Listening and Reading are scored by computer from correct answers (38 questions each, converted to a level through scaled scores), and Writing and Speaking are rated by several trained raters on four dimensions; each skill gets its own CELPIP level, which equals the same CLB level. Each skill is reported as its own level.
This guide walks through each step: how many questions there are, roughly how many correct answers each level needs, what raters look at in Writing and Speaking, how a CELPIP level becomes a CLB level, and why IRCC looks at each ability separately. The rules come from CELPIP's test results page and IRCC, and each one links to its source.
The short version: four skills, four levels
CELPIP-General has four components, and each one is scored on its own. The table shows how.
| Skill | What you answer | How it is scored |
|---|---|---|
| Listening | 6 parts, 38 questions | By computer, from the number of correct answers |
| Reading | 4 parts, 38 questions | By computer, from the number of correct answers |
| Writing | 2 tasks (an email and a survey response) | By 4 to 6 trained raters |
| Speaking | 8 tasks | By 3 to 5 trained raters |
Your score report shows a CELPIP level for each of the four skills. Those four levels are what IRCC and other organizations read, one skill at a time. For a refresher on the test itself, see what CELPIP is and the CELPIP overview.
How many questions are in CELPIP Listening?
CELPIP Listening has 6 parts and 38 questions in total, according to the CELPIP Test Taker Guidebook. The questions are spread unevenly across the parts.
| Listening part | Questions |
|---|---|
| Part 1 | 8 |
| Part 2 | 5 |
| Part 3 | 6 |
| Part 4 | 5 |
| Part 5 | 8 |
| Part 6 | 6 |
| Total | 38 |
So if you are asking how many listening parts are in CELPIP, the answer is six, and parts 1 and 5 carry the most questions. CELPIP also states that "the Listening and Reading Tests contain unscored items used for test development", so the test you sit may include material that does not count toward your result.
How to calculate your CELPIP Listening score
CELPIP Listening is scored in three steps:
- Every question is right or wrong. CELPIP says Listening and Reading are scored dichotomously, all scoring is done by computer, and a blank answer is marked incorrect. A blank answer is marked incorrect just like a wrong answer, so it is better to choose an answer.
- Your correct answers make a raw score out of 38.
- The raw score is converted to a CELPIP level. CELPIP turns raw scores into scaled scores and equates them across test versions.
CELPIP publishes an approximate guide to how raw scores line up with levels. For Listening, it looks like this:
| CELPIP Listening level | Approximate correct answers out of 38 |
|---|---|
| 10–12 | 35–38 |
| 9 | 33–35 |
| 8 | 30–33 |
| 7 | 27–31 |
| 6 | 22–28 |
| 5 | 17–23 |
| 4 | 11–18 |
| 3 | 7–12 |
| M | 0–7 |
Treat this table as an approximate guide. CELPIP's results page warns that the raw score needed for a level "may vary slightly from one test to another", because scores are scaled and equated across test versions. That is why the ranges overlap. With 29 correct answers you would most likely land at level 7, while 30 correct could be level 7 or level 8 depending on the version you took.
For level-by-level detail and a calculator, see the CELPIP Listening score chart.
How CELPIP Reading is scored
Reading works the same way as Listening. It has 4 parts with 11, 8, 9 and 10 questions, for 38 questions in total. Each answer is right or wrong, blanks count as incorrect, and the raw score is scaled to a level by computer.
| CELPIP Reading level | Approximate correct answers out of 38 |
|---|---|
| 10–12 | 33–38 |
| 9 | 31–33 |
| 8 | 28–31 |
| 7 | 24–28 |
| 6 | 19–25 |
| 5 | 15–20 |
| 4 | 10–16 |
| 3 | 8–11 |
| M | 0–7 |
The same caveat applies: the raw score for a level may vary slightly from one test to another. Comparing the two tables, Reading reaches most levels with a slightly lower raw score than Listening in this approximate guide. Level 7 starts at about 24 correct in Reading against about 27 in Listening. The CELPIP Reading score chart goes through each level in more depth.
How CELPIP Writing and Speaking are rated
Writing and Speaking have no answer key. Your responses are rated by people. According to CELPIP:
- Speaking responses are rated by 3 to 5 trained raters.
- Writing responses are rated by 4 to 6 trained raters.
- When raters disagree, a benchmark rater is brought in.
Raters judge each skill on four dimensions, and each dimension has five performance levels.
| Speaking dimension | Writing dimension |
|---|---|
| Content/Coherence | Content/Coherence |
| Vocabulary | Vocabulary |
| Listenability | Readability |
| Task Fulfillment | Task Fulfillment |
Three dimensions are shared. The difference is the third one: Speaking is judged on Listenability, and Writing on Readability. Your result is then reported as one level for Writing and one level for Speaking.
This is the part of CELPIP where practice feedback helps most, because there is no raw score you can count yourself. To see what each dimension rewards and how the task ratings come together, read our guides to the CELPIP Speaking overall score and the CELPIP Writing overall score.
From CELPIP level to CLB level
Once each skill has a CELPIP level, converting it to a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) is simple. CELPIP's results page gives this mapping:
| CELPIP level | CLB level |
|---|---|
| 12 | CLB 12 |
| 11 | CLB 11 |
| 10 | CLB 10 |
| 9 | CLB 9 |
| 8 | CLB 8 |
| 7 | CLB 7 |
| 6 | CLB 6 |
| 5 | CLB 5 |
| 4 | CLB 4 |
| 3 | CLB 3 |
| 2 | CLB 1–2 |
| 0 or 1 | Insufficient information to assess |
From level 3 to level 12 the match is one-to-one: a CELPIP 7 in speaking is CLB 7 in speaking. IRCC's own equivalency chart lists CELPIP-General levels 4 to 10 and above as equal to CLB 4 to 10 and above.
