CLB and NCLC Conversion for Express Entry: IELTS, CELPIP, PTE Core, TEF and TCF

If you have an IELTS, CELPIP, PTE Core, TEF Canada or TCF Canada result and want to know what it means for Express Entry, this page converts your raw score into a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) or Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadien (NCLC) level, ability by ability, using IRCC’s current official tables.

This page focuses on one thing: turning your raw test score into a CLB or NCLC level. For the exact number of CRS points each level is worth, see the CRS Points Grid. For your personal, complete CRS score, use the CRS Calculator.

What CLB and NCLC Mean

The Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) is the scale IRCC uses to describe English ability for immigration purposes. The Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadien (NCLC) is the equivalent scale for French. Both were created so that candidates who took different tests, in different countries, with different scoring systems, can be compared fairly on the same standard.

Neither scale measures your raw test score directly. Instead, your raw score on an approved test (an IELTS band, a CELPIP level, a PTE Core score, or a TEF or TCF Canada number) is converted into a CLB or NCLC level using IRCC’s official conversion tables. Express Entry works with CLB or NCLC levels, not with raw test scores.

CLB vs NCLC: What’s the Difference?

CLB and NCLC are not two versions of the same thing you can pick between. Which one applies to you depends entirely on which language you tested in:

• If you took an English test (IELTS General Training, CELPIP-General or PTE Core), your result converts to a CLB level.
• If you took a French test (TEF Canada or TCF Canada), your result converts to an NCLC level.

Both English and French can be used as official languages in Express Entry, but the CRS scoring rules differ depending on whether the language is your first or second official language. If you have both an English and a French result, you will have one CLB level and one NCLC level, not two of the same kind.

How Language Scores Are Evaluated: Per Ability, Not Averaged

This is the part that trips people up most often. Your language test gives you four separate scores: speaking, listening, reading, writing. IRCC converts each of these four scores into its own CLB or NCLC level, using the official table for the test you took.

Your four abilities are never combined into a single average level. This matters in two ways:

• For eligibility, several Express Entry programs require a minimum CLB or NCLC level in all four abilities. If three of your abilities meet the threshold and one does not, you do not meet that requirement, even if your abilities would average out above it.
• For CRS points, points are calculated per ability, using the level you actually achieved in each one, then added together.

A strong overall impression from a test does not tell you whether you meet a specific program’s requirement. You need to check each of the four abilities individually against the table for your test.

Which Language Tests Are Accepted for Express Entry?

IRCC accepts exactly five tests for Express Entry:

A few important distinctions:

• IELTS Academic is not the Express Entry test. You must take IELTS General Training.
• IELTS One Skill Retake is not accepted for Express Entry, even though it is offered by the same test provider.
• PTE Core is not PTE Academic. Only the PTE Core option is accepted.
• Other language tests and certificates, including TOEFL and Duolingo English Test, are not accepted for Express Entry.

If your test is not one of the five above, it will not convert to a usable CLB or NCLC result for Express Entry, regardless of how it is scored.

Conversion Tables by Test

The tables below show the CLB or NCLC level for each ability, exactly as published by IRCC. Ranges are shown exactly as IRCC publishes them and are not simplified or rounded.

IELTS General Training → CLB

IRCC’s lower-level tables for the Federal Skilled Trades Program and Canadian Experience Class also show CLB 4, 5 and 6:

Remember: IELTS Academic scores do not belong in this table. Only IELTS General Training results convert this way for Express Entry.

CELPIP-General → CLB

CELPIP-General is the most direct of the five conversions. For CLB 4 through 9, your raw score in each ability equals the CLB level.

PTE Core → CLB

TEF Canada → NCLC

Before using this table, read the TEF Canada warning below. The numbers in this table are the Équivalence ancien score values. Do not use the “Score / 699” figures from your results.

Note that speaking and writing use one numeric scale, while listening and reading use a different, much wider numeric scale. This is how IRCC’s own table is structured, not a formatting choice on this page.

TCF Canada → NCLC

As with TEF Canada, speaking and writing use a small integer scale, while listening and reading use a much larger numeric scale. These are genuinely different scoring scales on the real test, not an error.

Important: TEF Canada “Équivalence ancien score”

If you tested between December 11, 2023 and May 6, 2024, CCI Paris Ile-de-France temporarily modified how NCLC levels were calculated during this period. The change has since been reverted. IRCC states that affected candidates will have received an email from CCI with updated scores and should update their Express Entry profile with the corrected results.

Minimum Language Requirements by Express Entry Program

These are eligibility minimums, not CRS points. Meeting a minimum makes you eligible for a program. It does not by itself tell you how many CRS points you will receive. For CRS points, see the CRS Points Grid.

Which Canadian Experience Class row applies to you depends on how your Canadian work experience is classified under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. This page does not cover NOC classification or full program eligibility. It only covers the language requirement itself.

