What is Canadian Languages Benchmark (CLB)?

IRCC accepts the following language assessment tests for immigration purposes:
- English
- you must take the CELPIP-General test
- we don’t accept the General-LS test for Express Entry
- you must take the General Training option
- we don’t accept the Academic option for Express Entry
- French
- TEF Canada: Test d’évaluation de français, including:
- compréhension de l’écrit
- compréhension de l’oral
- expression écrite
- expression orale
- TCF Canada: Test de connaissance du français, including:
- compréhension de l’écrit
- compréhension de l’oral
- expression écrite
- expression orale
Your test scores are then assessed against Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB). The following is the conversion table for IELTS to CLB:
CLB Level | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
2 | 2.0 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
3 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
4 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
5 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
6 | 5.5 | 5.0 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
7 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
8 | 7.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
9 | 8.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
10 | 8.5 | 8.0 | 7.5 | 7.5 |
11 | 9.0 | 8.5 | 8.0 | 8.0 |
12 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 9.0 |
May 25th, 2020