The CELPIP-General doesn’t give you a pass or fail. Each of the four skills gets its own level, and for Listening and Reading that level comes from how many of the 38 scored questions you answer correctly. The official study packs publish an approximate chart of correct answers for each level. Here it is, with how to read it and how the levels convert to CLB.

Listening score chart

Source: CELPIP Listening Pro Study Pack 2026 (approximate; levels are equated by question difficulty).

Reading score chart

Source: CELPIP Reading Pro Study Pack 2026 (approximate; levels are equated by question difficulty).

Why the ranges overlap

Look at 28 correct in Listening: it appears in both the level 6 and the level 7 rows. That isn’t a mistake. Your level isn’t a straight count of correct answers. The computer weighs your points against the difficulty of the questions you got right, a process called score equating, so that a harder version of the test isn’t unfair to the people who take it. Two people with the same number of correct answers on different versions can end up one level apart.

So read the chart as a guide, not a formula:

• Never treat one number as a guaranteed level. “27 correct” sits at the bottom of the Listening level 7 range, but it also falls inside level 6.
• Aim for the middle or top of your target range. If you need level 7 in Reading, a practice score near the top of the 24 to 28 range is a safer sign than 24.
• Remember the unscored items. The test may include an unscored part used for test development. You won’t know which one, and it doesn’t count toward the 38.
• Wrong answers cost nothing. Every question is worth one point and there’s no penalty for guessing, so never leave one blank.

The two charts aren’t the same. Level 10 starts at about 35 correct in Listening but about 33 in Reading, and level 7 starts at about 27 in Listening but about 24 in Reading, so set a separate target for each skill.

How CELPIP levels convert to CLB

From level 3 up, a CELPIP level equals the same Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level in that skill. A level 8 in Reading is CLB 8 in Reading, and a level 10 in Listening is CLB 10 in Listening.

IRCC looks at each skill separately. Your score report may show an average, but IRCC doesn’t use it in place of the four individual levels. A 10 in Reading can’t make up for a 6 in Speaking.

What level you need

For Express Entry, results must be less than two years old when you create your profile and when you submit your application. Confirm current requirements on canada.ca, since they can change.

Writing and Speaking aren’t counted

There’s no answer key for Writing and Speaking, so there’s no chart of correct answers. Your responses are rated against four performance standards:

To raise these levels, you need to answer every part of each task, organize your ideas, use precise and varied vocabulary, and keep a tone that suits the reader or listener. The guides to Writing Task 1 and Writing Task 2 show what that looks like in a full model answer.

How our practice tests are marked

Our Listening and Reading practice is original, written in the official CELPIP format, and is not official test material. Each part is marked against the CLB 7 floor from the charts above, the Federal Skilled Worker minimum:

• Listening: 27 of 38 is the floor. Scaled to each part and rounded to the nearest question, the marks are 6 of 8, 4 of 5, 4 of 6, 4 of 5, 6 of 8 and 4 of 6, which adds up to 28.
• Reading: 24 of 38 is the floor. The part marks are 7 of 11, 5 of 8, 6 of 9 and 6 of 10.

Our questions aren’t equated the way the real test is, so a practice score tells you whether you’re in the CLB 7 range, not which level you’ll get. If you’re aiming for CLB 9 or higher, set your own goal near the top of the chart.

Test yourself

Find your level in each part: start with the free samples on the home page, then try the Listening practice test and the Reading practice test. For the full format, read the CELPIP test guide.