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IELTS to CLB converter
Put in your four IELTS General Training scores and see the Canadian Language Benchmark for each one — and the lowest, which is the number Express Entry actually uses.
CLB —
Your level is the lowest of the four.
The IRCC equivalency chart
These are the minimum IELTS General Training scores for each Canadian Language Benchmark. A score between two rows counts as the lower one — 6.5 in Listening is CLB 7, not 8, because CLB 8 needs 7.5.
| 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 |
Reading the chart without getting it wrong
- Listening is the odd one out. It needs a higher score than the other three at CLB 8, 9 and 10 — 7.5 where Reading needs 6.5. It is the skill that most often holds a profile back.
- Reading is the most forgiving until the top: CLB 9 needs 7.0 in Reading but CLB 10 jumps to 8.0.
- Below CLB 4 the chart stops. A score under the CLB 4 line is simply not on it.
- The lowest skill is your level. Four CLB 9s and one CLB 7 is a CLB 7 profile.
Questions people ask
Does IRCC accept IELTS Academic for Express Entry?
No. The equivalency chart IRCC publishes for these immigration programs is for IELTS General Training. Academic is used for university admission and for some study permit routes, but it is not the version on the immigration chart, so check what your own program asks for before you book.
Which of my four CLB levels counts?
For Express Entry, your language level is the lowest of the four. One skill at CLB 6 puts you at CLB 6 overall, however good the other three are, which is why the calculator shows the lowest result on its own.
How long are my results valid?
IRCC requires test results less than 2 years old when you apply. That is the rule on its programme pages; confirm it for your own stream, because programs differ.
Is CLB 10 the top?
It is the top of the published chart. IELTS scores above the CLB 10 line are still CLB 10 for these programs — there is no CLB 11 or 12 on the IRCC equivalency table for IELTS.
Is this calculator official?
No. It is a convenience built from the table IRCC publishes, checked on 2 October 2026 against two of its programme pages. For anything that affects an application, read IRCC’s own page, which is linked at the foot of this one.
The skill that usually costs the CLB level
On the IRCC chart Listening is the demanding one, and it is the section where the recording plays once. You can practise it here in the computer-delivered interface.
Open the Listening tests →Three days free opens every test — Listening, Reading, Writing and Spelling — plus Vocabulary and Grammar in the app.
Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Express Entry: language test results and Start-up visa: language testing, both checked 2 October 2026. This page is not affiliated with IRCC.