CLB BridgeCanadian immigration programs set language requirements in Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) levels for each skill: listening, reading, writing and speaking. Your test result is converted to a CLB level per skill using IRCC’s official charts.
CELPIP-General
CELPIP levels 4–12 map one-to-one to CLB 4–12. For example, CELPIP 9 in writing is CLB 9 in writing. For Express Entry points, CLB 10 and above are treated the same.
IELTS General Training
| CLB | Reading | Writing | Listening | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 8.0 | 7.5 | 8.5 | 7.5 |
| 9 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 8.0 | 7.0 |
| 8 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 6.5 |
| 7 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| 6 | 5.0 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| 5 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| 4 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.0 |
The band shown is the minimum for that CLB level. Note that listening needs 8.0 for CLB 9, higher than the other skills.
PTE Core
| CLB | Reading | Writing | Listening | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 88–90 | 90 | 89–90 | 89–90 |
| 9 | 78–87 | 88–89 | 82–88 | 84–88 |
| 8 | 69–77 | 79–87 | 71–81 | 76–83 |
| 7 | 60–68 | 69–78 | 60–70 | 68–75 |
| 6 | 51–59 | 60–68 | 50–59 | 59–67 |
| 5 | 42–50 | 51–59 | 39–49 | 51–58 |
| 4 | 33–41 | 41–50 | 28–38 | 42–50 |
French tests
TEF Canada and TCF Canada results convert to NCLC levels with their own IRCC tables (TEF has different tables depending on the test date). See the IRCC page linked below.
CELPIP practice tests: raw scores
Paragon publishes an approximate guide for converting the number of correct answers (out of 38) on the listening and reading tests to a CELPIP level. The ranges overlap because different test forms are equated, so treat a practice raw score as a range, not an exact level. For example, 33 correct in listening falls in both the CELPIP 8 and CELPIP 9 ranges.
Sources
- Language test equivalency charts (IRCC)
- Raw Scores and CELPIP Levels for the Listening Test (Paragon)
- Raw Scores and CELPIP Levels for the Reading Test (Paragon)
Official sources checked on 2026-10-01. If an official source changes, it takes precedence.