Scores and levels
CELPIP-General to CLB: one level, one benchmark
A CELPIP-General report needs no conversion table: IRCC reads each level as the CLB with the same number. What matters is what that level unlocks.
Express Entry language points
88
| First official language | 88 |
| Second official language | 0 |
| French bonus | 0 |
Level per skill
| 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)Not 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 IRCC, a CELPIP-General level is the Canadian Language Benchmark of the same number: CELPIP 7 in reading is CLB 7 in reading, from level 4 up to 10, where the chart stops. That makes it the simplest test to read in an Express Entry profile. The level still has to clear each program minimum skill by skill: CLB 7 in all four for the Federal Skilled Worker program, CLB 7 or 5 for the Canadian Experience Class depending on the job's TEER category, and 5 in speaking and listening with 4 in reading and writing for skilled trades. In the Comprehensive Ranking System, English as a first official language earns a single candidate 17 points per skill at CLB 7, 31 at CLB 9 and 34 at CLB 10. For citizenship, IRCC accepts CELPIP-General with level 4 or more in listening and speaking. Results must be under 2 years old for Express Entry. Details of the CELPIP format, fee and result delays are not confirmed here.
CELPIP level and first-language points
First-language points
92
| CLB level | CLB 8 |
| Per skill | 23 |
| Maximum possible | 136 |
Charts, converters and questions by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How charts and questions are built
What IRCC says about CELPIP-General
IRCC lists CELPIP-General among the five tests accepted for Express Entry, next to IELTS General Training, PTE Core, TEF Canada and TCF Canada. Its equivalency chart gives each CELPIP-General level the CLB of the same number, from 4 to 10. The CLB scale itself is maintained by the Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks, which also publishes its French counterpart, the NCLC.
Each level and what it earns
Because the conversion is one to one, the useful table is the one that shows what a level is worth in the Comprehensive Ranking System when English is your first official language.
| CELPIP-General level | CLB | Points per skill, single | Points per skill, with spouse |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 10 | 34 | 32 |
| 9 | 9 | 31 | 29 |
| 8 | 8 | 23 | 22 |
| 7 | 7 | 17 | 16 |
| 6 | 6 | 9 | 8 |
| 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 |
| 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 |
The jump that stands out is between levels 6 and 7: from 9 to 17 points per skill for a single candidate, so 32 points across the four. The CLB 7 page explains why that level is the turning point.
Program minimums in CELPIP terms
Every skill is checked against the minimum separately, and your weakest skill decides:
The Federal Skilled Worker program needs CELPIP 7 in reading, writing, listening and speaking. The Canadian Experience Class needs 7 in each skill for a TEER 0 or 1 job and 5 for TEER 2 or 3. The Federal Skilled Trades program needs 5 in speaking and listening and 4 in reading and writing. Provincial programs set their own requirements, which this site does not list; the level by program page covers the federal ones.
Citizenship with a CELPIP result
The citizenship language proof page accepts CELPIP-General when listening and speaking are both at level 4 or above, for applicants aged 18 to 54. Results that have expired remain acceptable for citizenship. The citizenship language page compares this with the other accepted tests.
What this page does not cover
We only write what we could verify on official pages. The CELPIP format, number of questions, fee and result delays could not be confirmed on a source we could read on October 26, 2026, so you will not find them here. Ask the organiser directly. The English reading practice and English listening practice on this site are question banks written by Radif Partners at CLB 4 to 10; they train the skills, they do not copy the CELPIP format.
CELPIP and a French test together
Many French-speaking candidates sit both an English and a French test. If French is your first official language and English your second, English at CLB 5 or 6 earns 1 point per skill, 7 or 8 earns 3, and 9 or more earns 6. The same CLB 5 in all four English skills also lifts the French bonus to 50 points, as the French bonus page shows.