Language results are a central part of an Express Entry profile
Many people search for a language course in Canada because a test result is a requirement for federal skilled immigration through Express Entry. This article summarises the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) page “Express Entry: Language test results”, which the page shows as last updated on 22 June 2026, and the Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks’ description of the benchmarks. It applies to Canada’s federal Express Entry system. Other immigration streams, provincial programmes and citizenship applications have their own language rules and are outside the scope of this article. Requirements change, so the IRCC page should be checked before booking a test.
The approved tests
IRCC lists five tests for Express Entry. For English, they are CELPIP-General, IELTS General Training and PTE Core. For French, they are TEF Canada and TCF Canada. The page notes that the IELTS option is the General Training version and that the One Skill Retake is not accepted. Each of the tests measures four abilities: speaking, listening, reading and writing.
Applicants must book their test with an agency approved by IRCC and pay the costs themselves, then enter the results in their Express Entry profile. Results from other bodies or test versions are not accepted for this purpose.
How long results last
IRCC states that test results must be less than two years old when a candidate completes their Express Entry profile and again when they submit their application for permanent residence. A test taken too early can therefore expire before an application is submitted, which matters for anyone who takes a course and test well ahead of applying.
What CLB and NCLC mean
IRCC assesses proficiency using the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) for English and the Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) for French. The Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks describes the CLB as a descriptive scale of language ability in English as a second language, written as 12 benchmarks along a continuum from basic to advanced, reflecting the progression of knowledge and skills among adult learners.
The Centre is equally clear about what the CLB are not. It says they are not an assessment, not a curriculum, not tied to any specific instructional method, and not a description of discrete elements such as grammar structures or vocabulary items. They are a national standard for planning curricula and a framework of reference for learning, teaching, programming and assessing adult English as a second language in Canada. The scores from the approved tests are converted to benchmark levels for immigration purposes.
The Centre adds that the CLB and NCLC are recognised as the official Canadian standards for describing, measuring and recognising the language proficiency of adult immigrants and prospective immigrants, and that they were developed by the Centre but remain the property of IRCC. It also says the benchmarks give labour market associations, licensing bodies and employers a way to reference the language requirements of professions and trades to the standard.
For learners, the Centre says the benchmarks give a basis for planning language learning, setting or adjusting goals and monitoring progress, and that a shared national standard helps with recognition by professional organisations and licensing bodies across Canada.
A note on French test results
The IRCC page includes a specific note for TEF Canada. It says that results from tests taken between 11 December 2023 and 6 May 2024 required a profile update because of a recalibration of the scoring, and that applicants with such results must use the “equivalence ancien score” values. Anyone holding an older TEF Canada result should read that note before using it.
Programme minimums
IRCC sets minimum benchmark levels by programme. For the Canadian Experience Class, the page gives CLB 7 for jobs in TEER categories 0 and 1 and CLB 5 for TEER 2 and 3. For the Federal Skilled Worker Program, it gives a minimum of CLB 7 for the first official language, and CLB 5 for the second where one is claimed. For the Federal Skilled Trades Program, it gives CLB 5 for speaking and listening and CLB 4 for reading and writing.
Because these thresholds and the points attached to language results are set by the government and can be changed, applicants should read the current IRCC page rather than relying on an earlier summary.
Choosing a preparation course
A course aimed at an approved test is sensible only if it prepares for the exact test that will be booked, since the formats of CELPIP, IELTS General Training and PTE Core differ. Learners can check which of the five tests suits their language and situation, and book with an approved agency once their preparation is complete, within the two-year window.
The bottom line
Express Entry accepts five approved language tests, with results measured against the CLB for English and the NCLC for French and valid for two years. The benchmarks themselves are a standard for describing ability, not a test or a course. Anyone planning a course should check the programme minimum that applies to them on the current IRCC page and time the test so that the result is still valid at application.
Sources
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, “Express Entry: Language test results”
- Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks, “On CLB”