The Canadian Language Benchmark is the scale IRCC uses for language requirements; its PTE Core conversion table runs from CLB 3 up to CLB 10, shown as 10+ on the Express Entry page. IRCC does not score PTE Core directly in CLB terms; it publishes a conversion table that maps each PTE Core skill score to the matching CLB level.
Because the conversion is per skill, your four scores can land on four different CLB levels. Express Entry and related programmes typically require every skill to meet a minimum CLB, so the lowest of your four results is usually the one that decides whether you meet a given threshold.
Enter a score from 10 to 90 for each of Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing. The calculator looks up each score in IRCC's published table and shows you the CLB level it falls into, from CLB 3 upward; a score below the lowest published row for a skill will not return a CLB level.
Once all four CLB levels are shown, the calculator also checks them against CLB 7, the minimum for the Federal Skilled Worker Program and the Canadian Experience Class in TEER 0 or 1, and against CLB 9 as a higher reference point, and flags whether each one is met by your lowest-scoring skill.
- Enter Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing (10-90 each)
- Read the CLB level for each skill
- Check whether CLB 7 is met on every skill
- Check whether CLB 9 is met on every skill
CLB 7 in every skill is the minimum language requirement for the Federal Skilled Worker Program and for the Canadian Experience Class when your intended occupation falls under TEER 0 or TEER 1. Meeting CLB 7 on all four skills is therefore the first checkpoint most Express Entry candidates aim for.
CLB 9 is not the minimum for the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class or the Federal Skilled Trades Program. The calculator reports it as a higher reference point so you can see how far above the CLB 7 floor your result sits: in IRCC's table, CLB 9 starts at 82 in Listening, 78 in Reading, 84 in Speaking and 88 in Writing.
Not every programme needs CLB 7. The Canadian Experience Class for TEER 2 or TEER 3 occupations needs CLB 5 in every skill, and the Federal Skilled Trades Program sets its lowest bar at CLB 4 for Reading and Writing and CLB 5 for Listening and Speaking.
Because this calculator shows the CLB level for each of your four skills individually, you can compare your result against any of these programme floors yourself, not only against the CLB 7 and CLB 9 checks it highlights by default.
IRCC requires your PTE Core result to be less than two years old both when you complete your Express Entry profile and when you submit your permanent residence application, so check your test date against both milestones, not just one.
This calculator uses IRCC's own published conversion table, but programme eligibility rules change; always confirm the current minimum for your specific programme and occupation on the official IRCC page linked in our sources before making an application decision.
