- How much does the CELPIP test cost?
- CELPIP General vs CELPIP General LS
- How to book a CELPIP test
- What happens on test day
- When do results arrive?
- How long is a CELPIP result valid?
- Which CELPIP for Australia vs Canada?
- Common questions
CELPIP fees are set by the test provider, Paragon, not by IRCC and not by the Department of Home Affairs, and they differ by country. The only official figures we hold are the 2025 guidebook rates: CELPIP General at $290 plus tax and CELPIP General LS at $195 plus tax. Booking is short: choose the test type, choose a secure test centre and date, then pay through the official registration site. Results arrive in 8 business days, or 3 business days with express rating, and scores stay valid for 2 years.
How much does the CELPIP test cost?
CELPIP fees are commercial prices set by the test provider: neither government that reads the result sets them, and they vary by country and change. The rates below come from the 2025 edition of the official Guidebook for Test Takers.
| Test | Published 2025 rate | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| CELPIP General (four skills) | $290 + tax | Canadian permanent residence and Australian visas |
| CELPIP General LS (Listening and Speaking only) | $195 + tax | Canadian citizenship — not Australian visas |
Tax is charged on top, so the amount billed is higher, and each sitting is a separate booking: a retake is a new fee, with no discounted resit. We deliberately do not quote a price in Australian dollars, Indian rupees or any other local currency. Rates are set per country and they move, so a figure copied from another market misleads. The official registration site shows the current fee for your country and centre.
CELPIP General vs CELPIP General LS: which do you book?
CELPIP General is the four-skill test: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking, all in one session. CELPIP General LS covers Listening and Speaking only — the letters name the two skills it measures.
| CELPIP General | CELPIP General LS | |
|---|---|---|
| Components | 4 — Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking | 2 — Listening, Speaking |
| Canadian permanent residence | Yes | No — no reading or writing scores exist |
| Canadian citizenship | Covers the two abilities that requirement measures | Purpose-built for citizenship |
| Australian visas | Yes, at a secure test centre | No — Australia needs four components |
A General LS report carries no reading or writing result, so it cannot support an Express Entry profile or an Australian visa application, and the saving only holds if Canadian citizenship is your sole goal. The fuller comparison is on the CELPIP General vs CELPIP General-LS page.
How to book a CELPIP test
Booking runs through CELPIP's own registration service, not through IRCC or the Department of Home Affairs. In outline there are three moves: choose the test type, choose a secure test centre and date, and pay through the official registration site.
Choose the test type. Decide between CELPIP General and CELPIP General LS before you look at dates, because the two are booked as different tests and the cheaper one will not serve an Australian visa or a permanent residence application.
Choose a secure test centre and a date. CELPIP is delivered at test centres, and the list of centres changes, so the centre search on the official registration site is the only current way to see what is near you.
Where you sit matters: DHA requires the sitting to take place at a secure test centre and does not accept online or at-home tests for Australian visas, naming CELPIP Online among the excluded options.
Pay through the official registration site. Before paying, confirm the test type matches the requirement you are trying to meet and the date leaves room for results to arrive in time.
What happens on test day
CELPIP General is delivered in a single sitting of about three hours covering all four components. There is no separate speaking appointment to schedule on another day — the speaking tasks are part of the same session.
| Component | Structure | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Listening | 6 parts, 38 scored questions | 47–55 min |
| Reading | 4 parts, 38 scored questions | 55–60 min |
| Writing | 2 tasks — an email and a survey response | 53–60 min |
| Speaking | 8 tasks | 15–20 min |
One detail catches people out: unscored content may appear anywhere in Listening and Reading and looks identical to the scored material, so treat every question as though it counts. Practise each section under time on the Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking pages, then sit a full four-skill paper from our CELPIP practice tests.
When do results arrive?
Results are posted online in your CELPIP account in 8 business days from the test date, or 3 business days with express rating. Business days exclude weekends and public holidays, so plan backwards from your deadline using the slower figure; the results date is also when the 2-year validity window starts.
How long is a CELPIP result valid?
The provider's own score validity is 2 years. That is the ceiling, and each receiving authority can apply a stricter rule, so expect the tighter clock to govern.
Canada: two dates, not one
For Express Entry, a result must be less than 2 years old at two separate points: when you complete your Express Entry profile, and when you submit your application for permanent residence. If it lapses before you submit, you can retake the test, submit before the expiry date, or decline and re-enter the pool. Applying with expired results means refusal. See CELPIP score for Express Entry.
Australia: the rule depends on your subclass
CELPIP General joined the Department of Home Affairs list of accepted English tests on 7 August 2025. Results from tests taken on or before 6 August 2025 may remain usable until 6 August 2028, but whether they count depends on the visa subclass, so check yours. See CELPIP for Australia (DHA) and CELPIP results, validity and cost.
Which CELPIP should you book for Australia vs Canada?
For an Australian visa needing English, book CELPIP General at a secure test centre, because DHA defines every level across four components. For Canadian permanent residence, book CELPIP General: every Express Entry program sets a minimum in all four abilities. For Canadian citizenship, CELPIP General LS is enough, and if you need both countries one CELPIP General sitting serves both while its result is valid.
In CELPIP terms, the Department of Home Affairs levels sit here:
| DHA level | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | Points (skilled visas) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Superior English | 10 | 10 | 12 | 10 | +20 |
| Proficient English | 9 | 8 | 10 | 8 | +10 |
| Competent English | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 (eligibility floor) |
| Vocational English | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
- Subclasses 189, 190 and 491 (points-tested): at least Competent English, CELPIP 7 in each component.
- Subclass 485 (Temporary Graduate): overall level 8, at least 6 in each component, for tests taken on or after 7 August 2025.
- Subclass 482 (Skills in Demand, Core Skills) sets a minimum of 5 in each of the four components, for tests taken on or after 13 September 2025.
With no averaging, the lowest component decides the level you can claim, so aim a retake at the one weak section. Check where your abilities sit on the CLB score guide, then rehearse under time on our CELPIP mock tests.
Common questions about CELPIP fees and booking
How much is the CELPIP test in my country?
The provider prices each country separately, so there is no single worldwide figure. The 2025 guidebook lists CELPIP General at $290 plus tax and CELPIP General LS at $195 plus tax; the current fee appears on the official registration site.
How do I find a test centre near me?
Use the centre search on the official registration site, which shows the centres offering dates in your area. Centre lists change, so a copied list would be misleading.
Can I take CELPIP at home?
Not for an Australian visa: DHA accepts only secure test centre sittings and names CELPIP Online among the excluded tests.
Last verified: 15 October 2026.