Language Test Equivalency CLB Charts (IELTS, TEF, CELPIP)

To be eligible for Express Entry, you need to meet the criteria for one of the economic programs, like the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) or Start Up Visa Program. Your language proficiency score must meet the minimum requirement for the specific program you are aiming to qualify under.

The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) requires a language proficiency level of CLB7 for skill types 0 and A, while skill type B requires CLB6. The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) has a language proficiency threshold of CLB7. For the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), the proficiency levels are as follows: Listening (L) 5, Reading (R) 3.5, Writing (W) 4, and Speaking (S) 5, all measured under the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB).

The CLB Chart outlines the correspondences between the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLBs) for English, the Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens for French, and the outcomes of language assessments conducted by designated testing organizations. These equivalencies are detailed and summarized in the accompanying tables.

Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP)

CLB LEVEL

READING

WRITING

LISTENING

SPEAKING

10

10

10

10

10

9

9

9

9

9

8

8

8

8

8

7

7

7

7

7

6

6

6

6

6

5

5

5

5

5

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) General Training

CLB LEVEL

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

Test d’évaluation de français (TEF)

CLB LEVEL

READING

WRITING

LISTENING

SPEAKING

10

263-277

393-415

316-333

393-415

9

248-262

371-392

298-315

371-392

8

233-247

349-370

280-297

349-370

7

207-232

310-348

249-279

310-348

6

181-206

271-309

217-248

271-309

5

151-180

226-270

181-216

226-270

4

121-150

181-225

145-180

181-225