Scores and levels
Language proof for Canadian citizenship: the results that count
Most adult applicants must prove basic English or French. Here is who is concerned, which skills are checked and the result each accepted test must show.
Minimum level · Canadian citizenship (18 to 54)
| Skill | Level | TEF Canada | TCF Canada | CELPIP-General | IELTS General Training | PTE Core |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | not required | – | – | – | – | – |
| Writing | not required | – | – | – | – | – |
| Listening | 4 | 306 | 331 | 4 | 4.5 | 28 |
| Speaking | 4 | 328 | 4 | 4 | 4.0 | 42 |
Results must be less than two years old (IRCC for Express Entry; French orders for residence cards and naturalisation). Provincial programmes set their own levels.
For a Canadian citizenship application, IRCC asks applicants aged 18 to 54 to prove CLB or NCLC 4 in English or French, and only in two skills: listening and speaking. Reading and writing are not assessed. On its language proof page, IRCC accepts CELPIP-General with level 4 or more in both skills, IELTS General Training with 4.5 or more in listening and 4.0 or more in speaking, PTE Core with 28 in listening and 42 in speaking, and the TEF Canada or TCF Canada at level B1 or higher. Unlike Express Entry, citizenship accepts results that have expired, so a test taken years ago for permanent residence may still do. For French speakers, the CCI offers a TEF Canada limited to listening and speaking for exactly this purpose; a dated centre example priced it at $195 against $390 for the full test. This page covers language tests only; check the IRCC page for any other kind of proof.
My language proof for citizenship
Requirement met
Yes
| Threshold | CLB/NCLC 4 |
| Ages concerned | 18–54 |
| Reading and writing | not assessed |
Charts, converters and questions by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How charts and questions are built
Who has to prove language, and in which skills
The IRCC citizenship language page sets the requirement at CLB or NCLC 4 for applicants aged 18 to 54. Only two skills count: understanding spoken English or French, and speaking it. That is a far lower bar than Express Entry, where most programs ask CLB 7 in four skills. You can prove it in English or in French: one accepted test in either language is enough.
The result each test must show
| Test | Listening | Speaking |
|---|---|---|
| CELPIP-General | 4+ | 4+ |
| IELTS General Training | 4.5+ | 4.0+ |
| PTE Core | 28+ | 42+ |
| TEF Canada | B1 or higher | B1 or higher |
| TCF Canada | B1 or higher | B1 or higher |
The English thresholds are stated as test scores; the French ones as a level of the European framework. For reference, the CCI CEFR table places B1 between 300 and 399 on the TEF scale, and the TCF manual places it from 300 in comprehension and 6 out of 20 in expression. The CEFR page has the full scale.
Expired results are fine
For Express Entry, a test report must be less than 2 years old. For citizenship, IRCC accepts results that have expired. If you became a permanent resident through Express Entry with a TEF Canada, TCF Canada, CELPIP-General, IELTS General Training or PTE Core report, look for it before booking anything: if it meets the thresholds above, it may be all you need. The test validity page explains the two-year rule that applies everywhere else.
Booking a test only for citizenship
If you have no usable report, the shortest route for a French speaker is the TEF Canada limited to listening and speaking, which the CCI presents as the citizenship option. The listening test has 40 questions in 40 minutes and the speaking test lasts 15 minutes, in two parts. Prices are set by each centre: as a dated example, the Alliance française d’Edmonton listed $195 for listening and speaking when we read its page on October 26, 2026. The TCF Canada candidate manual describes its four tests as compulsory, and we found no confirmed reduced format for it. This site is independent: you register with a centre, not here.
Getting ready for a CLB 4 result
CLB 4 is the lowest level any IRCC chart counts. On the TEF Canada sat since 11 December 2023, NCLC 4 starts at 306 in listening and 328 in speaking; IRCC's citizenship page, however, expresses the TEF and TCF requirement as B1, so aim for that. The TEF Canada page describes both tasks of the speaking test, and the English test comparison sets the three English options side by side if English is the easier language for you.