Canada measures English with the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) and French with the Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC). Federal immigration programs that ask for a language level, from Express Entry to the post-graduation work permit, convert test scores to these levels using charts published by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The charts below come straight from IRCC’s Express Entry language test page, checked on September 30, 2026. This page explains the rules; it is not immigration advice, and IRCC’s own tools and officers decide every application.
How do you convert IELTS to CLB?
Find each IELTS General Training skill score in its own column, then read across to the CLB level. The listening, reading, writing and speaking scores are converted one at a time, so a single test report usually gives four different CLB levels.
How to read this table: each cell is the lowest IELTS band that reaches that CLB level in that skill. A band between two rows counts as the lower row. The CLB 10 row means that band or higher.
| CLB level | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 4 | 4 |
| 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| 6 | 5.5 | 5 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| 8 | 7.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| 10 | 8.5 | 8 | 7.5 | 7.5 |
Source: Express Entry: Language test results - Canada.ca; Express Entry: Language test results - Canada.ca (accepted tests); Post-graduation work permit: How to find your language level based on your test results - Canada.ca (cross-check). In effect from June 22, 2026; checked September 29, 2026.
Three details trip people up:
- Listening needs a higher band. At CLB 8, CLB 9 and CLB 10, IRCC asks for a higher listening band than any other skill. A candidate with 7.5 in every skill is CLB 10 in writing and speaking but only CLB 8 in listening.
- Reading starts lower. Reading reaches CLB 4 at 3.5, the lowest band on the chart, and CLB 10 at 8.0.
- Only General Training counts. IRCC says Express Entry candidates “must take the IELTS General Training option” and it does not accept IELTS One Skill Retake for Express Entry.
What is the CELPIP to CLB conversion?
CELPIP-General is the easiest test to convert, because IRCC’s chart pairs each CELPIP level with the same CLB number. A CELPIP score of 8 in reading is CLB 8 in reading; a 10 or higher is CLB 10.
How to read this table: the CELPIP-General score in each skill equals the CLB level in that skill. The CLB 10 row means a CELPIP score of 10 or higher.
| CLB level | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
Source: Express Entry: Language test results - Canada.ca; Express Entry: Language test results - Canada.ca (accepted tests); Post-graduation work permit: How to find your language level based on your test results - Canada.ca (cross-check). In effect from June 22, 2026; checked September 29, 2026.
This one-to-one match is why “CELPIP CLB calculator” searches usually end with the table above. The work that still needs doing is the CRS side: turning four CLB levels into points, which the CRS calculator does automatically when CELPIP scores are entered. IRCC’s page says candidates “must take the CELPIP-General test”, so only CELPIP-General results belong in an Express Entry profile.
What PTE Core score equals each CLB level?
PTE Core is the third English test IRCC lists for Express Entry, alongside IELTS General Training and CELPIP-General. Its scores run on a different scale from both, and the minimums differ by skill, so the chart matters more here than for CELPIP.
How to read this table: each cell is the lowest PTE Core score that reaches that CLB level in that skill. The CLB 10 row means that score or higher.
| CLB level | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 28 | 33 | 41 | 42 |
| 5 | 39 | 42 | 51 | 51 |
| 6 | 50 | 51 | 60 | 59 |
| 7 | 60 | 60 | 69 | 68 |
| 8 | 71 | 69 | 79 | 76 |
| 9 | 82 | 78 | 88 | 84 |
| 10 | 89 | 88 | 90 | 89 |
Source: Express Entry: Language test results - Canada.ca; Express Entry: Language test results - Canada.ca (accepted tests); Post-graduation work permit: How to find your language level based on your test results - Canada.ca (cross-check). In effect from June 22, 2026; checked September 29, 2026.
IRCC says candidates “must take the PTE Core option”. PTE Academic, often used for university admission, is not the version on IRCC’s list.
How do TEF Canada and TCF Canada convert to NCLC?
French results convert to NCLC levels, which run on the same 4-to-10 scale as CLB. The two accepted French tests are TEF Canada and TCF Canada.
