CLB Calculator for CELPIP, IELTS, PTE Core, TEF and TCF
Enter scores from any IRCC-designated test to get your CLB or NCLC in each skill, your lowest skill, program minimums and CRS language points.
Your scores
ExampleIELTS General Training only — Academic and One Skill Retake results aren’t accepted. Enter each skill’s band, not the overall score.
IRCC table for this test
| CLB | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 8.5 | 8.0 | 7.5 | 7.5 |
| 9 | 8.0 (your level) | 7.0 (your level) | 7.0 | 7.0 (your level) |
| 8 | 7.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 (your level) | 6.5 |
| 7 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| 6 | 5.5 | 5.0 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| 5 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| 4 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
CLB per skill
lowest: CLB 8- ListeningCLB 9
- ReadingCLB 9
- WritingCLB 8
- SpeakingCLB 9
Lowest skill
CLB8
Writing
CRS language pts
CRS first-language points 116
single · 109 with a spouse
Express Entry program minimums
Federal Skilled Worker (FSW)
Meets · CLB 7 in all four skills
Canadian Experience Class · TEER 0–1
Meets · CLB 7 in all four skills
Canadian Experience Class · TEER 2–3
Meets · CLB 5 in all four skills
Federal Skilled Trades (FST)
Meets · CLB 5 listening & speaking, 4 reading & writing
What this level is worth
+45CRS · Writing CLB 8 → 9
8 language + 37 skill transferability
Example profile: age 28, bachelor’s + ECA, 3 years’ work abroad, single.
See what each level is worthEnter your CELPIP-General, IELTS General Training, PTE Core, TEF Canada or TCF Canada scores to see your CLB or NCLC level in each skill, your lowest skill and your CRS language points. Each skill is converted separately with IRCC’s tables. For example, IELTS 7.0 in speaking is CLB 9, but listening needs 8.0 for CLB 9.
How do I convert my test score to CLB?
Look up each skill on its own in IRCC’s table for your test and take the highest CLB whose minimum you meet. Never average the four scores or use an overall band. IELTS General 7.0 in speaking is CLB 9, but listening needs 8.0 for CLB 9. French tests give NCLC, which counts the same way.
The tables below are IRCC’s, for the five tests Express Entry accepts. A score below the lowest one listed is below CLB 4 and earns no CRS language points.
IELTS General Training to CLB
| CLB | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | CRS pts / skill (single) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 8.5 | 8.0 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 34 |
| 9 | 8.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 31 |
| 8 | 7.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 23 |
| 7 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 17 |
| 6 | 5.5 | 5.0 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 9 |
| 5 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 6 |
| 4 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 6 |
Listening is the strict one: CLB 9 needs 8.0 in listening but 7.0 in the other three skills. IELTS Academic and One Skill Retake results are not accepted for Express Entry.
PTE Core to CLB
| CLB | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | CRS pts / skill (single) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 89 | 88 | 90 | 89 | 34 |
| 9 | 82 | 78 | 88 | 84 | 31 |
| 8 | 71 | 69 | 79 | 76 | 23 |
| 7 | 60 | 60 | 69 | 68 | 17 |
| 6 | 50 | 51 | 60 | 59 | 9 |
| 5 | 39 | 42 | 51 | 51 | 6 |
| 4 | 28 | 33 | 41 | 42 | 6 |
| 3 | 18 | 24 | 32 | 34 | 0 |
Only PTE Core counts for Express Entry — PTE Academic does not. The CLB 3 row comes from IRCC’s full chart; the Express Entry page lists CLB 4 to 10.
TEF Canada to NCLC (the /360 scale, not /699)
| NCLC | Listening /360 | Reading /300 | Writing /450 | Speaking /450 | CRS pts / skill (single) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 316 | 263 | 393 | 393 | 34 |
| 9 | 298 | 248 | 371 | 371 | 31 |
| 8 | 280 | 233 | 349 | 349 | 23 |
| 7 | 249 | 207 | 310 | 310 | 17 |
| 6 | 217 | 181 | 271 | 271 | 9 |
| 5 | 181 | 151 | 226 | 226 | 6 |
| 4 | 145 | 121 | 181 | 181 | 6 |
Use the “Équivalence ancien score” column
Your TEF Canada attestation shows two scales. For Express Entry, IRCC says to enter only the “Équivalence ancien score” (out of 360, 300, 450 and 450). The /699 scale is not used for Express Entry — for example, 434 out of 699 in reading is NCLC 7 on other IRCC charts, a number that means nothing in this table.
TCF Canada to NCLC
| NCLC | Listening /699 | Reading /699 | Writing /20 | Speaking /20 | CRS pts / skill (single) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 549 | 549 | 16 | 16 | 34 |
| 9 | 523 | 524 | 14 | 14 | 31 |
| 8 | 503 | 499 | 12 | 12 | 23 |
| 7 | 458 | 453 | 10 | 10 | 17 |
| 6 | 398 | 406 | 7 | 7 | 9 |
| 5 | 369 | 375 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| 4 | 331 | 342 | 4 | 4 | 6 |
TCF Canada reports listening and reading out of 699 and writing and speaking out of 20. IRCC’s own CRS tool has been seen to give 0 points for TCF NCLC 4, while the Ministerial Instructions give level 4 the same points as any other test; we follow the Ministerial Instructions.
CELPIP-General to CLB
CELPIP is the simplest: each CELPIP-General level is the CLB level with the same number, skill by skill. CELPIP-General LS is not accepted for Express Entry. Full CELPIP score chart with raw-score estimates.
Language minimums for FSW, CEC and FST
| Program | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Canadian Experience Class — TEER 0 or 1 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Canadian Experience Class — TEER 2 or 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Federal Skilled Trades (FST) | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
These are eligibility minimums. They are checked skill by skill, so one low skill can make you ineligible even when the other three are high.
Common mistakes when converting scores to CLB
- Averaging. CLB is per skill. An IELTS overall band or a CELPIP “average” has no meaning for IRCC.
- The wrong test version. IELTS Academic, PTE Academic and CELPIP-General LS are not accepted for Express Entry.
- The TEF /699 column. Express Entry uses the “Équivalence ancien score” only.
- Old results. Results must be less than 2 years old when you create your profile and when you apply for PR.
- Reading CRS points from the FSW grid. The FSW selection grid’s per-skill points are not CRS points.
How many CRS points is each CLB level worth?
For your first official language, each skill earns 17 CRS points at CLB 7, 23 at CLB 8, 31 at CLB 9 and 34 at CLB 10 or higher if you are single (16, 22, 29 and 32 with a spouse). Reaching CLB 9 in all four skills can also unlock skill-transferability points.
| CLB / NCLC | Single | With a spouse |
|---|---|---|
| 10 or higher | 34 | 32 |
| 9 | 31 | 29 |
| 8 | 23 | 22 |
| 7 | 17 | 16 |
| 6 | 9 | 8 |
| 5 | 6 | 6 |
| 4 | 6 | 6 |
The four skills together are capped at 136 points (128 with a spouse). See what one more level is worth for your whole profile.
Questions people ask
Can I average my four scores to get one CLB level?
Is IELTS 6.5 CLB 8?
Which TEF Canada score do I enter for Express Entry?
Is this calculator official?
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Unofficial practice and estimates — not affiliated with Paragon or IRCC, and not legal advice. Read the disclaimer