CELPIP-General for Canadian Immigration
CELPIP-General score to CLB conversion, test format, cost, and tips for Express Entry and Canadian immigration.
Last verified: April 2026
At a glance
CELPIP-General is developed by Paragon Testing Enterprises and is the only IRCC-approved English test designed specifically for Canadian immigration. All four abilities (Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking) are delivered on a single computer in roughly three hours. Because CELPIP levels are defined directly against the Canadian Language Benchmarks, no conversion table is required: a CELPIP 9 in Listening is a CLB 9 in Listening.
- Result turnaround
- 4–8 calendar days from the test date, delivered via the online candidate account.
- Cost
- Approximately CAD 280–310 in Canada (fees vary by location and may change). Confirm the current fee at your chosen test centre.
- Validity
- 2 years from the test date.
- Test centres
- Canada, United States, India, Philippines, United Arab Emirates, and China. Availability is concentrated in major Canadian cities; confirm dates at celpip.ca before committing to this test, especially outside North America.
How it is scored
Each ability is reported as a CELPIP level from 1 to 12. The CELPIP level is the CLB level — a 1:1 mapping. CELPIP does not publish an 'overall' number for Express Entry scoring.
Conversion table
Listening
| CLB / NCLC level | Test score |
|---|---|
| 12 | 12 |
| 11 | 11 |
| 10 | 10 |
| 9 | 9 |
| 8 | 8 |
| 7 | 7 |
| 6 | 6 |
| 5 | 5 |
| 4 | 4 |
Reading
| CLB / NCLC level | Test score |
|---|---|
| 12 | 12 |
| 11 | 11 |
| 10 | 10 |
| 9 | 9 |
| 8 | 8 |
| 7 | 7 |
| 6 | 6 |
| 5 | 5 |
| 4 | 4 |
Writing
| CLB / NCLC level | Test score |
|---|---|
| 12 | 12 |
| 11 | 11 |
| 10 | 10 |
| 9 | 9 |
| 8 | 8 |
| 7 | 7 |
| 6 | 6 |
| 5 | 5 |
| 4 | 4 |
Speaking
| CLB / NCLC level | Test score |
|---|---|
| 12 | 12 |
| 11 | 11 |
| 10 | 10 |
| 9 | 9 |
| 8 | 8 |
| 7 | 7 |
| 6 | 6 |
| 5 | 5 |
| 4 | 4 |
Updated April 2026. Information on this page is provided for educational purposes only. Tax rules, rates, and government programs may change — verify details with the CRA or a qualified financial advisor.