How to read this table: use the 'Équivalence ancien score' (previous score equivalency) on the TEF Canada results, not the score out of 699. Each cell is the lowest score that reaches that NCLC level; the NCLC 10 row means that score or higher.
| NCLC level | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 145 | 121 | 181 | 181 |
| 5 | 181 | 151 | 226 | 226 |
| 6 | 217 | 181 | 271 | 271 |
| 7 | 249 | 207 | 310 | 310 |
| 8 | 280 | 233 | 349 | 349 |
| 9 | 298 | 248 | 371 | 371 |
| 10 | 316 | 263 | 393 | 393 |
Source: Express Entry: Language test results - Canada.ca; Express Entry: Language test results - Canada.ca (accepted tests); Post-graduation work permit: How to find your language level based on your test results - Canada.ca (cross-check). In effect from June 22, 2026; checked September 29, 2026.
IRCC’s instruction for TEF Canada is explicit: the language level “will be based on the Équivalence ancien score” column, and only those numbers go into the Express Entry profile. The newer score out of 699 printed on the same report is not what the Express Entry chart uses.
How to read this table: writing and speaking use a much smaller score scale than listening and reading. Each cell is the lowest score that reaches that NCLC level; the NCLC 10 row means that score or higher.
| NCLC level | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 331 | 342 | 4 | 4 |
| 5 | 369 | 375 | 6 | 6 |
| 6 | 398 | 406 | 7 | 7 |
| 7 | 458 | 453 | 10 | 10 |
| 8 | 503 | 499 | 12 | 12 |
| 9 | 523 | 524 | 14 | 14 |
| 10 | 549 | 549 | 16 | 16 |
Source: Express Entry: Language test results - Canada.ca; Express Entry: Language test results - Canada.ca (accepted tests); Post-graduation work permit: How to find your language level based on your test results - Canada.ca (cross-check). In effect from June 22, 2026; checked September 29, 2026.
French matters beyond eligibility. A candidate with NCLC 7 or higher in all four French skills earns additional CRS points (25 with CLB 4 or lower in English or no English test, 50 with CLB 5 or higher in all four English skills), and French-language proficiency has been one of IRCC’s categories for targeted rounds of invitations. The Express Entry draws tracker shows which categories IRCC has used recently.
How does a CLB calculator work?
A CLB calculator does exactly what the charts above do: it takes the score in each skill, finds the highest level whose minimum that score meets, and reports four CLB (or NCLC) levels. IRCC runs its own version in the “Check your language level” section of the Express Entry language test page, which asks for the program and the test taken. The CRS calculator runs the same conversion for IELTS, CELPIP, PTE Core, TEF Canada and TCF Canada scores and then turns the four levels into CRS points.
A hypothetical example with IELTS General Training scores of listening 8.0, reading 7.0, writing 6.5 and speaking 7.0:
- Listening: CLB 9
- Reading: CLB 9
- Writing: CLB 8
- Speaking: CLB 9
The result is CLB 9, 9, 8, 9. This candidate clears every Express Entry program’s language minimum, but the single CLB 8 in writing has a larger cost than it looks, as the CRS section below shows.
What CLB level does each Express Entry program need?
Each federal program in Express Entry has its own minimum. Missing it in even one required skill means the candidate is not eligible for that program, whatever the CRS score would have been.
How to read this table: the minimum applies to the first official language the candidate chooses. For the Canadian Experience Class, the level depends on the NOC TEER category of the Canadian job used to qualify.
| Program | Skills that must meet it | English | French |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Skilled Worker Program | All 4 (speaking, listening, reading, writing) | CLB 7 | NCLC 7 |
| Canadian Experience Class, job in NOC TEER 0 or 1 | All 4 | CLB 7 | NCLC 7 |
| Canadian Experience Class, job in NOC TEER 2 or 3 | All 4 | CLB 5 | NCLC 5 |
| Federal Skilled Trades Program | Speaking and listening | CLB 5 | NCLC 5 |
| Federal Skilled Trades Program | Reading and writing | CLB 4 | NCLC 4 |
Source: Express Entry: Language test results - Canada.ca (Canadian Experience Class minimums); Express Entry: Language test results - Canada.ca (Federal Skilled Worker minimum); Express Entry: Language test results - Canada.ca (Federal Skilled Trades minimums); Express Entry: Language test results - Canada.ca (how long results are valid); Express Entry: Language test results - Canada.ca (expired results); Six selection factors - Federal Skilled Worker Program - Canada.ca (language points); Six selection factors - Federal Skilled Worker Program - Canada.ca (second language and pass mark); Six selection factors - Federal Skilled Worker Program - Canada.ca (spouse language, adaptability); Canadian Experience Class - Canada.ca (language in all 4 abilities). In effect from June 22, 2026; checked September 30, 2026.
