Your language test score in CLB and Express Entry points
TEF Canada, TCF Canada, CELPIP, IELTS General or PTE Core: type four scores and see each level, your points and which programs you qualify for. Independent site, not IRCC or a test body.
Express Entry language points
150
| First official language | 88 |
| Second official language | 12 |
| French bonus | 50 |
Best choice of first official language: English.
Level per skill
| TEF Canada (from Dec. 11, 2023) | Reading: NCLC 7Writing: NCLC 7Listening: NCLC 8Speaking: NCLC 7 |
| CELPIP-General | Reading: CLB 8Writing: CLB 7Listening: CLB 9Speaking: CLB 7 |
Language minimum met?
- Federal Skilled Worker (CLB 7 all four)Met
- Canadian Experience Class, TEER 0 or 1 job (CLB 7)Met
- Canadian Experience Class, TEER 2 or 3 job (CLB 5)Met
- Federal Skilled Trades (5 speaking/listening, 4 reading/writing)Met
- Express Entry French-language category (NCLC 7 all four)Met
- Citizenship, ages 18 to 54 (CLB 4 listening and speaking)Met
Points from language only: age, education, work experience and the rest of the CRS are not counted here. Charts and points read on canada.ca.
For Express Entry, citizenship and the federal programs, IRCC does not read your raw score: it converts it to a CLB level (English) or NCLC level (French), from 4 to 10 and above, separately for reading, writing, listening and speaking. Each test has its own chart: TEF Canada has three depending on the date of the test, TCF Canada marks writing and speaking out of 20, and CELPIP-General reports the level directly. The lowest of your four levels decides the minimums, such as CLB 7 in every skill for the Federal Skilled Worker program and the French-language category, or CLB 4 in listening and speaking for citizenship. Comprehensive Ranking System points, on the other hand, add up skill by skill: up to 136 points in the first official language for a single applicant, 24 in the second, plus a French bonus of 25 or 50 points. The converter above applies those charts, read on canada.ca on October 26, 2026, and sends nothing anywhere.
Charts updated on · Radif Partners · How charts and questions are built · About this site
The three tests side by side
CCI Paris Île-de-France
- Reading
- 40 questions, 60 min
- Listening
- 40 questions, 40 min
- Writing
- 2 sections, 60 min
- Speaking
- 2 sections, 15 min
- Results
- 1 to 10 working days
- Retake
- after 20 days
France Éducation international
- Reading
- 39 questions, 60 min
- Listening
- 39 questions, 35 min
- Writing
- 3 tasks, 60 min
- Speaking
- 3 tasks, 12 min
- Results
- within 10 working days (computer)
- Retake
- 30 days between sittings
Paragon Testing
- Levels
- 1 to 12, level n = CLB n from 4 to 10
- Language
- English
- Express Entry
- accepted
- Citizenship
- level 4 in listening and speaking
The scores that reach CLB 7
Level 7 is the threshold most people chase: it is the Federal Skilled Worker minimum, the French-language category minimum and the floor of the French bonus. Pick another level in the tool to see its ranges.
Lowest scores for CLB / NCLC 7
| Test | Reading | Writing | Listening | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TEF Canada (from Dec. 11, 2023) | 434–461 | 428–471 | 434–461 | 456–493 |
| TCF Canada | 453–498 | 10–11 | 458–502 | 10–11 |
| CELPIP-General | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| IELTS General Training | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0–7.0 | 6.0 |
| PTE Core | 60–68 | 69–78 | 60–70 | 68–75 |
Ranges from the IRCC equivalency charts. A score at the bottom of a range is enough: no rounding is applied.
Practise in French and English
72 French reading and 60 French listening questions from A1 to C2, and 77 English questions from CLB 4 to CLB 10: every document is written by Radif Partners, recordings are read by your browser's speech synthesis and every answer is explained. Mock sections follow the number of questions and timing of the official tests.
- French reading practiceShort French documents from A1 to C2, corrected at once, to prepare the TEF and TCF reading tests.
- French listening practiceFrench recordings read by your browser, from A1 to C2, with the transcript after each answer.
- TEF Canada mock testTimed TEF Canada reading and listening sections with the official number of questions and duration.
- TCF Canada mock testTimed TCF Canada reading and listening sections: official question count and duration, easiest to hardest.
- French writing practiceEvery TEF and TCF writing task with a subject, a timer, a word counter and a checklist.
- French speaking practiceThe TEF and TCF speaking tasks with a subject, a timer with preparation time and a self-check list.