Two other codes can appear on a score report. NA means the component was not administered. M is the lowest band of raw scores, shown in the Listening and Reading tables above.
The CELPIP score chart puts these levels next to CLB and IELTS on one page, and what CLB is explains the 12 benchmarks themselves.
How to calculate overall CLB level: IRCC looks at each ability
Many people search for how to calculate CLB as a single number. For immigration, you don't need to. IRCC looks at each ability separately, and the CCLB notes that it is common to have different benchmarks in listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Here is how IRCC uses your four levels:
- Program minimums apply to every ability they cover. The Federal Skilled Worker Program requires CLB 7 in all four abilities. If any one ability is below CLB 7, you are not eligible.
- Citizenship looks at two abilities. Applicants aged 18 to 54 need CLB 4 or higher in speaking and listening.
- CRS points are awarded per ability. The Comprehensive Ranking System gives first official language points for each ability at its own CLB level.
In practice, your lowest skill decides whether you meet a minimum. Take a CELPIP result of Listening 9, Reading 8, Writing 6 and Speaking 8. That is CLB 9, 8, 6 and 8. It does not meet the CLB 7 requirement for the Federal Skilled Worker Program, because writing is at CLB 6. Averaging the four to "7.75" has no meaning for IRCC.
So the honest answer to "how is CLB calculated" is: one ability at a time. Write down your four CLB levels, compare each one with the minimum for your program, and treat the lowest one as the skill to work on. For program requirements in detail, see CELPIP and CLB for Express Entry.
How to calculate CLB score from IELTS or PTE Core
With CELPIP, the level number is the CLB number, so there is nothing to calculate. IELTS General Training and PTE Core use their own scales, and IRCC converts each skill with a separate chart on its language test page.
The method is the same for both tests:
- Take the score for one skill.
- Find that skill's column in IRCC's chart.
- Your CLB is the highest row your score meets or exceeds.
- Repeat for the other three skills.
As an example, CLB 7 under IRCC's chart is 6.0 in each IELTS General Training skill, and for PTE Core it is reading 60–68, writing 69–78, listening 60–70 and speaking 68–75. The full IELTS chart, worked examples and the PTE Core table are in our CLB to IELTS guide.
Can a CELPIP score be re-evaluated?
Yes. If you think a level is wrong, CELPIP's results page describes a re-evaluation option:
- You can request it within 6 months.
- You can request one re-evaluation per component.
- It takes about 1 to 2 weeks.
- If your level changes, the re-evaluation fee is refunded.
CELPIP notes that Listening and Reading results are unlikely to change, since they are scored by computer. Re-evaluation is more relevant for Writing and Speaking, where raters are involved. The CELPIP pages we checked do not list the re-evaluation fee, so confirm the current amount with CELPIP before you request one.
If you are deciding between a re-evaluation and a new test date, it can help to see where you stand first. You can practise timed sections with PrepAmigo mock tests and compare your estimate with the level you need.
Frequently asked questions
How is the CELPIP score calculated?
Listening and Reading are marked right or wrong by computer, and the number correct out of 38 is converted to a level through scaled scores. Writing and Speaking are rated by several trained raters on four dimensions. Each skill gets its own CELPIP level and is reported separately.
How many questions are in CELPIP Listening?
There are 38 questions across 6 parts: 8, 5, 6, 5, 8 and 6 questions per part. The test also contains some unscored items used for test development.
How many correct answers do I need for CELPIP 7?
As an approximate guide, level 7 is about 27 to 31 correct answers out of 38 in Listening and about 24 to 28 in Reading. CELPIP says the raw score for a level may vary slightly from one test to another.
Does a blank answer count against me?
A blank answer is marked incorrect, the same as a wrong answer, so it is better to choose an answer than to leave a question empty.
Is CELPIP 9 the same as CLB 9?
Yes. CELPIP levels from 3 to 12 match CLB levels one-to-one, so a CELPIP 9 in an ability is CLB 9 in that ability. A CELPIP 2 corresponds to CLB 1 to 2.
How do I calculate my overall CLB level?
IRCC looks at each ability separately, so you work with four CLB levels instead of one overall number. A program minimum such as CLB 7 must be met in every ability it covers, which means your lowest skill decides whether you qualify.
Can I get my CELPIP Writing or Speaking score re-evaluated?
Yes. You can request a re-evaluation within 6 months, once per component, and it takes about 1 to 2 weeks. The fee is refunded if your level changes. Listening and Reading are unlikely to change because they are scored by computer.
Sources and further reading
- CELPIP: Test results, for computer scoring of Listening and Reading, blank answers, approximate raw-score ranges and the variation caveat, rater numbers, rating dimensions, the level-to-CLB mapping, NA and M, and re-evaluation.
- CELPIP Test Taker Guidebook, July 2026, for the test components, parts, question counts and unscored test-development items.
- IRCC: Language test equivalency charts for Express Entry, for CELPIP-General levels 4 to 10+ as CLB 4 to 10+ and the IELTS General Training and PTE Core charts.
- IRCC: Federal Skilled Workers, for CLB 7 in all four abilities.
- IRCC: Comprehensive Ranking System criteria, for first official language points awarded per ability.
- IRCC: Proof of language ability for citizenship, for CLB 4 in speaking and listening for ages 18 to 54.
- Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks: For language learners, for different benchmarks across the four abilities.