The Federal Skilled Worker Program also uses a separate 100-point eligibility grid with a pass mark of 67. Language is worth up to 28 of those points, as shown below. These are not CRS points; IRCC says they are “different from the points we use to rank your profile” in the pool.
How to read this table: points are counted for each of the 4 skills. A second official language adds 4 points only with at least CLB 5 in all 4 skills.
| CLB level in a skill | Points per skill |
|---|---|
| CLB 9 or higher | 6 |
| CLB 8 | 5 |
| CLB 7 | 4 |
| Below CLB 7 | Not eligible to apply |
Source: Express Entry: Language test results - Canada.ca (Canadian Experience Class minimums); Express Entry: Language test results - Canada.ca (Federal Skilled Worker minimum); Express Entry: Language test results - Canada.ca (Federal Skilled Trades minimums); Express Entry: Language test results - Canada.ca (how long results are valid); Express Entry: Language test results - Canada.ca (expired results); Six selection factors - Federal Skilled Worker Program - Canada.ca (language points); Six selection factors - Federal Skilled Worker Program - Canada.ca (second language and pass mark); Six selection factors - Federal Skilled Worker Program - Canada.ca (spouse language, adaptability); Canadian Experience Class - Canada.ca (language in all 4 abilities). In effect from June 22, 2026; checked September 30, 2026.
A candidate at CLB 7 in every skill scores 16 of 24 first-language points on this grid. The Federal Skilled Worker Program guide covers the other five selection factors.
How does CLB affect a CRS score?
Language is one of the few core factors a candidate can still raise after entering the pool. The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores each first-language skill separately, and the biggest per-level jumps come at CLB 7 and at CLB 9.
How to read this table: points are for one skill; multiply across listening, reading, writing and speaking. The CLB 3 row means 'less than CLB 4' and the CLB 10 row means 'CLB 10 or more'.
| CLB level | With a spouse or partner | Without a spouse or partner |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | 6 | 6 |
| 5 | 6 | 6 |
| 6 | 8 | 9 |
| 7 | 16 | 17 |
| 8 | 22 | 23 |
| 9 | 29 | 31 |
| 10 | 32 | 34 |
Source: Express Entry: Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) criteria - Canada.ca; Express Entry: CRS criteria - job offer points removed (same page); Express Entry: Check your score - Canada.ca; Ministerial Instructions respecting the Express Entry system - current - Canada.ca. In effect from March 25, 2025; checked September 29, 2026.
For a single candidate, moving from CLB 7 to CLB 9 in all four skills adds 56 core points. With a spouse or partner the gain is 52 points.
Language then counts a second time in skill transferability. Education and foreign work experience only earn transferability points when combined with CLB 7 or higher in all four skills, and the points roughly double once every skill reaches CLB 9.
How to read this table: the education and language combination is capped with the education and Canadian work combination at 50 points; all skill transferability is capped at 100.
| Education | CLB 7+ in all skills, one or more under CLB 9 | CLB 9+ in all four skills |
|---|---|---|
| Secondary school (high school) credential or less | 0 | 0 |
| Post-secondary program credential of one year or longer | 13 | 25 |
| Two or more post-secondary program credentials AND at least one of these credentials was issued on completion of a post-secondary program of three years or longer | 25 | 50 |
| A university-level credential at the master’s level or at the level of an entry-to-practice professional degree for an occupation listed in the National Occupational Classification matrix at Skill Level A for which licensing by a provincial regulatory body is required | 25 | 50 |
| A university-level credential at the doctoral level | 25 | 50 |
Source: Express Entry: Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) criteria - Canada.ca; Express Entry: CRS criteria - job offer points removed (same page); Express Entry: Check your score - Canada.ca; Ministerial Instructions respecting the Express Entry system - current - Canada.ca. In effect from March 25, 2025; checked September 29, 2026.
