IELTS General Training to CLB: the band you need
CLB 7 needs IELTS General Training 6.0 in listening, 6.0 in reading, 6.0 in writing and 6.0 in speaking. CLB 9 needs 8.0, 7.0, 7.0 and 7.0. This is the IELTS to CLB conversion IRCC publishes. Express Entry takes only the General Training option, and not IELTS One Skill Retake.
IELTS band to CLB
The IRCC table for IELTS General Training. Each cell is the lowest band that reaches the level.
| Item | IELTS GENERAL TRAINING | Item | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLB | L | R | W | S | Used for |
| 10 | 8.5 | 8.0 | 7.5 | 7.5 | - |
| 9 | 8.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | - |
| 8 | 7.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | - |
| 7 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | Express Entry: CEC (TEER 0 or 1) and FSW |
| 6 | 5.5 | 5.0 | 5.5 | 5.5 | - |
| 5 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | CEC (TEER 2 or 3); FST speaking and listening |
| 4 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 | FST reading and writing; citizenship speaking and listening |
Rules that trip people up
From IRCC.
- You must take the IELTS General Training option. We don’t accept IELTS One Skill Retake for Express Entry.
- Your test results must be less than 2 years old when you: complete your Express Entry profile, and submit your application for permanent residence.
- IRCC reads a CLB for each of listening, reading, writing and speaking, and the programs set a minimum for each skill.
- IELTS Academic is not the Express Entry test. If you took Academic, check the program's page before you assume it converts.
A worked example: each skill converts on its own
Using the IRCC table above.
Say you score IELTS General Training listening 7.5, reading 7.0, writing 6.5 and speaking 7.0. Each skill converts on its own: listening 7.5 is CLB 8, reading 7.0 is CLB 9, writing 6.5 is CLB 8, speaking 7.0 is CLB 9. The Federal Skilled Worker and Canadian Experience Class (TEER 0 or 1) programs ask for CLB 7 in every skill, so this result clears that line. For CRS language points, without a partner, the four abilities score 23 + 31 + 23 + 31 = 108. Two skills reach CLB 9 and two reach CLB 8, and each CLB 8 ability is worth 8 points less than a CLB 9 one.
Work your own numbers in the CLB converter or in the CRS language points calculator.
What each CLB is worth in CRS points
First official language, from IRCC's CRS criteria.
| CRS tier | IELTS General Training, lowest bands in the tier | Points per ability, no partner | With partner |
|---|---|---|---|
| CLB 10 or more | L 8.5 · R 8.0 · W 7.5 · S 7.5 | 34 | 32 |
| CLB 9 | L 8.0 · R 7.0 · W 7.0 · S 7.0 | 31 | 29 |
| CLB 8 | L 7.5 · R 6.5 · W 6.5 · S 6.5 | 23 | 22 |
| CLB 7 | L 6.0 · R 6.0 · W 6.0 · S 6.0 | 17 | 16 |
| CLB 6 | L 5.5 · R 5.0 · W 5.5 · S 5.5 | 9 | 8 |
| CLB 4 or 5 | L 4.5 · R 3.5 · W 4.0 · S 4.0 | 6 | 6 |
CLB 4 and CLB 5 earn the same points, which is why they share a tier.
Minimum IELTS by program
IRCC's CLB for each program, shown as the IELTS General Training band.
| Program | CLB (L / R / W / S) | CELPIP, per skill | IELTS GT, per skill | PTE Core, per skill | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Express Entry, CEC (TEER 0 or 1) | 7 / 7 / 7 / 7 | 7 | 6.0 | 60–69 | IRCC |
| Express Entry, CEC (TEER 2 or 3) | 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 | 5 | 4.0–5.0 | 39–51 | IRCC |
| Federal Skilled Worker | 7 / 7 / 7 / 7 | 7 | 6.0 | 60–69 | IRCC |
| Federal Skilled Trades | 5 / 4 / 4 / 5 | 4–5 | 3.5–5.0 | 33–51 | IRCC |
| Citizenship (age 18 to 54) | 4 / - / - / 4 | 4 | 4.0–4.5 | 28–42 | IRCC |
One page per level
Each page shows that CLB in all three tests.
Common questions
IELTS General Training 6.0 in listening, 6.0 in reading, 6.0 in writing and 6.0 in speaking.
IELTS General Training 8.0 in listening, 7.0 in reading, 7.0 in writing and 7.0 in speaking.
5.0 in listening, 4.0 in reading, 5.0 in writing and 5.0 in speaking.
You must take the IELTS General Training option. We don’t accept IELTS One Skill Retake for Express Entry.
No. We don’t accept IELTS One Skill Retake for Express Entry.
Your test results must be less than 2 years old when you: complete your Express Entry profile, and submit your application for permanent residence.
CLB7 to IELTS General Training is 6.0 in listening, 6.0 in reading, 6.0 in writing and 6.0 in speaking. CLB9 to IELTS is 8.0, 7.0, 7.0 and 7.0. CLB4 to IELTS is 4.5, 3.5, 4.0 and 4.0. The table above has every level.
IRCC publishes the conversion: each IELTS General Training band in each skill maps to a CLB level, and the table above is that equivalency for CLB 4 to 10.
Yes: the CLB converter on this site converts each skill and shows which programs you meet. It uses IRCC's tables.
IDP Canada: The cost of an IELTS test in Canada ranges between CAD $335 and $361 before tax. See the CELPIP price page for the comparison.