How Your CLB/NCLC Result Affects Your CRS Score

Once you know your CLB or NCLC level for each ability, here is how that feeds into your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score, at a conceptual level:

• Your first official language contributes points as part of your Core/Human Capital factors, calculated per ability and added together.
• Your second official language, if you have one, is scored separately and has a lower point ceiling than your first.
• Your CLB or NCLC levels are also used when determining certain CRS points and skill-transferability combinations. The exact point values and combinations are listed in the CRS Points Grid.
• A qualifying French result (NCLC 7 or higher in all four abilities) can add Additional Points on its own, and more when combined with a strong English result.

This page does not repeat the exact point values for each level, since duplicating that would create two places to maintain the same numbers. For the full breakdown of exactly how many points each CLB and NCLC level is worth, see the CRS Points Grid.

Practical Examples

Example 1: IELTS, four abilities, four different results

Suppose your IELTS General Training scores are:

• Speaking: 6.0
• Listening: 8.0
• Reading: 6.5
• Writing: 7.0

Checking each ability against the IELTS table above: Speaking 6.0 is CLB 7. Listening 8.0 is CLB 9. Reading 6.5 is CLB 8. Writing 7.0 is CLB 9.

This candidate does not have one single CLB level. They have CLB 7, 9, 8 and 9 across four abilities, and each one is used separately when calculating language points.

Example 2: TEF Canada, a French result

Suppose your TEF Canada Équivalence ancien score results are:

• Speaking (expression orale): 320
• Listening (compréhension de l’oral): 260
• Reading (compréhension de l’écrit): 210
• Writing (expression écrite): 300

Checking each ability against the TEF Canada table: Speaking 320 falls in the 310-348 range, which is NCLC 7. Listening 260 falls in the 249-279 range, which is NCLC 7. Reading 210 falls in the 207-232 range, which is NCLC 7. Writing 300 falls in the 271-309 range, which is NCLC 6, since it is below the 310 threshold for NCLC 7.

Three abilities reach NCLC 7, but writing sits at NCLC 6. This candidate would not meet an “NCLC 7 in all four abilities” requirement.

Example 3: Why CLB/NCLC is not an average

Suppose your CELPIP-General scores are:

• Speaking: 9
• Listening: 9
• Reading: 9
• Writing: 6

Three abilities convert to CLB 9. Writing converts to CLB 6. If you needed CLB 7 in all four abilities, for example under the Canadian Experience Class for a NOC TEER 0 or 1 role, this profile does not meet that requirement. A high average across three strong abilities does not offset one ability that falls short. IRCC checks each ability against the minimum individually, not the average of the four.

None of these examples include a CRS point total. For that, use the CRS Calculator with your own scores.

Using Your Converted Result in the CRS Calculator

Once you know your CLB or NCLC level for each ability, you do not need to do any further conversion by hand. The CRS Calculator accepts your raw test scores directly and applies these same official conversion tables automatically, then combines the result with your age, education and work experience to give you a full CRS score.

FAQ

What is the difference between CLB and NCLC?

CLB measures English ability and applies to IELTS General Training, CELPIP-General and PTE Core results. NCLC measures French ability and applies to TEF Canada and TCF Canada results. They use the same general scale logic but are based on different tests and are not interchangeable.

How long is my language test result valid for Express Entry?

Your result must be less than 2 years old both when you complete your Express Entry profile and when you submit your application for permanent residence. If your result will expire before you can apply, you can retake the test, apply before it expires, or decline an invitation and re-enter the pool later.

Is PTE Core accepted for Express Entry?

Yes. PTE Core is one of the three accepted English tests, alongside IELTS General Training and CELPIP-General. Only the PTE Core version is accepted, not PTE Academic.

What happens if I enter the wrong TEF Canada score column?

IRCC states that entering the wrong scores may result in your application being refused. Only the Équivalence ancien score figures should be entered, not the Score / 699 figures.

Does CLB 9 in three abilities and CLB 6 in one still count as CLB 9 overall?

No. IRCC evaluates each ability separately. A program that requires a minimum level in all four abilities is not satisfied just because three abilities are strong. See the weak-ability example above.

Which language test should I take?

This page does not recommend one test over another, since the right choice depends on where you are located, which abilities you feel strongest in, and personal test-taking preference. All five accepted tests convert to the same CLB or NCLC scale for Express Entry purposes.

Where can I see how many CRS points my CLB or NCLC level is worth?

The exact point values for every CLB and NCLC level, for both your first and second official language, are on the CRS Points Grid.

Sources

All conversion tables, accepted test information, validity rules and program requirements on this page are taken directly from:

Express Entry: Language test results
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, canada.ca
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/documents/language-test.html
Last modified by IRCC: June 22, 2026
Verified against this source: September 5, 2026

CLB and NCLC are defined and maintained as language standards by Language Canada, referenced by IRCC on the source page above:

• Canadian Language Benchmarks: https://www.language.ca/resourcesexpertise/on-clb/
• Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadien: https://www.language.ca/ressourcesexpertise/niveaux-de-competence-linguistique-canadiens/