IELTS, CELPIP, PTE Core, TEF and TCF to CLB: IRCC's official conversion charts
Published October 19, 2026
Express Entry scores your language skills in Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) levels for English and Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) levels for French. IRCC converts the score of each ability (speaking, listening, reading, writing) separately, using the official charts below. Your results must be less than two years old.
Use our free converters to do this automatically: IELTS to CLB, CELPIP to CLB, TEF/TCF to NCLC.
Which tests IRCC accepts
- English: CELPIP-General, IELTS General Training (not Academic), PTE Core
- French: TEF Canada, TCF Canada
CELPIP-General
CELPIP levels match CLB levels one-to-one (CELPIP 7 = CLB 7, and so on). Scores of 10 and above count as CLB 10.
IELTS General Training
Minimum band score for each CLB level:
| 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 |
PTE Core
| CLB | Reading | Writing | Listening | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 88–90 | 90 | 89–90 | 89–90 |
| 9 | 78–87 | 88–89 | 82–88 | 84–88 |
| 8 | 69–77 | 79–87 | 71–81 | 76–83 |
| 7 | 60–68 | 69–78 | 60–70 | 68–75 |
| 6 | 51–59 | 60–68 | 50–59 | 59–67 |
| 5 | 42–50 | 51–59 | 39–49 | 51–58 |
| 4 | 33–41 | 41–50 | 28–38 | 42–50 |
TEF Canada
IRCC instructs Express Entry candidates to use the “Équivalence ancien score” column of their TEF Canada results (the chart for tests taken before September 30, 2019), whatever the test date. The score out of 699 on the statement of results can give the wrong NCLC level if entered in your profile.
| NCLC | Reading | Writing | Listening | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 263–300 | 393–450 | 316–360 | 393–450 |
| 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 |
TCF Canada
| NCLC | Reading | Writing | Listening | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10+ | 549–699 | 16–20 | 549–699 | 16–20 |
| 9 | 524–548 | 14–15 | 523–548 | 14–15 |
| 8 | 499–523 | 12–13 | 503–522 | 12–13 |
| 7 | 453–498 | 10–11 | 458–502 | 10–11 |
| 6 | 406–452 | 7–9 | 398–457 | 7–9 |
| 5 | 375–405 | 6 | 369–397 | 6 |
| 4 | 342–374 | 4–5 | 331–368 | 4–5 |
How CLB levels turn into CRS points
For your first official language, the CRS gives points per ability. Without a spouse or partner coming with you: CLB 4–5 = 6, CLB 6 = 9, CLB 7 = 17, CLB 8 = 23, CLB 9 = 31, CLB 10+ = 34 (maximum 136). With a spouse or partner: 6, 8, 16, 22, 29 and 32 (maximum 128).
Reaching CLB 7 and especially CLB 9 in all four abilities also unlocks skill-transferability points when combined with post-secondary education or foreign work experience. And NCLC 7+ in all four French abilities adds 25 additional points, or 50 if you also have CLB 5+ in all four English abilities.
Try different scores in the free CRS calculator to see the effect on your total.
Last checked against canada.ca on October 19, 2026. Always confirm on the official pages linked below.