Updated October 2026. IRCC doesn’t use your IELTS, CELPIP, PTE, TEF or TCF score directly. It converts each ability into a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) for English or a Niveau de compétence linguistique canadien (NCLC) for French. Enter your four scores to see your level, which programs you meet, and roughly how many CRS points your results are worth.
CLB / NCLC Converter
IELTS General Training to CLB
| CLB | Speaking | Listening | Reading | Writing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 7.5+ | 8.5+ | 8.0+ | 7.5+ |
| 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 |
CELPIP-General and PTE Core to CLB
CELPIP-General is the simplest: your score in each ability equals your CLB (a 10, 11 or 12 counts as CLB 10).
| CLB | PTE Core speaking | Listening | Reading | Writing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 89+ | 89+ | 88+ | 90+ |
| 9 | 84–88 | 82–88 | 78–87 | 88–89 |
| 8 | 76–83 | 71–81 | 69–77 | 79–87 |
| 7 | 68–75 | 60–70 | 60–68 | 69–78 |
| 6 | 59–67 | 50–59 | 51–59 | 60–68 |
| 5 | 51–58 | 39–49 | 42–50 | 51–59 |
| 4 | 42–50 | 28–38 | 33–41 | 41–50 |
TEF Canada and TCF Canada to NCLC
| NCLC | TEF speaking / writing | TEF listening | TEF reading | TCF speaking / writing | TCF listening | TCF reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Shown on your attestation (IRCC’s chart groups 9+) | 16–20 | 549–699 | 549–699 | ||
| 9 | 371+ | 298+ | 248+ | 14–15 | 523–548 | 524–548 |
| 8 | 349–370 | 280–297 | 233–247 | 12–13 | 503–522 | 499–523 |
| 7 | 310–348 | 249–279 | 207–232 | 10–11 | 458–502 | 453–498 |
| 6 | 271–309 | 217–248 | 181–206 | 7–9 | 398–457 | 406–452 |
| 5 | 226–270 | 181–216 | 151–180 | 6 | 369–397 | 375–405 |
| 4 | 181–225 | 145–180 | 121–150 | 4–5 | 331–368 | 342–374 |
TEF Canada values are the “Équivalence ancien score” that IRCC uses for Express Entry.
What Level Do You Need?
- Federal Skilled Worker: CLB 7 in all four abilities — see the FSW 67-point calculator.
- Canadian Experience Class: CLB 7 for TEER 0 and 1 jobs, CLB 5 for TEER 2 and 3 jobs — see CEC requirements.
- Federal Skilled Trades: CLB 5 in speaking and listening, CLB 4 in reading and writing.
- Citizenship (ages 18–54): CLB 4 in speaking and listening.
- CRS points: the biggest jumps are from CLB 8 to 9 (+8 per ability) and CLB 6 to 7 (+8 per ability). See the CRS calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is my overall IELTS band used?
No. IRCC converts each of the four abilities separately. For minimum requirements, your lowest ability is what counts.
How long are language test results valid?
Two years. They must be valid when you create your Express Entry profile and when you submit your application for permanent residence.
Is IELTS Academic accepted?
Not for Express Entry. You need IELTS General Training, CELPIP-General or PTE Core for English, and TEF Canada or TCF Canada for French.
Related Guides
- What is a good CRS score?
- Express Entry draw tracker
- Educational Credential Assessment (ECA)
