CELPIP-General measures English proficiency across four skills: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. Each skill is scored independently on the CLB 1–12 scale, and all four are completed in a single uninterrupted test session.
The four skills
- Listening (47–55 min) — You hear audio clips — conversations, news reports, and discussions — and answer multiple-choice questions. Tests your ability to understand spoken English in a variety of Canadian contexts.
- Reading (55 min) — You read emails, articles, and opinion passages, then answer multiple-choice questions. Tests your ability to extract information and understand viewpoints from written text.
- Writing (53 min) — You write an email and respond to survey questions. Tests your ability to produce clear, organized, and accurate written English for real-life purposes.
- Speaking (15–20 min) — You record spoken responses to 8 tasks shown on screen. Tests your ability to communicate naturally in everyday Canadian situations using accurate, fluent English.
How scoring works
Listening and Reading are scored by counting correct answers, which are then converted to CLB levels. Writing and Speaking are scored by automated AI models trained on thousands of expert-rated samples, using rubrics that evaluate task fulfillment, coherence, vocabulary, and grammatical accuracy.
Each skill is scored independently. A strong performance in Listening does not compensate for a weaker Writing score — immigration programs evaluate each CLB separately.
CLB requirements by immigration program
- Express Entry (Federal Skilled Worker) — Minimum CLB 7 in all four skills
- Canadian Experience Class — Minimum CLB 7 (NOC TEER 0/1) or CLB 5 (NOC TEER 2/3)
- Canadian Citizenship — Listening and Speaking only (CELPIP-General LS accepted)
- Provincial Nominee Programs — Varies by province — typically CLB 4–8