CLB calculator
Convert your IELTS General Training, CELPIP-General or PTE Core scores to Canadian Language Benchmark levels, one ability at a time, and see what those levels are worth for Express Entry.
Your CLB is not one number and not an average. You get a CLB level for each ability, Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking, and a program that asks for "CLB 7" means CLB 7 in every one of them.
A CELPIP level is the CLB level, so CELPIP 9 is CLB 9. IELTS and PTE Core use their own scales, and IRCC publishes a chart that maps each score to a CLB level. The charts are uneven: CLB 9 needs IELTS 8.0 in Listening but 7.0 in the other three.
Conversion charts and Express Entry points read from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada's pages on canada.ca on 13 October 2026. This is a study tool, not immigration advice, and IRCC's own chart is the authority. celpipmocks.com is independent and not affiliated with IRCC, Paragon, IDP, the British Council or Pearson.
Work out your CLB level
Choose your test and enter the score for each ability. The result updates as you go.
Enter your four scores to see your CLB levels. The full charts are in the tables below.
The calculator reproduces IRCC's charts and its points grid, and nothing more. Express Entry accepts CELPIP-General, IELTS General Training and PTE Core for English; it does not accept IELTS Academic, PTE Academic or an IELTS One Skill Retake result.
IELTS to CLB conversion chart
The lowest IELTS General Training band that reaches each CLB level, by ability. A higher band inside the same row is still the same CLB.
| CLB level | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLB 10 and above | 8.5 | 8.0 | 7.5 | 7.5 |
| CLB 9 | 8.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| CLB 8 | 7.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| CLB 7 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| CLB 6 | 5.5 | 5.0 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| CLB 5 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| CLB 4 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
The row most people need is CLB 9: Listening 8.0, Reading 7.0, Writing 7.0, Speaking 7.0. Listening is the odd one out. Between CLB 7 and CLB 8 it jumps a band and a half, from 6.0 to 7.5, while the other three move by half a band. An IELTS Listening 7.0 is still CLB 7.
PTE Core to CLB conversion chart
The score range for each CLB level. This is PTE Core, the test IRCC accepts, not PTE Academic.
| CLB level | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLB 10 and above | 89 or more | 88 or more | 90 | 89 or more |
| CLB 9 | 82 to 88 | 78 to 87 | 88 to 89 | 84 to 88 |
| CLB 8 | 71 to 81 | 69 to 77 | 79 to 87 | 76 to 83 |
| CLB 7 | 60 to 70 | 60 to 68 | 69 to 78 | 68 to 75 |
| CLB 6 | 50 to 59 | 51 to 59 | 60 to 68 | 59 to 67 |
| CLB 5 | 39 to 49 | 42 to 50 | 51 to 59 | 51 to 58 |
| CLB 4 | 28 to 38 | 33 to 41 | 41 to 50 | 42 to 50 |
Writing is the demanding column here: CLB 9 needs 88 and CLB 10 needs 90, the top of the scale.
CELPIP to CLB
CELPIP-General needs no chart. It reports a level from 1 to 12 for each ability, and from level 4 upward that level is the CLB level: CELPIP 7 is CLB 7, CELPIP 9 is CLB 9. CELPIP to CLB covers the bottom of the scale, where it stops being one to one, and CELPIP to IELTS lines the two tests up.
CRS points for each CLB level
Express Entry's Comprehensive Ranking System gives points for your first official language in each of the four abilities separately.
| CLB level, per ability | Points without a spouse or partner | Points with a spouse or partner |
|---|---|---|
| CLB 10 or more | 34 | 32 |
| CLB 9 | 31 | 29 |
| CLB 8 | 23 | 22 |
| CLB 7 | 17 | 16 |
| CLB 6 | 9 | 8 |
| CLB 4 or 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Less than CLB 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Maximum, four abilities | 136 | 128 |
The two biggest steps are CLB 6 to 7, which adds 8 points in each ability, and CLB 8 to 9, which adds another 8 (7 with a spouse). CLB 7 to 8 adds 6. CLB 9 matters twice: IRCC's skill transferability factors award their higher tier only when all four abilities are CLB 9 or more, up to 50 points for education where CLB 7 earns up to 25. One ability at CLB 8 is enough to lose that tier.
