- What the score chart shows
- CELPIP to CLB: the 1:1 rule
- Level meanings (1–12)
- CELPIP, IELTS and PTE
- CLB to CRS points
- Which CLB you need
- One low section, fewer points
A CELPIP General level is a CLB level: CELPIP 7 is CLB 7, 8 is 8, 9 is 9, and any level of 10 or above counts as CLB 10 — per ability, with no averaging. Below is the full 1–12 chart, the IELTS General Training and PTE Core equivalents, the CRS points each ability earns, and the CELPIP levels Australia's Department of Home Affairs sets.
What the CELPIP score chart shows
A CELPIP General result is four separate levels — Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking — each reported from 0 to 12. There is no pass mark and no overall band to add up. The chart's three jobs are to turn four CELPIP levels into four CLB levels, set them beside IELTS General Training and PTE Core, and show what each ability is worth.
All four come from one sitting of about three hours: Listening six parts and 38 scored questions in 47 to 55 minutes, Reading four parts and 38 scored questions in 55 to 60 minutes, Writing two tasks and Speaking eight tasks (Paragon guidebook). Unscored items appear in Listening and Reading and look identical to scored ones, so a tally of correct answers is not a scored total.
CELPIP to CLB: the 1:1 rule
IRCC, which designates CELPIP for Canada, treats CELPIP General as 1:1 with the Canadian Language Benchmarks: CELPIP 7 = CLB 7, 8 = 8, 9 = 9, and every level from 10 upwards is CLB 10. The alignment applies per ability.
| CELPIP level | CLB | Official descriptor |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | CLB 10 | Advanced proficiency |
| 11 | CLB 10 | Advanced proficiency |
| 10 | CLB 10 | Highly effective |
| 9 | CLB 9 | Effective |
| 8 | CLB 8 | Good |
| 7 | CLB 7 | Adequate |
| 6 | CLB 6 | Developing |
| 5 | CLB 5 | Acquiring |
| 4 | CLB 4 | Adequate for daily life |
| 3 | CLB 3 | Some proficiency in limited contexts |
| 2 | CLB 2 | Limited ability |
| 1 | CLB 1 | Limited ability |
| 0 | — | Insufficient information to assess |
Sources: CLB values from IRCC (canada.ca); descriptor wording from the official CELPIP guidebook (Paragon).
CELPIP level meanings (1–12)
Levels 1 and 2 are limited ability, 3 some proficiency in limited contexts, 4 adequate for daily life, 5 acquiring and 6 developing — all below every federal skilled-migration requirement in Canada.
Adequate (7) and Good (8) are the practical bands: CLB 7 the usual profile minimum, CLB 8 a step above. Effective (9) is where the points tables start rewarding movement, and Highly effective (10) is the top of the range any points grid recognises.
Does CELPIP 12 earn more points than CELPIP 10?
No. Levels 11 and 12 are advanced proficiency, but for immigration they collapse into CLB 10 exactly as level 10 does, so a CELPIP 12 and a CELPIP 10 earn the same points. Level 0 means insufficient information to assess you. Every band in turn: CELPIP levels explained.
CELPIP, IELTS and PTE side by side
Canada accepts three language tests, and IRCC publishes the CLB value of each. CELPIP needs no conversion; IELTS General Training and PTE Core are read off band tables. Figures are per ability, in the order Listening / Reading / Writing / Speaking.
| CLB band | CELPIP General | IELTS General Training (L/R/W/S) | PTE Core (L/R/W/S) |
|---|---|---|---|
| CLB 10 or more | 10 or more | 8.5–9.0 / 8.0–9.0 / 7.5–9.0 / 7.5–9.0 | 89+ / 88+ / 90+ / 89+ |
| CLB 9 | 9 | 8.0 / 7.0 / 7.0 / 7.0 | 82–88 / 78–87 / 88–89 / 84–88 |
| CLB 8 | 8 | 7.5 / 6.5 / 6.5 / 6.5 | 71–81 / 69–77 / 79–87 / 76–83 |
| CLB 7 | 7 | 6.0 / 6.0 / 6.0 / 6.0 | 60–70 / 60–68 / 69–78 / 68–75 |
| CLB 5 or more | 5–6 | 5.0 / 4.0 / 5.0 / 5.0 | 39+ / 42+ / 51+ / 51+ |
Source: IRCC (canada.ca) IELTS General Training and PTE Core band tables, per ability.
