Glossary
Canadian Language Benchmark
Also written as CLB
The scale Canadian immigration uses to describe English ability. IRCC, the Canadian immigration department, converts IELTS General Training scores into CLB levels. That is why Express Entry requirements are written as CLB 7 rather than as a band.
Express Entry accepts IELTS General Training only, not Academic, and it does not accept a One Skill Retake result. Your test must be less than two years old both when you complete your profile and when you submit your application for permanent residence.
The minimum across all four abilities is CLB 7 for jobs classified as NOC TEER 0 or 1, and CLB 5 for TEER 2 or 3.
Guides that use this term
IELTS One Skill Retake: Who Can Use It and How It Works
You can sit one section again instead of the whole test. Your full test must have been IELTS on computer, and you must retake within 60 days, once only.
General
IELTS Band Scores Explained: What Your Score Actually Means
IELTS reports each section and your overall result as a band from 0 to 9. This guide explains what each band means and how the overall band is calculated. It also covers pass marks and CEFR levels.
General
Checked against the IRCC Express Entry language test page on 8 September 2026.