If you’re applying for Canadian immigration, you must prove your proficiency in English or French using an approved language test. To make test scores comparable across different exams, the Government of Canada uses the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) system.
This guide provides official CLB equivalency charts for all approved tests, including IELTS, CELPIP, TEF, TCF, and now PTE Core, so you can see exactly how your results stack up.
Table of Contents
🧭 What is the CLB?
The Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) are a standardized system used by IRCC to evaluate a person’s English or French language ability across four key skills:
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Listening
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Speaking
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Reading
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Writing
The higher your CLB level, the more competitive your profile is for immigration streams like Express Entry, Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs), or Quebec Immigration.
✅ Approved Language Tests for Canadian Immigration
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) accepts the following tests:
🔹 English Tests
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IELTS General Training
🔹 French Tests
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TEF Canada
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TCF Canada
🔹 Quebec-Specific Tests
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TEFAQ, TCF Québec, DELF/DALF, etc.
🕒 Note: Test results must be less than 2 years old at the time of application.
📊 CLB Equivalency Charts
IELTS General Training – CLB Chart
| CLB | Listening | Speaking | Reading | Writing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 8.5 | 7.5 | 8.0 | 7.5 |
| 9 | 8.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| 8 | 7.5 | 6.5 | 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 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 4.0 |
CELPIP General – CLB Chart
| CLB | Listening | Speaking | Reading | Writing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
PTE Core – CLB Equivalency
| CLB | Listening | Reading | Speaking | Writing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 89–90 | 88–90 | 89–90 | 90 |
| 9 | 82–88 | 78–87 | 84–88 | 88–89 |
| 8 | 71–81 | 69–77 | 76–83 | 79–87 |
| 7 | 60–70 | 60–68 | 68–75 | 69–78 |
| 6 | 50–59 | 51–59 | 59–67 | 60–68 |
| 5 | 39–49 | 42–50 | 51–58 | 51–59 |
| 4 | 28–38 | 33–41 | 42–50 | 41–50 |
| 3 | 18–27 | 24–32 | 34–41 | 32–40 |
TEF Canada – CLB Chart
| CLB | Listening | Speaking | Reading | Writing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 546–699 | 556–699 | 546–699 | 558–699 |
| 9 | 503–545 | 518–555 | 503–545 | 512–557 |
| 8 | 462–502 | 494–517 | 462–502 | 472–511 |
| 7 | 434–461 | 456–493 | 434–461 | 428–471 |
| 6 | 393–433 | 422–455 | 393–433 | 379–427 |
| 5 | 352–392 | 387–421 | 352–392 | 330–378 |
| 4 | 306–351 | 328–386 | 306–351 | 268–329 |
TCF Canada – CLB Chart
| CLB | Listening | Speaking | Reading | Writing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 549–699 | 16–20 | 549–699 | 16–20 |
| 9 | 523–548 | 14–15 | 524–548 | 14–15 |
| 8 | 503–522 | 12–13 | 499–523 | 12–13 |
| 7 | 458–502 | 10–11 | 453–498 | 10–11 |
| 6 | 398–457 | 7–9 | 406–452 | 7–9 |
| 5 | 369–397 | 6 | 375–405 | 6 |
| 4 | 331–368 | 4–5 | 342–374 | 4–5 |
🌐 Quebec Immigration Language Tests
For immigration to Quebec, French tests such as TEFAQ, TCF Québec, TEF Canada, DELF, and DALF are accepted.
IELTS General Training is the only accepted English test for Quebec.
