ca), page last modified 22 June 2026.
4. CLB Conversion Chart: CELPIP-General and PTE Core
CELPIP is the simplest conversion in the system: your CELPIP level in each ability is your CLB level in that ability. A CELPIP 9 in listening is CLB 9 in listening. There is no chart to misread.
PTE Core reports a numeric score from 10 to 90 per ability, and each ability converts on its own band.
| CLB Level | CELPIP-General | PTE Speaking | PTE Listening | PTE Reading | PTE Writing |
| 10 and above | 10+ | 89+ | 89+ | 88+ | 90+ |
| 9 | 9 | 84 – 88 | 82 – 88 | 78 – 87 | 88 – 89 |
| 8 | 8 | 76 – 83 | 71 – 81 | 69 – 77 | 79 – 87 |
| 7 | 7 | 68 – 75 | 60 – 70 | 60 – 68 | 69 – 78 |
| 6 | 6 | 59 – 67 | 50 – 59 | 51 – 59 | 60 – 68 |
| 5 | 5 | 51 – 58 | 39 – 49 | 42 – 50 | 51 – 59 |
| 4 | 4 | 42 – 50 | 28 – 38 | 33 – 41 | 41 – 50 |
5. The Listening Asymmetry That Quietly Costs Candidates Points
Here is the detail almost no comparison article develops, and it is the single most useful thing on this page.
On IELTS, moving from CLB 7 to CLB 8 costs half a band in speaking, reading and writing – 6.0 to 6.5. In listening it costs a full band and a half – 6.0 to 7.5. There is no 6.5 or 7.0 listening result that reaches CLB 8. A candidate who retakes IELTS, lifts listening from 6.0 to 7.0 and celebrates has gained nothing at all: both scores are CLB 7.
Read the chart in the other direction and the same asymmetry helps you. IELTS reading at 7.0 already reaches CLB 9, while listening needs 8.0 for the same benchmark. Reading is the cheapest ability to push upward on IELTS; listening is the most expensive.
CELPIP has no cliff of this kind, because the mapping is one-to-one at every level. For a candidate sitting exactly on a CLB 7 listening result and needing CLB 8, that structural difference is often a stronger argument for switching tests than any claim about which test is “easier”.
6. Minimum CLB Levels by Express Entry Program
The benchmark you need depends on which program you are eligible under, and for the Canadian Experience Class it depends on your occupation’s National Occupational Classification TEER category. Before you set a score target, confirm how IRCC treats your background – our guide to how IRCC counts work experience for Express Entry explains which experience actually qualifies you.
| Program | Requirement |
| Canadian Experience Class – NOC TEER 0 or 1 | CLB 7 in all four abilities |
| Canadian Experience Class – NOC TEER 2 or 3 | CLB 5 in all four abilities |
| Federal Skilled Worker Program – first official language | CLB 7 in all four abilities |
| Federal Skilled Worker Program – second official language | CLB 5 in all four abilities (worth 4 points) |
| Federal Skilled Trades – speaking and listening | CLB 5 |
| Federal Skilled Trades – reading and writing | CLB 4 |
These are floors, not targets. Meeting CLB 7 makes you eligible; it rarely makes you competitive. CRS points cluster heavily at CLB 9 and above, which is why moving from CLB 7 to CLB 9 across four abilities is usually the highest-return action available to a candidate. If your score is stuck despite strong language results, review the alternatives available for low CRS scores and the additional levers in our guide to boosting your Express Entry profile.
7. Which Test Should You Take? A Decision Framework
IRCC has no preferred test and treats all three equally. The right choice is a logistics and format question, not a prestige question.
| If this describes you | Consider |
| You are already in Canada and used to Canadian accents and workplace scenarios | CELPIP-General – Canadian-context tasks, fully computer-delivered, one-to-one CLB mapping |
| You are outside Canada in a location with limited test centres | IELTS General Training – the widest global centre network of the three |
| You have a valid IELTS General Training result under two years old | Use it. A usable existing result beats a hypothetical better one |
| You are sitting on CLB 7 listening and need CLB 8 | CELPIP or PTE Core – avoids the IELTS 6.0-to-7.5 listening jump |
| You need a result quickly and are comfortable with computer-delivered testing | PTE Core – fastest published turnaround of the three |
| You freeze in a face-to-face speaking interview | CELPIP or PTE Core – speaking is recorded to a computer, not delivered to an examiner |
Whichever test you choose, the preparation pattern is the same: sit a diagnostic, identify your weakest ability against the CLB chart above, and drill that ability specifically rather than practising all four evenly. Candidates preparing in the Windsor–Essex region can ask our team about local IELTS preparation support.
8. The Two-Year Validity Rule and the Refusal Trap
Test results must be less than two years old at two separate moments: the day you complete your Express Entry profile, and the day you submit your permanent residence application. The second checkpoint is the one that causes refusals.
An Invitation to Apply gives you 60 days to submit. If your results expire inside that window, IRCC’s stated options are to be tested again, to apply before the results expire, or to decline the invitation and return to the pool. Applying with expired results results in refusal – not a request for updated documents. Our article on what happens after an ITA – approval or refusal walks through the post-invitation window in detail.
If you are sitting in the pool waiting for a category-based or general round, track your expiry date against the draw pattern. Our Express Entry rounds of invitation tracker records every draw, cut-off and category so you can judge how long you may realistically be waiting.
9. Frequently Asked Questions
Is CELPIP easier than IELTS?
Neither test is objectively easier. They assess the same abilities against the same CLB scale using different formats. CELPIP uses Canadian accents and workplace scenarios and maps one-to-one to CLB; IELTS uses a mix of international accents and a face-to-face speaking interview. The better question is which format matches your strengths and which conversion curve favours the ability you need to lift.
What IELTS score is CLB 7?
CLB 7 requires 6.0 in each of speaking, listening, reading and writing on IELTS General Training. All four abilities must reach it – a 6.0 average does not qualify.
Can I combine scores from two different tests?
No. IRCC requires all four ability scores to come from a single sitting of one approved test.
Does a higher CLB level guarantee an invitation?
No. Language is one input into your CRS score, and the cut-off in any round depends on the pool and the category IRCC selects. A provincial nomination remains the single largest available boost – see our provincial nomination certificate guide (Blog 3 in this set) for how that pathway works.
How long are my results valid?
Two years from the test date, and they must still be valid both when you complete your profile and when you submit your PR application.
