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Free CLB Converter

Convert Your Language Test Scores to CLB

Canadian immigration programmes are written in Canadian Language Benchmarks, not test scores. Enter your IELTS, CELPIP, PTE Core, TEF or TCF results and see the CLB or NCLC level for each ability.

Your test results

Enter the score for each ability exactly as it appears on your result sheet.

Below CLB 4

Below CLB 4

Below CLB 4

Below CLB 4

What your level unlocks

  • Federal Skilled Worker Program

    CLB 7 in all four abilities is the minimum to apply.

  • Canadian Experience Class — TEER 0 or 1

    CLB 7 in all four abilities for jobs in NOC TEER 0 or 1.

  • Canadian Experience Class — TEER 2 or 3

    CLB 5 in all four abilities for jobs in NOC TEER 2 or 3.

  • Strong CRS language points

    CLB 9 across all four unlocks the highest per-ability points and the top skill-transferability tier.

Language level is only one requirement among several. Meeting a benchmark does not by itself mean you are eligible for a programme.

Lowest ability

—

Enter your scores to convert

Speaking—
Listening—
Reading—
Writing—
Use This in the CRS Calculator

Estimate only

Conversions follow IRCC's published equivalency charts, last verified 2026-08-08. Only your official test result is authoritative, and this tool is not immigration advice.

Language benchmark questions

Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) is the scale Canadian immigration programmes are written in, rather than raw test scores. NCLC (Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens) is the equivalent scale for French. Requirements are always expressed as a benchmark — CLB 7, NCLC 5 — so converting your test result is the first step in working out what you qualify for.

Because the bands genuinely are different per ability. On IELTS General Training, a reading score of 4.0 is CLB 5, while a speaking score of 4.0 is only CLB 4 — the reading column is offset from the other three at the lower benchmarks. This trips up a lot of hand-built converters. Each ability is converted separately here using IRCC's published chart.

Requirements are almost always expressed as a minimum in all four abilities, so what matters is your weakest one. A candidate with CLB 9 in three abilities and CLB 6 in the fourth is treated as CLB 6 for eligibility purposes. That is why this tool highlights your lowest ability rather than an average.

IRCC accepts CELPIP-General, IELTS General Training and PTE Core for English, and TEF Canada or TCF Canada for French. It does not accept IELTS Academic or One Skill Retake for Express Entry. Beyond that the choice is personal — the tests differ in format rather than in how IRCC treats them, and the same benchmark carries the same weight whichever test produced it.

Language test results are valid for two years from the date of the result, and they must still be valid on the day you apply for permanent residence. Applicants sometimes discover their results expire mid-process, so it is worth checking the date against your expected timeline.

No. Your results have to come from a single test sitting — you cannot take the best reading score from one attempt and the best speaking score from another. This is also why IRCC does not accept the IELTS One Skill Retake option for Express Entry.