CLB levels explained: what CLB 1 to 12 mean for immigrating to Canada

What the Canadian Language Benchmarks are

The Canadian Language Benchmarks are a descriptive scale of English as a second language, maintained by the Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks. They are written as 12 benchmarks along a continuum from basic to advanced, and they have a French counterpart, the Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC). Together, the CLB and NCLC are recognized as the official Canadian standards for describing and measuring the language ability of adult immigrants.

Two things about the CLB surprise people. First, the CLB is not a test. You cannot sit a “CLB exam” for immigration. You take an approved test, such as IELTS or CELPIP, and IRCC converts your result into a CLB level. Second, the scale is skill by skill. Each of the four skills gets its own benchmark, and it is perfectly normal to be CLB 9 in reading and CLB 6 in speaking. Immigration rules almost always look at each skill on its own, so your weakest skill usually decides whether you qualify.

The 12 benchmarks are grouped into three stages: Stage I (Basic) covers CLB 1 to 4, Stage II (Intermediate) covers CLB 5 to 8, and Stage III (Advanced) covers CLB 9 to 12. The bands below describe, in plain terms, what each one looks like in everyday Canadian life.

Most learners in Canada meet the CLB through a language assessment at a settlement agency or an ESL school, which gives them a CLB report for placement in classes. Be careful here: the Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks says the CLB Placement Test is a low-stakes test that cannot be used for employment, academic, immigration or citizenship purposes. For immigration you need one of the approved tests listed below.

How CLB levels compare to CEFR

If you learned English in Europe, Latin America or Asia, you probably know the six CEFR levels from A1 to C2. Canada's immigration system does not use the CEFR at all, and IRCC publishes no CEFR-to-CLB conversion for immigration. The two frameworks were developed separately, at about the same time, and they do not divide the ladder in the same places.

There is, however, a research report commissioned by the Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks: “Aligning the Canadian Language Benchmarks to the Common European Framework of Reference”, by Brian North and Enrica Piccardo (2018). Its authors compared the descriptions of both scales and rated real speaking and writing samples, then recommended the relationship in the table below. They called some of their conclusions tentative, especially around CLB 3, 5 and 7, so treat this as a guide for planning your studies, not as an official equivalence.

The practical message of that table is important. CLB 7, the level most skilled workers aim for, sits at the top of B1, not at B2. A learner with a solid B1 who works on all four skills has a realistic path to CLB 7. CLB 9, which unlocks the bigger Express Entry points, sits at the top of B2. If you want to see how the CEFR describes each of its levels, read our guide to the CEFR English levels.

Which English tests IRCC accepts

For Express Entry, IRCC accepts three English tests, and the exact version matters. You need CELPIP-General (not CELPIP-General LS), IELTS General Training (not IELTS Academic) or PTE Core (not PTE Academic). In French, the accepted tests are TEF Canada and TCF Canada. IRCC also states that it does not accept the IELTS One Skill Retake for Express Entry, so if one of your IELTS scores is low you have to sit the full test again.

Your results must be less than two years old both on the day you create your Express Entry profile and on the day you submit your application for permanent residence. If they will expire before you can apply, you can retake the test, apply before the expiry date, or decline the invitation and return to the pool. IRCC refuses applications that rely on expired results, so put the expiry date in your calendar the day your results arrive.

Official score tables: from your test to your CLB level

IRCC publishes an equivalency table for each accepted test. To find your CLB level, look up each skill separately. Your CLB level in speaking comes only from your speaking score, your CLB level in reading only from your reading score, and so on. There is no overall CLB level in Express Entry: the overall band score on your IELTS report plays no role. The tables below are copied from IRCC's language testing page for Express Entry, which is the reference to check before you apply.

IELTS General Training

IELTS has uneven steps, which is why it catches people out. For CLB 7 you need 6.0 in every skill, but for CLB 9 you need 8.0 in listening and only 7.0 in the other three. Reading is also unusual: 4.0 in reading already counts as CLB 5.

CELPIP-General

CELPIP is the simplest table to read. Each CELPIP level matches the CLB level with the same number: a 7 in CELPIP listening is CLB 7 in listening. CELPIP scores go up to 12, and IRCC treats 10 and above as CLB 10 and above.

PTE Core

IRCC converts PTE Core scores using ranges that differ by skill. For CLB 7 you need 68 in speaking but only 60 in listening and reading, and 69 in writing. Check your weakest skill first, because a single score below its range pulls that skill down a level.

Comparing the three tables also tells you something about the tests themselves. Which one suits you depends on how you learn, how you handle a computer-based format and which test centers are near you. We compare them side by side in our article on choosing between CELPIP and IELTS.

The CLB levels each program asks for

Each immigration program sets its own minimum, and each one looks at all four skills, not an average. Here are the federal programs that most English speakers apply through, as IRCC states them today. Provincial Nominee Programs set their own language rules, so check the province's official page if you are going that way.

