- Which version is accepted
- PTE Core to CLB conversion
- Where the windows sit
- CRS points by CLB level
- Programme minimums
- Result validity
- Australia: CELPIP and PTE
- Which to take
Canada's Express Entry system accepts a small set of designated language tests, and two are delivered entirely on a computer: CELPIP General and PTE Core. Both are accepted for Express Entry, Provincial Nominee Programs and citizenship, and both are converted to the same Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) scale before points are awarded.
CELPIP General maps one-to-one onto CLB: a CELPIP 7 is CLB 7, a CELPIP 9 is CLB 9, in each ability separately. PTE Core is reported on its own points scale and IRCC converts it ability by ability, with a different window for listening, reading, writing and speaking. This page sets out that table, the CRS points each CLB level earns, the programme minimums, and how Australia's Department of Home Affairs (DHA) treats both tests.
Which version of each test is accepted
The first trap is the variant rather than the brand: IRCC and DHA each name the versions they accept.
| Test | Canada (IRCC) | Australia (DHA) |
|---|---|---|
| CELPIP General | Designated for Express Entry, PNPs and citizenship | Accepted — added to the accepted list on 7 August 2025 |
| CELPIP General LS (Listening and Speaking only) | Used for Canadian citizenship | Not accepted |
| PTE Core | Accepted for Express Entry — this is the PTE variant IRCC names | Check the PTE variant named for your subclass |
| PTE Academic | Not accepted for Express Entry | Accepted |
Express Entry accepts PTE Core specifically, not PTE Academic, so a PTE Academic result sat for university admission cannot support an Express Entry profile; for Australian visas DHA accepts PTE Academic as well as CELPIP General. The two-component CELPIP General LS is used for Canadian citizenship and is not accepted for Australian visas, which makes CELPIP General the safer booking.
DHA is also stricter about delivery: CELPIP Online, IELTS Online, LANGUAGECERT Academic Online, MET Digital (at-home), OET@Home and TOEFL iBT Home Edition are excluded, and results must come from a secure test centre.
PTE Core to CLB, ability by ability
IRCC publishes a PTE Core window for each CLB level, in order of listening, reading, writing and speaking.
| CLB level | PTE Core Listening | PTE Core Reading | PTE Core Writing | PTE Core Speaking | CELPIP General (all abilities) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLB 10 or more | 89+ | 88+ | 90+ | 89+ | 10, 11 or 12 |
| CLB 9 | 82–88 | 78–87 | 88–89 | 84–88 | 9 |
| CLB 8 | 71–81 | 69–77 | 79–87 | 76–83 | 8 |
| CLB 7 | 60–70 | 60–68 | 69–78 | 68–75 | 7 |
| CLB 5 or more (second-language threshold) | 39+ | 42+ | 51+ | 51+ | 5 or more |
The windows are contiguous per ability, so one point can move you a whole CLB level: reading runs 60–68 at CLB 7, 69–77 at CLB 8, 78–87 at CLB 9 and 88+ above. CELPIP General has no conversion step, because the number you receive is the CLB level itself.
They are also not equally wide, so PTE Core is measured one ability at a time. IRCC publishes no finer bands below its CLB 5 threshold and there is no averaging, so a strong reading result cannot carry a weak writing one. For the CELPIP side of the scale, see the CLB score guide.
Where the PTE Core windows sit
At CLB 9, the level most Express Entry applicants aim at, the four windows differ sharply in width: writing allows only two points (88–89) while reading allows ten (78–87). CELPIP General asks for 9 in every ability, with no window at all.
| Ability | PTE Core for CLB 9 | Points in that window | PTE Core for CLB 7 | CELPIP General for CLB 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Listening | 82–88 | 7 | 60–70 | 9 |
| Reading | 78–87 | 10 | 60–68 | 9 |
| Writing | 88–89 | 2 | 69–78 | 9 |
| Speaking | 84–88 | 5 | 68–75 | 9 |
Lower down, listening and reading at CLB 7 are reached with 60 points, but writing needs 69 and speaking 68. Writing is also the most compressed ability at the top, because CLB 9 stops at 89 and CLB 10 or more begins at 90.
CRS points by CLB level
Express Entry awards language points per ability, based on your CLB level in that ability and on whether you apply with a spouse or partner. The test you sat does not appear in the calculation.
| CLB level | With a spouse | Without a spouse | PTE Core (L/R/W/S) | CELPIP General |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLB 10 or more | 32 | 34 | 89+ / 88+ / 90+ / 89+ | 10, 11 or 12 |
| CLB 9 | 29 | 31 | 82–88 / 78–87 / 88–89 / 84–88 | 9 |
| CLB 8 | 22 | 23 | 71–81 / 69–77 / 79–87 / 76–83 | 8 |
| CLB 7 | 16 | 17 | 60–70 / 60–68 / 69–78 / 68–75 | 7 |
| CLB 6 | 8 | 9 | Not published below CLB 5 | 6 |
| CLB 4 to 5 | 6 | 6 | Not published below the CLB 5 threshold | 4 or 5 |
| Maximum across all four abilities | 128 | 136 | Four abilities at CLB 10 or more | |
Four abilities at CLB 10 or more are worth 128 points with a spouse and 136 without, which makes language the largest source of core human capital points; job-offer points were removed from CRS on 25 March 2025. There is no averaging: at 85 listening, 80 reading, 88 writing and 85 speaking a PTE Core candidate reaches CLB 9 in all four, but writing at 87 would fall alone to CLB 8, and that ability from 29 (or 31) points to 22 (or 23).
