IELTS, CELPIP, PTE and TEF to CLB Conversion

Every approved language test reports scores differently, so Canada converts them all to a single scale: the Canadian Language Benchmark. Your CLB level is what determines whether you qualify for Express Entry and how many points your language ability earns, making it the highest-value number in most profiles. Language is also the factor you can most realistically improve, which is why understanding the conversion matters before you book a retest.

The charts below come from IRCC's official equivalency tables. Use them to find your CLB or NCLC level in each ability, check it against the minimum for your program, and see what a higher level would be worth in your CRS score. If you want the background on what the benchmarks actually measure, our guide to the Canadian Language Benchmark explains the framework in more detail.

Key Facts About CLB Conversion

• CLB for English, NCLC for French. They use the same 1 to 12 scale and are treated identically.
• Each ability is scored separately. Listening, reading, writing and speaking each get their own level.
• Your lowest ability governs. There is no averaging across the four abilities.
• CELPIP maps one to one. CELPIP 7 equals CLB 7.
• Results expire after two years. They must be valid at profile and at application.
• CLB 7 is the key threshold for most Express Entry applicants.

What Are CLB and NCLC?

The Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) is the national standard Canada uses to describe English ability, and the Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) is its French equivalent. Both run from 1 to 12. You never take a test called "CLB." Instead, you take an approved test, and IRCC converts your result in each ability into a CLB or NCLC level so that scores from different tests can be compared on one scale. An NCLC 7 in French is worth the same as a CLB 7 in English.

Which Language Tests Does IRCC Accept?

For Express Entry, IRCC accepts three English tests and two French tests. Taking the wrong version of a test is a common and expensive mistake.

Language Test to CLB Conversion Charts

The charts below convert each approved test into CLB or NCLC levels, ability by ability. Find your score in each of the four abilities separately, because thresholds differ between abilities on every test except CELPIP.

IELTS to CLB Conversion

IELTS General Training scores convert as follows. Note that the thresholds differ by ability, so a 6.0 is CLB 7 in speaking but only CLB 6 in listening at 5.5.

CELPIP to CLB Conversion

CELPIP-General is the simplest test to read, because it maps directly to CLB with no conversion needed.

PTE Core to CLB Conversion

PTE Core reports each ability on a 10 to 90 scale. The thresholds vary noticeably between abilities, so check each one separately rather than relying on an overall score.

TEF Canada to NCLC Conversion

Read this table carefully. Your TEF Canada statement of results shows more than one set of numbers, and IRCC uses only the "Équivalence ancien score" column. Entering the score out of 699 instead can lead to a refusal.

TCF Canada to NCLC Conversion

Minimum CLB Level by Program

Knowing your CLB level only helps once you compare it to what your program requires. Every ability must meet the minimum on its own.

How Your CLB Level Affects Your Points

Language is the most valuable improvable factor in a profile, and it is scored twice. Under the Federal Skilled Worker selection grid, your first official language earns up to 24 points, at 4 points per ability at CLB 7, 5 at CLB 8, and 6 at CLB 9 or above. A second official language at CLB or NCLC 5 across all four abilities adds a further 4 points.

Separately, within the Comprehensive Ranking System used to rank candidates in the pool, language carries far more weight, and points continue rising up to CLB 10. This is why moving from CLB 7 to CLB 9 often changes an applicant's prospects more than any other single action, and why a retest is frequently the fastest route to a competitive score. Strong French can add points on top of that through category-based selection.

How Long Are Language Test Results Valid?

Your results must be less than two years old at two separate moments: when you complete your Express Entry profile, and when you submit your application for permanent residence. If you apply with expired results, IRCC will refuse the application. If your results will expire while you are in the pool, either retest, apply before they lapse, or decline an invitation and return to the pool.

Common CLB Conversion Mistakes

• Taking the wrong test version. IELTS Academic and PTE Academic are not accepted for Express Entry.
• Averaging your abilities. Your lowest ability sets your level, so one weak skill caps your eligibility.
• Using the wrong TEF column. Enter the "Équivalence ancien score" figures, not the score out of 699.
• Letting results expire. They must be valid at profile and at application.
• Stopping at the minimum. CLB 7 makes you eligible, but higher levels are what make you competitive.
• Assuming one score fits all abilities. Thresholds differ per ability on every test except CELPIP.

A single ability holding you at a lower benchmark can quietly cost you dozens of points and an invitation. SEP Immigration, led by Sepehr Falahati (CICC and IRB member R533959), reviews your test results, identifies which ability is worth retesting, and builds the strategy that gets your profile above the cut-off.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Conversion charts and program minimums are based on IRCC's official equivalency tables and can change. Confirm your own scores against the Government of Canada's Express Entry language test results page, or with a licensed representative, before you rely on them.