How Many CRS Points Does Your CELPIP Score Give?

How many CRS points does each CELPIP level give?

For your first official language, each of the four skills earns points separately. Without a spouse or partner, a CELPIP level of 9 in one skill gives 31 points and a level of 7 gives 17, according to IRCC's published grid at the time of writing.

Because the points are per skill, multiply by four if your levels are the same in every section. At CLB 9 across the board, a candidate without a spouse earns 124 core language points (4 × 31); at CLB 7 across the board, 68 points (4 × 17).

How do I calculate my own language points?

Look up each of your four CELPIP levels in the table and add the four numbers together. Use the column that matches your situation: "with spouse or partner" applies when your spouse or common-law partner is coming to Canada with you and is not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.

Example: a single candidate with Listening 10, Reading 9, Writing 8 and Speaking 7 earns 34 + 31 + 23 + 17 = 105 core language points. The same results with an accompanying spouse earn 32 + 29 + 22 + 16 = 99.

A useful habit is to work out the same sum for the levels you are aiming for. If the single candidate above raised Writing and Speaking to CLB 9, the total would become 34 + 31 + 31 + 31 = 127, an increase of 22 core points from two sections alone. Seeing the number for your own target makes it easier to decide whether another attempt at the test is worth it.

This is only the core language part. Your full CRS score also includes age, education, Canadian work experience, skill transferability and other factors, so use IRCC's CRS tool for the complete number.

Why is CLB 9 such an important target?

CLB 9 matters for two reasons: the core points per skill jump noticeably between CLB 8 and CLB 9, and CLB 9 in all four skills unlocks the strongest skill-transferability combinations with education or foreign work experience.

• Core points: moving one skill from CLB 8 to CLB 9 adds 8 points without a spouse (23 to 31), more than the step from CLB 9 to CLB 10 (31 to 34).
• Skill transferability: IRCC combines your language level with your education, and separately with your foreign work experience. These combinations reach their highest values when you have CLB 9 or higher in every skill.
• Your lowest skill decides the transferability level, so one section at CLB 8 can hold back points even if the other three are at CLB 10.

So for a candidate with 3 or more years of foreign work experience, going from CLB 7 or 8 to CLB 9 in every skill adds 25 transferability points from that experience alone, on top of the higher core points. If they also have a master's degree, the education combination adds another 25. Each group is capped at 50, a cap shared with the combinations that use Canadian work experience, so check your full profile in IRCC's CRS tool.

Example (single, 3+ years of foreign work, a master's degree): at CLB 7 in all four skills, English gives 68 core + 25 + 25 = 118 points. At CLB 9 in all four it gives 124 core + 50 + 50 = 224 points, 106 more.

• Try the free CELPIP score calculator
• CLB 7 vs CLB 9: what changes and how to close the gap

Does improving one section help, or do I need all four?

Improving any one section adds core points straight away, because each skill is scored separately. But the skill-transferability points depend on your lowest skill, so raising your weakest section usually gives the biggest total gain.

Many test takers find their Listening and Reading levels are higher than their Writing and Speaking levels, because the productive skills are rated on organisation, vocabulary and accuracy as well as understanding. If that sounds like you, the points are probably in Writing or Speaking.

For example, if you have Listening 10, Reading 9, Writing 8 and Speaking 9, raising Writing to 9 adds 8 core points (without a spouse) and may also move you into a higher transferability bracket because all four skills would then be at CLB 9 or above.

Do my spouse's CELPIP results or a second language add points?

They can. An accompanying spouse or partner's official language results can add a smaller number of points, and results in your second official language (French, if English is your first) can add more. The amounts are set out in IRCC's CRS criteria.

If your spouse is considering a test, it is worth checking the spouse factors in IRCC's CRS tool before deciding. For French, IRCC accepts specific French tests, not CELPIP.

• Do you need CELPIP for spousal sponsorship?
• Using CELPIP for Express Entry: from test to profile

How long can I use my CELPIP results for Express Entry?

IRCC accepts CELPIP results for two years from the test date, and they must still be valid on the day you submit your application for permanent residence, not only when you create your Express Entry profile.

If your results will expire while you wait for an invitation, plan a retake early enough to have new results in hand. CELPIP results usually arrive in your online account within about a week.

How should I prepare if I need more CRS points?

Start by finding your current level in each skill, then focus on the section with the biggest gap to CLB 9. For most people that is Writing or Speaking, where the raters' four dimensions reward structure and precision you can train.

The free CELPass diagnostic predicts your CLB in each section in about 25 minutes. It is an estimate, not an official score, but it shows where the points are most likely to come from.

• Take the free diagnostic
• CELPIP score requirements by program
• A 30-day CELPIP study plan

Keep reading

• CELPIP Levels and Descriptors: What Each Level Means
• Can You Use an Expired CELPIP Result for Canadian Citizenship?
• Express Entry High-Wage Points: Who Gains and What Happens to Cut-offs
• Are AI CELPIP Scores Accurate? How They Compare With the Real Test