Enter your four PTE Core scores and see your Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level for each skill. We also highlight your lowest result as a planning shortcut — IRCC assesses each skill separately and does not issue an official “overall CLB”. Uses the official IRCC conversion table.
Each skill converts on its own scale — the same CLB needs a different score in each skill. Many programs set minimums in all four skills, so your lowest skill often decides whether you meet a particular requirement.
| CLB | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLB 10 | 89–90 | 88–90 | 90 | 89–90 |
| CLB 9 | 82–88 | 78–87 | 88–89 | 84–88 |
| CLB 8 | 71–81 | 69–77 | 79–87 | 76–83 |
| CLB 7 | 60–70 | 60–68 | 69–78 | 68–75 |
| CLB 6 | 50–59 | 51–59 | 60–68 | 59–67 |
| CLB 5 | 39–49 | 42–50 | 51–59 | 51–58 |
| CLB 4 | 28–38 | 33–41 | 41–50 | 42–50 |
Source: IRCC PTE Core–to–CLB equivalency (scores below the CLB 4 row don't yet meet a CLB level used for Express Entry).
Canada doesn't use your PTE score directly — it converts each skill to a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level — IRCC assesses each skill separately. CLB 7 is the common minimum for many economic programs; CLB 9 unlocks the top skill-transferability tier, and CLB 10 can add even more core language points.
Make sure you booked the right test: only PTE Core is accepted for Canadian economic immigration — see can I use PTE Academic for Canada? and the full PTE Academic vs PTE Core guide. This tool converts scores only; it is not eligibility or CRS advice.
The single most common misreading of this chart.
IRCC does not average your four scores. If a program stream requires CLB 7 and you score CLB 8 in Listening, Reading and Speaking but CLB 6 in Writing, you have not met CLB 7. All four skills must clear the threshold in the same test sitting — you cannot combine your best Listening from one attempt with your best Writing from another.
Practical consequence: train to your weakest skill, not your average. A 90 in Listening earns you nothing extra if Writing is stuck at 67. Diagnose the gap with a free full mock test before you book the real thing.
The chart is not symmetric — and the asymmetry is where people get caught.
Look down the Writing column: its thresholds are the highest at nearly every CLB level. To hit a given CLB, Writing demands more raw PTE Core points than any other skill:
So "I need CLB 9, that's about 80" is wrong for half the skills. The honest target for CLB 9 is Reading 78 / Listening 82 / Speaking 84 / Writing 88. Writing in PTE is fed by several tasks (see how tasks map to skills in our question-types guide), so Writing points are also the ones most affected by word limits and timing rules — worth reading before test day.
General picture only — the points system itself is IRCC's territory.
Broadly: CLB 7 in every skill is the typical minimum to qualify for the Federal Skilled Worker stream, while higher CLB levels earn progressively more language points, with a notable jump at CLB 9 and above — which is why CLB 9 ("all skills in the CLB 9 row or higher") is the standard competitive target. Language is one of the highest-leverage, most controllable parts of a profile: unlike age or experience, you can retake the test.
PTE Core sits alongside other IRCC-approved tests — if you are choosing between them, see PTE Core vs CELPIP. And if you want to raise a specific skill, start with targeted task drills or jump straight into free practice — no signup needed.
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