Two limits matter. IRCC publishes no IELTS bands below CLB 5, so there is no CLB 4 or CLB 6 IELTS equivalent. Express Entry takes IELTS General Training, not Academic, and PTE Core, not PTE Academic; IELTS One Skill Retake is not accepted.
How CLB converts to CRS points
In the Comprehensive Ranking System your first official language is scored per ability. Each figure below is what one ability is worth, with a spouse or partner in the application and without one.
| CLB level per ability | Points, with a spouse | Points, without a spouse |
|---|---|---|
| Below CLB 4 | 0 | 0 |
| CLB 4–5 | 6 | 6 |
| CLB 6 | 8 | 9 |
| CLB 7 | 16 | 17 |
| CLB 8 | 22 | 23 |
| CLB 9 | 29 | 31 |
| CLB 10 or more | 32 | 34 |
| Maximum across four abilities | 128 | 136 |
Source: IRCC (canada.ca) CRS criteria for official languages, points per ability.
The maxima are arithmetic: 32 points per ability across four is 128 with a spouse, 34 is 136 without. A second official language pays 1 point at CLB 5 or 6, 3 at CLB 7 or 8 and 6 at CLB 9 or above — at most 22 with a spouse and 24 without.
The Federal Skilled Worker grid is separate: 4 points per ability at CLB 7, 5 at CLB 8 and 6 at CLB 9 or above, to a maximum of 24. Job-offer points were removed from the CRS on 25 March 2025, so language carries more ranking weight. See the CELPIP score for Express Entry.
Which CLB you need: Express Entry, PNP and Australia
For Canada the published minimums are specific. Federal Skilled Worker requires CLB 7 in all four abilities; Canadian Experience Class requires CLB 7 for TEER 0 and 1 occupations and CLB 5 for TEER 2 and 3; Federal Skilled Trades requires CLB 5 in speaking and listening and CLB 4 in reading and writing. PNP streams set their own minimums.
| DHA English level | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | Skilled-visa points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Source: Department of Home Affairs (DHA) level pages, CELPIP General thresholds for tests taken on or after 7 August 2025.
Australia publishes its own CELPIP thresholds, and they are not uniform across abilities, so no single overall number tells you where you stand. Writing limits the higher levels in particular: Proficient English needs CELPIP 10 in Writing but only 8 in Reading and Speaking, and Superior English 12 in Writing against 10 elsewhere. Functional English is separate — an overall band of at least 5.
The subclass rules follow: Skilled Independent, Skilled Nominated and Skilled Work Regional (189, 190, 491) require at least Competent English — CELPIP 7 in each ability — while Temporary Graduate (485) needs an overall level of 8 with at least 6 in each component and Skills in Demand (482) at least 5 in each component, for tests from 7 August 2025 and 13 September 2025 respectively. The test must be CELPIP General at a secure test centre, because DHA does not accept online or at-home sittings. CELPIP General joined the DHA accepted list on 7 August 2025: CELPIP approved by DHA sets out the per-subclass detail.
No averaging: why one low section costs points
No Canadian or Australian program averages your four CELPIP levels into one score. CLB is measured per ability, and points attach to each ability on its own. A candidate with CELPIP 9 in Listening, Reading and Speaking but CELPIP 6 in Writing scores 29 + 29 + 29 + 8 = 95 CRS points with a spouse, against the 128 maximum.
The same profile fails the Federal Skilled Worker minimum, because Writing sits below CLB 7, and in Australia it misses Proficient English, which needs CELPIP 10 in Writing. Work on the one ability holding the level down; the CELPIP test format page shows what each part asks.