Requirements apply to each ability separately. Your usable level is the lowest of reading, writing, listening and speaking — averaging them will overstate where you stand.
Free tool · reviewed August 2026
CLB calculator: turn your test scores into a benchmark level.
Immigration programmes are written in Canadian Language Benchmarks, not test scores. Enter your four results below and see exactly where you land — and which programmes that level opens.
CELPIPIELTS General TrainingPTE CoreTEF CanadaTCF CanadaEnglish & French
The calculator
Convert your scores to CLB or NCLC
Pick your test, type in your four scores, and see the benchmark level for each ability plus the programmes you would meet.
Test date
Common minimums
Conversion tables follow IRCC guidance current at August 2026. General information only, not legal advice — confirm the requirement for your own programme on canada.ca. IRCC makes all final decisions.
The basics
Lowest, not average
One test, one sitting
Two-year shelf life
What the benchmark actually measures.
CLB is a twelve-point scale describing English ability; NCLC is the identical scale for French. IRCC writes requirements in benchmarks so that five different tests can be compared fairly, then publishes a conversion table for each one.
All four abilities must come from the same sitting of the same approved test. You cannot combine two tests, or an English result with a French one.
Results are generally accepted for two years from the test date. Plan a retest before that window closes rather than after.
Reference
The conversion tables in full.
These mirror the tables IRCC publishes for language results. Reading, writing, listening and speaking are shown in the same order throughout.
CELPIP (General)
English · Your CELPIP level is your CLB level.| CLB level | Reading | Writing | Listening | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
IELTS (General Training)
English · Minimum band score needed for each level.| CLB level | 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
English · Score ranges out of 90.| CLB level | 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 |
| 3 | 24-32 | 32-40 | 18-27 | 34-41 |
TEF Canada — test taken on or after 11 December 2023
French · Score ranges out of 699.| NCLC level | Reading | Writing | Listening | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 546-699 | 558-699 | 546-699 | 556-699 |
| 9 | 503-545 | 512-557 | 503-545 | 518-555 |
| 8 | 462-502 | 472-511 | 462-502 | 494-517 |
| 7 | 434-461 | 428-471 | 434-461 | 456-493 |
| 6 | 393-433 | 379-427 | 393-433 | 422-455 |
| 5 | 352-392 | 330-378 | 352-392 | 387-421 |
| 4 | 306-351 | 268-329 | 306-351 | 328-386 |
TEF Canada — test taken between 1 October 2019 and 10 December 2023
French · Score ranges out of 699.| NCLC level | Reading | Writing | Listening | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 566-699 | 566-699 | 566-699 | 566-699 |
| 9 | 533-565 | 533-565 | 533-565 | 533-565 |
| 8 | 500-532 | 500-532 | 500-532 | 500-532 |
| 7 | 450-499 | 450-499 | 450-499 | 450-499 |
| 6 | 400-449 | 400-449 | 400-449 | 400-449 |
| 5 | 350-399 | 350-399 | 350-399 | 350-399 |
| 4 | 300-349 | 300-349 | 300-349 | 300-349 |
TCF Canada
French · Reading and listening are out of 699; writing and speaking are out of 20.| NCLC level | 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 |
Source: IRCC, How to find your language level based on your test results. Tables change — check the official page before you file.
Why it matters
Post-graduation work permit
Express Entry
Citizenship
Where your benchmark level decides the outcome.
CLB or NCLC 7 for degree and other university graduates, 5 for college, polytechnic and other non-university graduates, for applications made on or after 1 November 2024. PGWP details.
CLB 7 for Federal Skilled Worker, 7 or 5 for the Canadian Experience Class depending on your TEER, and 5 speaking and listening for Federal Skilled Trades. Language also drives a large share of your CRS. Express Entry.
Applicants aged 18 to 54 must show CLB 4 in speaking and listening. Reading and writing are not tested for this purpose. Citizenship.
Questions
Common questions about CLB and NCLC.
What is a Canadian Language Benchmark?
The Canadian Language Benchmarks are the national standard IRCC uses to describe English ability, on a scale from 1 to 12. Almost every immigration programme states its language requirement as a CLB level rather than a test score, because several different tests are accepted and they all have to be compared on one scale.
Is NCLC the same thing as CLB?
It is the French equivalent. Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens run on the same 1 to 12 scale and are used when you test in French with TEF Canada or TCF Canada. A programme asking for CLB 7 in English is asking for NCLC 7 in French.
Which language tests does this calculator cover?
CELPIP General and IELTS General Training for English, PTE Core for English, and TEF Canada and TCF Canada for French. These are the tests IRCC lists for post-graduation work permits. TEF Canada has two tables depending on whether you sat the test on or after 11 December 2023, and the calculator lets you switch between them.
Do they average my four scores?
No, and this is the single most common misunderstanding. Requirements are stated as a minimum in each of the four abilities, so your effective level is the lowest of your reading, writing, listening and speaking results. One weak ability holds back the whole application, which is why targeted practice usually beats general study.
What CLB level do I need for a post-graduation work permit?
For applications made on or after 1 November 2024: CLB or NCLC 7 in all four abilities if you graduated with a bachelor, master or doctoral degree, or from any other university programme; and CLB or NCLC 5 in all four abilities if you graduated from a college, polytechnic or other non-university programme. Graduates of PGWP-eligible flight schools are the exception.
How long are my test results valid?
Language results are generally accepted for two years from the date of the test. If yours are close to expiring and your application is not yet submitted, book a retest early rather than risk the file going stale.
My score sits between two levels. Which one applies?
You get the lower one. The tables set a floor for each benchmark, so a score that has not reached the next threshold stays at the level below it. There is no rounding up and no discretion on this point.
Can I mix results from two different tests?
No. All four abilities have to come from a single test sitting of a single approved test. You also cannot combine an English test with a French one to make up a level.
One level short? That is usually fixable.
A licensed RCIC can tell you which ability to attack first, whether a retest is worth the delay, and which programmes your current level already satisfies.
eligibility review
Find out where you actually stand.
Send a few details. A licensed RCIC reads your profile personally, then replies with the routes that genuinely fit, the ones that do not, and the consultation fee and next available times.
- Read personally by a CICC-licensed consultant — never a bot, never a salesperson
- A written shortlist of the programs you realistically qualify for
- Consultations are fee-based; you get the fee and available times by reply
CHK Immigration Services — Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (CICC). Offices in Brampton and London, Ontario. Submitting this form does not create a client–consultant relationship; IRCC makes all final decisions.