The Federal Skilled Worker grid scores language separately: CLB 7 is worth 4 points per ability, CLB 8 is 5 and CLB 9 or more is 6, to a maximum of 24, plus 4 for a second official language at CLB 5 or more in all four. Model your totals in the CLB and CRS calculator, and see CELPIP score for Express Entry for the surrounding rules.
Minimum levels per Express Entry programme
Each programme sets a floor per ability rather than an average, so a PTE Core result must clear every window.
| Programme | Minimum CLB per ability | PTE Core needed (L / R / W / S) |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) | CLB 7 in all four | 60–70 / 60–68 / 69–78 / 68–75 |
| Canadian Experience Class (CEC), TEER 0 or 1 | CLB 7 in all four | 60–70 / 60–68 / 69–78 / 68–75 |
| Canadian Experience Class (CEC), TEER 2 or 3 | CLB 5 in all four | 39+ / 42+ / 51+ / 51+ |
| Federal Skilled Trades (FST) | CLB 5 speaking and listening, CLB 4 reading and writing | 39+ listening, 51+ speaking; no CLB 4 band published |
Federal Skilled Worker applicants need all four windows cleared at CLB 7, and one ability below CLB 7 makes the profile ineligible. CEC is more forgiving for TEER 2 or 3 occupations, and Federal Skilled Trades mixes the two bars, asking more of speaking and listening than of reading and writing. Because IRCC's published table begins at CLB 5, an FST applicant should check how the CLB 4 requirement is evidenced before relying on a PTE Core result.
How long a result stays valid
Express Entry language results must be less than two years old both when you complete your profile and when you apply for permanent residence, so a result can expire while a profile waits; CELPIP's own validity is two years. Australia uses a transition rule instead: CELPIP General joined the accepted list on 7 August 2025, and where a subclass permits older tests, results from tests taken on or before 6 August 2025 remain usable until 6 August 2028.
Australia: CELPIP General and PTE Academic
For Australian visas DHA accepts PTE Academic as well as CELPIP General, and publishes its English levels in CELPIP terms per component — both as an eligibility floor and as a points bonus on the skilled visa points test.
| 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 |
Functional English is a separate, lower benchmark: an overall band score of at least 5. The upper levels are uneven in CELPIP terms — Proficient English needs 9 in listening and 10 in writing, Superior English 12 in writing — so a balanced CELPIP profile does not automatically clear them. MET cannot claim Proficient or Superior English, because DHA does not publish those requirements for MET.
Subclasses differ: Skilled Independent (189) needs at least Competent English at the time of invitation, CELPIP 7 in each component; the Temporary Graduate (485) lists an overall level of 8 with at least 6 in each component for tests taken on or after 7 August 2025; Skills in Demand (482) asks for a minimum of 5 in each of the four components for tests on or after 13 September 2025. Subclass detail and fees are on the CELPIP for Australia (DHA visas) page, and the component structure behind these numbers is on the CELPIP test format page.
Which test should you take
Neither test is better in the abstract. The choice comes down to variant eligibility, the ability you are weakest in, and how many countries the result has to serve.
| Your situation | Better fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Canada only; you want your level straight off the result | CELPIP General | CELPIP General is 1:1 with CLB, so no conversion table is involved |
| Strong reading and listening, weak writing | Compare the bars for that ability | At CLB 9, PTE Core writing needs 88–89 while reading allows 78–87; CELPIP General asks 9 in both |
| You hold a PTE Academic result from a course application | Sit PTE Core or CELPIP General | PTE Academic is not accepted for Express Entry |
| Canada and Australia both possible | CELPIP General | Accepted by IRCC and, since 7 August 2025, by DHA as well |
| Australian skilled visa at Competent English | Either, sat at a test centre | Competent English is CELPIP 7 in each component, and DHA does not accept online or at-home tests |
| Chasing the Superior English bonus of 20 points | CELPIP General | DHA publishes Superior and Proficient English in CELPIP per-component terms; MET cannot claim either level |
The shortest way to decide: check the variant, then check your weakest ability against the window for the CLB level you need. Practice tests for both formats are on the CELPIP practice tests page, and the same comparison for the other designated test is in CELPIP vs IELTS.
Sources: IRCC (canada.ca) language test equivalency tables, CRS criteria and Express Entry language requirements; Department of Home Affairs (immi.homeaffairs.gov.au) English level and accepted test pages; Paragon CELPIP-General Guidebook.
Last reviewed: 29 September 2026.