PTE Core to CLB
PTE Core is the test IRCC accepts for permanent residence, and it converts to the Canadian Language Benchmarks one skill at a time. There is no overall row on this chart because Express Entry does not use one. It converts Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing separately, and your benchmark is the lowest of the four.
PTE Core score to CLB level, per skill
From the Pearson and IRCC equivalency table. Read down your weakest skill first, because that is the one that decides your result.
| CLB | Listening | Reading | Speaking | Writing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 89 to 90 | 88 to 90 | 89 to 90 | 90 |
| 9 | 82 to 88 | 78 to 87 | 84 to 88 | 88 to 89 |
| 8 | 71 to 81 | 69 to 77 | 76 to 83 | 79 to 87 |
| 7 | 60 to 70 | 60 to 68 | 68 to 75 | 69 to 78 |
| 6 | 50 to 59 | 51 to 59 | 59 to 67 | 60 to 68 |
| 5 | 39 to 49 | 42 to 50 | 51 to 58 | 51 to 59 |
| 4 | 28 to 38 | 33 to 41 | 42 to 50 | 41 to 50 |
Where these numbers come from
Where CLB 7, 9 and 10 matter
CLB 7
The language floor for the Federal Skilled Worker programme. Below it in any one skill and the application does not qualify.
CLB 9
Where the Comprehensive Ranking System first-language points step up sharply. This is the level most Express Entry candidates aim at.
CLB 10
Maximum first-language points. It needs a near-ceiling score in every skill, 88 and above across the board.
Point thresholds and programme rules are set by IRCC and change. Confirm the current numbers on the official source before you book a test.
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Questions people ask about PTE Core and CLB.
A concordance is a statistical equivalence between two tests, not a guarantee that anyone accepts a converted score. Universities and visa streams name the test they accept and the score they want on it.
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