The requirement to demonstrate your English language proficiency is part of the application process for many of Canada’s immigration programs. The “Canadian Language Benchmark” (CLB) is used as a national standard in Canada to evaluate immigrants’ proficiency in the English language. What does this mean, though, if you previously took an IELTS exam with a different scoring system than CLB? IELTS scores range from 0 to 9, while CLB scores range from Level 1 to Level 12. Although the two scoring systems differ slightly, they can still be aligned using an online “CLB to IELTS” converter. A helpful guide that explains how to compare CLB and IELTS has been put together by our team.
The following tables provide a comparison of the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLBs) for English and the Niveaux de compétence Linguistique Canadiens for French with the outcomes of language tests from authorized testing organizations
Canada has its own system for describing language proficiency in accordance with Canadian standards. Canadian Language Benchmarks, or CLBs, are used to rate English language proficiency in Canada. There are 12 CLBs, ranging from the most fundamental skill (CLB 1) to full fluency (CLB 12). Similar classification levels are used in French in Canada, where they are referred to as Niveaux de compétence Linguistique Canadiens.
Candidates for immigration to Canada under a federal economic immigration program must demonstrate their language proficiency through an IRCC-recognized standardized test in either English or French. The four language-related test outcomes—Speaking, Reading, Writing, and Listening—have a corresponding CLB.
For a federal economic immigration program, a candidate may choose to demonstrate language proficiency by passing one of the following three standardized tests:
IELTS General:
The most common standardized language test accepted by IRCC for immigration purposes is the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) exam, which candidates inside and outside of Canada can take. It is important for applicants for Canadian immigration to take the General IELTS exam rather than the Academic exam. Results are presented as "bands" across the four abilities, with an average band score being calculated from these bands. There is a CLB that corresponds to each of the four ability scores.
CELPIP:
Candidates for Canadian immigration who are taking the test from within Canada may take the CELPIP (Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program) test to measure their English proficiency. Results from the CELPIP are directly correlated with CLBs, and scores ranging from 1 to 12 are provided for each language ability.
TEF:
The TEF (Test d'Évaluation de Français) is a test of general French ability that is accepted by thefor immigration applications and by the Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Diversité et de l'Inclusion (MIDI) du Québec for applications for Quebec Selection Certificates as official documentation of language proficiency.
It should be noted that even though applicants for federal economic immigration programs must demonstrate proficiency in one official language, doing so could help them rank higher on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) for Express Entry.