The CLB level each program asks for
| Express Entry program | Minimum, English |
|---|---|
| Federal Skilled Worker Program | CLB 7 in all four abilities |
| Canadian Experience Class, TEER 0 or 1 job | CLB 7 in all four abilities |
| Canadian Experience Class, TEER 2 or 3 job | CLB 5 in all four abilities |
| Federal Skilled Trades Program | CLB 5 for Speaking and Listening, CLB 4 for Reading and Writing |
These are minimums to be eligible, not scores that win an invitation. Your test result has to be less than 2 years old when you complete your profile and when you apply. Requirements change, so confirm them on canada.ca.
Which ability holds people below CLB 7 and CLB 9
Because the lowest ability sets your CLB, it helps to know which one is usually lowest. These are 3,244 scored CELPIP practice attempts on this site, 16 July to 12 October 2026.
| Ability | Attempts | Median level | Reached CLB 7 or higher | Reached CLB 9 or higher |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 1,566 | 7 | 55.0% | 28.2% |
| Writing | 402 | 7 | 64.7% | 8.7% |
| Speaking | 443 | 6 | 30.2% | 0.5% |
| Listening | 833 | 6 | 24.1% | 4.9% |
Reading and Writing clear CLB 7 more than half the time; Listening and Speaking do so less than a third of the time. At CLB 9 the gap is wider still. If your converted levels above are uneven, the low one is most likely Listening or Speaking, and that is the one to practise.
Practice attempts on CELPIP material, not official results and not IELTS or PTE results. Listening and Reading are marked against the answer key; Writing and Speaking levels are estimates from our evaluation, described on how we evaluate.
Five things a CLB conversion will not tell you
- •Which version of the test you took. IRCC accepts IELTS General Training and PTE Core. IELTS Academic and PTE Academic do not count for Express Entry, whatever the score.
- •Whether a retake of one skill counts. IRCC does not accept IELTS One Skill Retake for Express Entry, so all four scores have to come from the same test.
- •How old the result is. It has to be less than 2 years old both when you complete your Express Entry profile and when you apply for permanent residence.
- •Your overall band. The IELTS overall band and the CELPIP average play no part. Only the four separate results are converted.
- •Whether you will be invited. A CLB level makes you eligible and earns points. The score needed for an invitation changes with every draw.
Raise the ability that is holding you back
Free full CELPIP mock
All four abilities, timed, with a level for each one so you can see which is lowest.
Start a mock →CELPIP to CLB
The conversion level by level, and the raw scores that reach CLB 9.
See the conversion →CELPIP to IELTS
Convert between the two tests in either direction, one ability at a time.
Open the converter →CELPIP vs IELTS
Which test to sit, and how the two differ in format and scoring.
Read the guide →Listening practice tests
The ability that most often sets the CLB, with instant scoring out of 38.
Practise Listening →CELPIP test fee
What the test costs with tax, and what a retake adds.
See the costs →CLB calculator FAQs
What is a CLB level?
CLB stands for Canadian Language Benchmarks, the 1 to 12 scale Canada uses to describe English ability. IRCC converts your language test scores into a CLB level for each of four abilities: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.
How do I calculate my CLB from IELTS?
Convert each of your four IELTS General Training bands separately using IRCC's chart. For example Listening 8.0, Reading 7.0, Writing 7.0 and Speaking 7.0 are CLB 9 in every ability. There is no single overall CLB, and the IELTS overall band is not used.
What IELTS score is CLB 9?
Listening 8.0, Reading 7.0, Writing 7.0 and Speaking 7.0. Listening needs a full band more than the other three.
What IELTS score is CLB 7?
6.0 in each of Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. CLB 7 in all four abilities is the minimum for the Federal Skilled Worker Program.
What is CLB 9 in CELPIP?
CELPIP 9 in each ability. CELPIP-General levels are CLB levels, so no conversion is needed.
What PTE Core score is CLB 9?
Listening 82 to 88, Reading 78 to 87, Writing 88 to 89 and Speaking 84 to 88. It has to be PTE Core, not PTE Academic.
How many CRS points is CLB 9 worth?
31 points per ability without a spouse or partner, which is 124 for all four, or 29 per ability and 116 with one. CLB 9 in all four abilities also unlocks the higher tier of the skill transferability points.
Is my CLB the average of my four scores?
No. Each ability has its own CLB level, and a program that asks for CLB 7 needs CLB 7 in all four. One low ability decides your eligibility, however high the others are.
One ability below the rest?
Sit a free, fully timed CELPIP mock and see the level you reach in each ability before your next test.
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