About the IELTS to CLB
A Test Report Form gives you four band scores and an overall average, but Canadian immigration ignores the average completely. Each skill is converted to a Canadian Language Benchmark on its own scale, and the level awarded is the weakest of the four. This converter applies the IRCC equivalency table for IELTS General Training and shows the arithmetic so nothing is taken on trust.
Enter the scores the way they appear on your report, one skill per line, such as Listening 8.0. Short forms work too: L, R, W and S are recognised. Four bare numbers on a single line are read in listening, reading, writing, speaking order. A single number on its own is treated as a question about that band and answered for all four skills at once, which shows how much the same figure is worth in different places on the chart.
The example above is the case worth studying. Listening 8.0, reading 7.0 and speaking 7.0 each reach CLB 9, but writing 6.5 only reaches CLB 8, and CLB 8 is the level that goes on the application. That single half band is often worth a large number of points in a Comprehensive Ranking System calculation, which is why the output names the skill holding you back rather than just printing a number. Only scores that appear in the published chart are converted, so a band below the CLB 4 threshold is reported as such rather than guessed at. To plan a retake target, switch to CLB to IELTS, and check the current IRCC chart before you submit anything.
How to use
- Type one skill per line, for example
Listening 8.0, using the bands from your Test Report Form. - Enter all four skills to get the overall level, since the lowest one decides it.
- Or type a single band score to see what that number is worth in each of the four skills.
- Read the chart underneath to work out which half band would lift you a level.
Common questions
- Does my overall IELTS band matter for CLB?
- No. The overall average is ignored. Each skill is converted separately and the lowest of the four becomes your benchmark level.
- Which skill usually holds people back?
- Writing and reading most often, because their thresholds sit close together, so half a band can cost a whole benchmark level.
- Can I enter the four numbers without labels?
- Yes. Four numbers on one line are read in listening, reading, writing and speaking order, matching the layout of the Test Report Form.
- Is this valid for CELPIP or TEF scores?
- No. Those tests have their own equivalency charts. This page only converts IELTS General Training band scores.