What CLB am I? Convert any test score
Every Canadian immigration program measures language in CLB (English) or NCLC (French) — but each test reports its own scale. Enter your scores from any IRCC-designated test and see your level per skill, plus the one number that actually counts: your lowest skill.
Ranges transcribed from IRCC’s equivalency charts on canada.ca (verified July 5, 2026). Always confirm against your official score report before submitting an application.
The official IRCC tables
These are IRCC's own equivalency ranges (canada.ca, verified July 5, 2026). Three rules trip people up: your lowest skill sets your level (skills are never averaged), you must take the right test version (IELTS General Training, PTE Core, CELPIP General, TEF/TCF Canada), and you can't combine skills across two sittings — one test result must cover all four.
IELTS General Training → CLB (minimum band per level)
| CLB | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 6 | 5.5 | 5.0 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| 5 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| 4 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
The highlighted CLB 9 row is the famous "8777". Note listening runs half a band hotter than the other skills at most levels.
CELPIP-General → CLB
CELPIP is the easy one: levels map to CLB 1:1. CELPIP 9 = CLB 9. (An "M" on a CELPIP report means the level couldn't be measured — it is not a score of zero.)
PTE Core → CLB (score ranges)
| CLB | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 89–90 | 88–90 | 90 | 89–90 |
| 9 | 82–88 | 78–87 | 88–89 | 84–88 |
| 8 | 71–81 | 69–77 | 79–87 | 76–83 |
| 7 | 60–70 | 60–68 | 69–78 | 68–75 |
| 6 | 50–59 | 51–59 | 60–68 | 59–67 |
| 5 | 39–49 | 42–50 | 51–59 | 51–58 |
| 4 | 28–38 | 33–41 | 41–50 | 42–50 |
| 3 | 18–27 | 24–32 | 32–40 | 34–41 |
Watch the writing column: CLB 9 is only 88–89 and CLB 10 requires a perfect 90 — the most compressed band on any IRCC chart.
TEF Canada → NCLC (tests taken after December 10, 2023 — all skills scored /699)
| NCLC | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 546–699 | 546–699 | 558–699 | 556–699 |
| 9 | 503–545 | 503–545 | 512–557 | 518–555 |
| 8 | 462–502 | 462–502 | 472–511 | 494–517 |
| 7 | 434–461 | 434–461 | 428–471 | 456–493 |
| 6 | 393–433 | 393–433 | 379–427 | 422–455 |
| 5 | 352–392 | 352–392 | 330–378 | 387–421 |
| 4 | 306–351 | 306–351 | 268–329 | 328–386 |
NCLC 7 (highlighted) is the French-bonus threshold for Express Entry. Took TEF before December 2023? Different tables apply — check the date-matched charts on canada.ca.
TCF Canada → NCLC
| NCLC | Listening (/699) | Reading (/699) | Writing (/20) | Speaking (/20) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 549–699 | 549–699 | 16–20 | 16–20 |
| 9 | 523–548 | 524–548 | 14–15 | 14–15 |
| 8 | 503–522 | 499–523 | 12–13 | 12–13 |
| 7 | 458–502 | 453–498 | 10–11 | 10–11 |
| 6 | 398–457 | 406–452 | 7–9 | 7–9 |
| 5 | 369–397 | 375–405 | 6–6 | 6–6 |
| 4 | 331–368 | 342–374 | 4–5 | 4–5 |
TCF reports two scales at once — listening/reading on 100–699, writing/speaking on 0–20 — and the report shows CEFR letters, not NCLC. Ignore the letters; use the numbers above.
Now practise the skill that's holding you back
Your lowest skill sets your level, so train that one. Free, in replicas of the real exams:IELTS · PTE Core ·CELPIP · TEF Canada ·TCF Canada.