CLB calculator
Pick your test, enter all four ability scores, and see your CLB level per ability plus the overall level IRCC will use.
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CELPIP-General scores run 1 to 12
How do I convert my test score to CLB?
CELPIP-General maps one-to-one: a score of 9 in an ability is CLB 9. IELTS General Training and PTE Core use per-ability bands that differ between abilities, so a 6.0 in reading and a 6.0 in listening are not the same CLB. Your overall CLB is your lowest ability, not your average.
Your overall CLB is your weakest ability
This is the single most consequential rule in the conversion, and it catches people out constantly.
IRCC does not average your four abilities. Your CLB level for a programme requirement is the lowest of the four. Someone with CLB 9 in reading, writing and speaking but CLB 5 in listening has CLB 5 for the purposes of any minimum requirement, not CLB 8.
That is why the calculator above shows each ability separately as well as the overall figure. If one ability is dragging you below a threshold, that is the one to retest.
How the conversion works
It is a band lookup per ability, and the bands are not the same across abilities.
CELPIP-General: CLB = your score, one to oneIELTS General Training, CLB 7 for example:reading 6.0 writing 6.0 listening 6.0 speaking 6.0IELTS General Training, CLB 8:reading 6.5 writing 6.5 listening 7.5 speaking 6.5overall CLB = minimum of the four ability levels
Look closely at the CLB 8 row. Listening needs 7.5 while the other three need 6.5. The bands genuinely differ per ability, which is why a single conversion table with one column per CLB level is wrong and why entering all four scores matters.
PTE Core works the same way on a 10 to 90 scale, with four different band sets. CELPIP is the only one of the three where the mapping is a straight one-to-one.
Worked example: an IELTS General Training result
You scored reading 6.5, writing 6.5, listening 7.5 and speaking 6.0 on IELTS General Training.
- Reading 6.5CLB 8
- Writing 6.5CLB 8
- Listening 7.5CLB 8
- Speaking 6.0CLB 7
- Overall = lowest of the fourCLB 7
CLB 7 overall, which meets the Federal Skilled Worker minimum but not the CLB 9 needed for top language points.
Raising speaking from 6.0 to 6.5 would lift the overall result from CLB 7 to CLB 8 — a half-band in one ability moving the whole file. Three of the four scores are already doing nothing for you.
The IELTS General Training conversion
Note how listening runs ahead of the other abilities through the middle of the scale.
| 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 |
CELPIP-General is simpler: the score is the CLB level. PTE Core uses its own bands on a 10 to 90 scale, which the calculator applies when you select it. French tests — TEF Canada and TCF Canada — convert to NCLC levels rather than CLB, using separate charts on the IRCC page linked below.
Assumptions and limits
- Only IRCC-designated tests count, and only the correct version of each
- IELTS Academic is not accepted for Express Entry — it must be General Training
- Test results expire after two years for immigration purposes
- Programme minimums differ between streams and change over time
- This converts scores only; it does not calculate a CRS score or assess eligibility
Common questions
Is my CLB the average of my four scores?
No. IRCC uses your lowest ability as your overall level. Someone with CLB 9 in three abilities and CLB 6 in the fourth has CLB 6 against any minimum requirement. Averaging is the most common mistake people make reading their own results.
How does CELPIP convert to CLB?
One to one. A CELPIP-General score of 9 in an ability equals CLB 9 in that ability. This makes CELPIP the simplest of the accepted tests to read, though you still need all four abilities at the required level.
What IELTS score is CLB 9?
Reading 7.0, writing 7.0, listening 8.0 and speaking 7.0, all on IELTS General Training. Listening is the outlier — it needs a full band above the others. You need all four at or above those figures to hold CLB 9 overall.
Can I use IELTS Academic for Express Entry?
No. Express Entry accepts IELTS General Training only. IRCC also does not accept IELTS One Skill Retake for Express Entry. Taking the wrong version is an expensive mistake, since results are only valid for two years.
What CLB do I need for Express Entry?
The Federal Skilled Worker programme requires CLB 7 in all four abilities. The Federal Skilled Trades programme requires CLB 5 for speaking and listening and CLB 4 for reading and writing. Higher levels earn more Comprehensive Ranking System points, with CLB 9 the usual target for maximum language points.
Where these numbers come from
- IRCC — Language test equivalency charts The official CLB and NCLC equivalency tables for every designated test.
- IRCC — Express Entry: language test results Accepted tests, minimum levels per programme and points per ability.
- IRCC — Find your language level from your test results The per-ability CELPIP, IELTS, PTE Core and TEF conversion tables used here.
Last verified 2026-08-01 Rates on this page are checked against the sources above at least once a year, and whenever the governing authority announces a change. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.
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