- CELPIP reading practiceEnglish reading questions from CLB 4 to CLB 10, corrected at once, to check your level before a CELPIP test.
- CELPIP listening practiceEnglish listening questions from CLB 4 to CLB 10, read aloud by your browser, with the transcript after each answer.
- Review my mistakesYour practice results and every question you missed, to answer again until it is right. Stored in your browser only.
Booking, cost, results and validity
Each centre sets its own fee, results arrive within a few working days and a report counts for two years with IRCC: enough to plan a calendar before you create a profile or apply.
- TEF and TCF costWhat a TEF Canada or TCF Canada sitting costs, with dated centre fees, retakes, a second test and travel.
- Test result validityHow long a TEF, TCF or CELPIP result counts for Express Entry, citizenship and France, with the exact end date.
- Results and retakesWhen TEF Canada and TCF Canada results arrive, how scores are built, and the waiting time before a new sitting.
- Registering for the testHow to choose the right version, find a centre and pick a test date that leaves time for results before your deadline.
- Preparing for the testA step-by-step way to prepare the TEF Canada or TCF Canada: target, level check, weekly plan, timed practice.
For France: A2, B1, B2
Since 1 January 2026: A2 for a first multi-year residence card, B1 for a first resident card, B2 for naturalisation, with reports less than 2 years old.
What this site does and does not do
Radif Partners reads the charts and rules on the official pages, dates them and applies them in tools that run in your browser. The site registers no one, sells no course and recommends no centre or school; it is not affiliated with IRCC, the CCI Paris Île-de-France, France Éducation international or Paragon Testing.
Sources
Rules and amounts on this page were checked against these IRCC and Government of Canada pages onOctober 26, 2026.
- IRCC: language testing, equivalency charts for CELPIP, IELTS, PTE Core, TEF Canada and TCF Canada (page modified 2026-05-28)
- IRCC: Express Entry language requirements (page modified 2026-10-16)
- IRCC: Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) criteria (page modified 2026-10-16)
- IRCC: citizenship language proof, accepted tests and scores (page modified 2025-09-26)
- CCI Paris Île-de-France: TEF Canada score to NCLC table (PDF)
- France Éducation international: TCF candidate manual, version J, September 2024 (copy published by a test centre)
- French order of 22 December 2025 on language certifications for residence cards, NOR INTV2536147A (Journal officiel, 26 December 2025)
- French order of 22 December 2025 on the French level of naturalisation applicants, NOR INTV2536113A (Journal officiel, 26 December 2025)
What test takers ask
Which language test should I take for Express Entry?
IRCC accepts five: CELPIP-General, IELTS General Training and PTE Core for English, TEF Canada and TCF Canada for French. Points are the same for the same level, so what matters is the CLB or NCLC you reach in each skill. Pick the format you are most comfortable with and a centre with a date before your deadline; adding a test in the other language can bring up to 24 more points plus the French bonus.
Does this calculator give my official score?
No. It applies the charts published by IRCC and by the CCI Paris Île-de-France to the scores you type; your official levels are the ones on your score report, and IRCC computes your points from your profile. Use it to check a report, prepare a profile or decide what score to aim for next time. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
Why do points change with a spouse?
The Comprehensive Ranking System sets aside part of the points for an accompanying spouse or partner. Your first official language is then worth at most 128 points instead of 136, and your second language 22 instead of 24, while your spouse's own test can add up to 20 points.
Are the practice questions taken from the TEF or the TCF?
No. Radif Partners writes its own documents, recordings and questions from the public CEFR and Canadian Language Benchmarks descriptors; no official item or sample paper is reproduced. The mock sections follow the official number of questions and timing, but their result is an indication, not a TEF or TCF score.
Is the site useful for France too?
Yes. Since 1 January 2026 France asks for level A2 for a first multi-year residence card, B1 for a first resident card and B2 for naturalisation, proven by the TEF or the TCF among others. The France pages explain those levels and how the TEF IRN overall level is worked out.
How long does a test result stay valid?
For IRCC, a TEF Canada, TCF Canada or CELPIP result counts for 2 years from the test date, and it must still be valid both when you create your profile and when you submit the application. You may retake the test: the TEF after 20 days, the TCF after 30 days.
Written by Radif Partners
Independent publisher of language-test tools for Canadian immigration: TEF Canada, TCF Canada and CELPIP scores converted to CLB/NCLC levels and Express Entry points, plus French and English practice written in-house
Charts and rules checked on · Editorial policy · Contact
Language test charts and rules for 2026, read on canada.ca, the CCI Paris Île-de-France and France Éducation international documents, last checked on