How to read this table: the foreign work and language combination is capped with the foreign work and Canadian work combination at 50 points.
| Foreign work experience | CLB 7+ in all skills, one or more under CLB 9 | CLB 9+ in all four skills |
|---|---|---|
| No foreign work experience | 0 | 0 |
| 1 or 2 years of foreign work experience | 13 | 25 |
| 3 years or more of foreign work experience | 25 | 50 |
Source: Express Entry: Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) criteria - Canada.ca; Express Entry: CRS criteria - job offer points removed (same page); Express Entry: Check your score - Canada.ca; Ministerial Instructions respecting the Express Entry system - current - Canada.ca. In effect from March 25, 2025; checked September 29, 2026.
Back to the hypothetical candidate from the calculator section (CLB 9, 9, 8, 9), assuming a single applicant with a bachelor’s degree, 3 years of foreign work experience and no Canadian work experience (Canadian work would bring the 50-point combination caps into play). Lifting writing from 6.5 to 7.0 changes three things:
- Core writing points rise from the CLB 8 value to the CLB 9 value: 8 more points.
- Education plus language moves to the CLB 9 column: 12 more points.
- Foreign work plus language moves to the CLB 9 column: 25 more points.
Half a band in one skill is worth 45 CRS points for this profile. Age, education and work history change slowly, so language scores are one of the few parts of a profile that can move in the short term. The CRS calculator re-scores a profile one change at a time, and the CRS points table lists every other factor.
A second official language adds up to 22 CRS points with a spouse or 24 without, and a spouse’s own first-language levels add up to 20 points through the spouse factors.
Which other applications use CLB levels?
CLB and NCLC levels matter well beyond Express Entry, though the charts are not always identical:
- Post-graduation work permit. Most graduates who applied on or after November 1, 2024 need CLB or NCLC 7 (university programs) or CLB or NCLC 5 (college programs) in all four skills. The IELTS, CELPIP, PTE Core and TCF Canada charts on IRCC’s PGWP page match the ones above, but the PGWP chart for TEF Canada uses the score out of 699, not the “Équivalence ancien score”. The PGWP guide has the full rules.
- Canadian citizenship. Applicants aged 18 to 54 must show CLB or NCLC 4 in speaking and listening only. Results from a language test used for permanent residence are accepted even if they have expired, as long as they are high enough, but IELTS Academic is not. The citizenship application guide lists the other accepted proofs.
- Provincial nominee programs. Many provincial streams set their own CLB minimums, commonly between CLB 4 and CLB 7; each province’s stream page lists the level and the tests it accepts. The Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) guide shows how one province turns language ability into points.
What should a candidate do if the level looks wrong?
First, recheck the chart against the right column: the TEF Canada “Équivalence ancien score” rather than the score out of 699, and the individual skill scores rather than the overall band. Second, check the test version (IELTS General Training, CELPIP-General, PTE Core). Third, confirm the test date: IRCC requires results to be less than 2 years old when the profile is completed and when the permanent residence application is submitted, and it says it will refuse an application sent with expired results.
If the scores themselves seem wrong, the test provider handles re-marking under its own rules and deadlines; IRCC cannot change a test result. If the Express Entry profile shows a different level than the chart, candidates can contact IRCC through its online web form. A licensed immigration consultant or lawyer can review a complicated file.
What could change next?
IRCC updates these charts without a fixed schedule. The Express Entry language test page was last modified on June 22, 2026, and the TEF Canada grid has already shifted once: CCI Paris Ile-de-France, which runs the test, temporarily changed its NCLC scoring for tests taken between December 11, 2023 and May 6, 2024, and the change was later reverted. The CRS grid itself was last changed on March 25, 2025, when job offer points were removed; IRCC consulted in 2026 on further CRS changes, but none are in force. This page is re-checked against IRCC’s pages on a set schedule, and the date under each table shows when it was last verified.
Common mistakes with IELTS to CLB conversion
- Using the overall band score. IRCC converts each skill separately; the overall band plays no part.
- Taking IELTS Academic or PTE Academic. Neither is the version IRCC lists for Express Entry.
- Reading the wrong TEF column. Only the “Équivalence ancien score” goes into the profile.
- Rounding up. A 7.5 in IELTS listening is CLB 8, not CLB 9; only the chart minimum counts.
- Ignoring the expiry date. Results must still be valid when the permanent residence application is submitted, not just when the profile is created.
- Stopping at CLB 7. Meeting the program minimum is only the entry point for eligibility; the jump to CLB 9 in all four skills is where most of the CRS gain sits.