IELTS to CLB Converter (CELPIP & PTE Core)

Canada’s immigration programs measure English with the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB), not with test scores directly. This converter turns IELTS General Training bands, CELPIP-General levels or PTE Core scores into a CLB level for each of the four abilities, using the equivalency tables Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) publishes for Express Entry. It also adds up the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points for your first official language and checks the minimum for each Express Entry program.

How to use this tool

1. Choose your test: IELTS General Training, CELPIP-General or PTE Core.
2. Enter your listening, reading, writing and speaking results.
3. Tick the box if a spouse or common-law partner is coming with you.
4. Read your CLB level per ability, the lowest level, the CRS points and which program minimums you meet.

Formula

CLB per ability = the highest level whose minimum score you reach; CRS language points = sum over the four abilities

IELTS minimums for CLB 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 and 4: listening 8.5, 8.0, 7.5, 6.0, 5.5, 5.0, 4.5; reading 8.0, 7.0, 6.5, 6.0, 5.0, 4.0, 3.5; writing and speaking 7.5, 7.0, 6.5, 6.0, 5.5, 5.0, 4.0. CELPIP levels 4 to 9 equal the same CLB, and 10 or more counts as CLB 10. CRS points per ability for a single applicant: 6 for CLB 4–5, then 9, 17, 23, 31 and 34 for CLB 6 to 10+ (with a spouse 6, 8, 16, 22, 29, 32).

Example

IELTS bands of 8.0 listening, 7.0 reading, 7.0 writing and 7.0 speaking are CLB 9 in every ability, worth 31 × 4 = 124 CRS points for a single applicant. Dropping reading and speaking to 6.5 and listening and writing to 6.0 gives CLB 8 for reading and speaking and CLB 7 for listening and writing: still enough for the Federal Skilled Worker minimum of CLB 7, but only 17 + 23 + 17 + 23 = 80 points.