Federal Skilled Worker Program

The Federal Skilled Worker Program asks for CLB 7 in all four skills in your first official language. On top of that minimum, its 67-point selection grid gives points for language: 4 points per skill at CLB 7, 5 at CLB 8 and 6 at CLB 9 and above, up to 24 points. A second official language at CLB 5 or higher in all four skills adds 4 more points. So the difference between CLB 7 and CLB 9 is worth 8 points on the grid, which can matter when you are close to 67.

Canadian Experience Class

If you already work in Canada, the Canadian Experience Class sets the level by the TEER category of your job under the National Occupational Classification. If your Canadian job is in TEER 0 or 1, you need CLB 7. If it is in TEER 2 or 3, you need CLB 5. In both cases the minimum applies to every skill.

Federal Skilled Trades Program

The Federal Skilled Trades Program is the only Express Entry program that sets different minimums by skill: CLB 5 in speaking and listening, and CLB 4 in reading and writing. That reflects the fact that trades workers spend more of their day talking to colleagues and clients than writing reports.

How CLB levels drive your Express Entry score

Meeting the minimum only gets you into the Express Entry pool. Whether you get an invitation depends on your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score, and language is one of the biggest parts of it. Points are awarded per skill, so each of your four CLB levels is scored on its own. The table shows the points for your first official language.

Look at the jumps. Going from CLB 6 to CLB 7 roughly doubles the points for that skill, and moving from CLB 7 to CLB 9 in all four skills adds 56 points for a single applicant (from 68 to 124). Few other factors in your profile can change that much in a few months of study.

Language also counts a second time, in the skill transferability section. With a post-secondary credential or foreign work experience, CLB 7 or more in all four skills earns some points, and CLB 9 or more in all four earns the maximum for that combination: up to 50 points for education with strong language, and up to 50 for foreign work experience with strong language, within a section capped at 100. Trades workers with a certificate of qualification get 25 points at CLB 5 and 50 points at CLB 7 in all four skills.

French adds another layer. A second official language at CLB or NCLC 5 or higher earns extra points per skill, and applicants with NCLC 7 or higher in all four French skills receive additional points: 25 if their English is CLB 4 or lower or untested, and 50 if their English is CLB 5 or higher in all four skills. For English speakers, that makes French a long-term option worth considering, but it does not replace a strong English score.

Your weakest skill sets your level. Your strongest skill does not rescue it.

CLB 4 for Canadian citizenship

Once you are a permanent resident and apply for citizenship, the bar is lower and narrower. Applicants aged 18 to 54 must show that they can speak and listen at CLB 4 or higher in English or French. Reading and writing are not part of the requirement. You can prove it with a diploma, transcript or certificate from a secondary or post-secondary program completed in English or French, in Canada or abroad, or with an accepted test.

For citizenship, IRCC accepts CELPIP-General with 4 or higher in listening and speaking, and also the shorter CELPIP-General LS. IELTS General Training needs at least 4.5 in listening and 4.0 in speaking, and PTE Core needs at least 28 in listening and 42 in speaking. IELTS Academic is not accepted for citizenship either. The citizenship pages also list other accepted proofs and older score scales for tests taken years ago, so read the official checklist before you send your application.

How to plan your English for your CLB target

Start from the program, not the test. Write down the minimum CLB your program needs and, if you are in Express Entry, the level that would make your CRS score competitive. For many skilled workers the real target is CLB 9 in all four skills, because that is where the language points and the transferability points reach their highest tiers.

Then find your weakest skill. Many learners who studied English at school read well but find speaking and listening hard at natural speed, while people who learned English at work often speak fluently but lose points in writing. Since IRCC scores every skill separately, one hour on your weakest skill is worth more than three on your strongest. Look closely at the tables: for IELTS, listening needs 8.0 for CLB 9, half a band more than the other skills.

Pick your test once you know your profile. All three tests are accepted on equal terms for Express Entry, so the choice comes down to format, dates and test centers near you, which we cover in our CELPIP or IELTS comparison. Book early enough to retake before your deadline, and remember the two-year validity of your results.

Finally, build the skills that tests reward: clear answers under time pressure, writing that is organized and accurate, and listening to real speech. An Alimun level test shows where you stand today, and our live classes with a teacher, in a small group, give you regular speaking practice and homework your teacher corrects, the parts that are hardest to train alone. Whatever your plan, check the official IRCC pages for your program before you book a test or apply, because requirements and score tables can change.

Questions people ask

Sources: IRCC: Express Entry language testing and CLB equivalency tables, IRCC: Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) criteria, IRCC: Language proof for citizenship, IRCC: Accepted language tests for citizenship, Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks: On CLB, Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks: For language learners, North and Piccardo (2018): Aligning the CLB to the CEFR, research report for the CCLB.