If you have IELTS results and a Canadian form asks for CLB, you’re not alone—this is one of the most common “wait… what?” moments for newcomers and PR applicants.
This tool converts your IELTS General Training band scores (Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking) into Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) levels using the official Government of Canada thresholds. It also shows an overall CLB based on your lowest skill, because that’s the number that usually matters for minimum requirements.
Quick reminder: Most immigration programs use IELTS General Training, not Academic. If your program requires a specific test version, follow that.
IELTS to CLB Converter (General Training)
IELTS → CLB Converter
IRCC General Training Thresholds
How to use the IELTS GT to CLB Converter
- Enter your four IELTS General Training scores (0–9, half-bands allowed).
- The calculator will show your CLB level for each skill.
- Your overall CLB is the lowest of the four skills (this is the common “benchmark” people talk about).
Why the lowest skill matters: You can have strong Listening, but if Writing is lower, many programs treat you as the lower CLB for eligibility/threshold checks.
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Common conversions people search (quick examples)
Here are a few examples that match popular searches like “convert IELTS 6.5 to CLB” and “IELTS band to CLB converter”:
- IELTS 6.0 in each skill → CLB 7 (a common threshold people aim for)
- IELTS 6.5 in each skill → lowest CLB 7 (Listening is CLB 7; the other three skills are CLB 8)
- IELTS 7.0 in each skill → lowest CLB 7 (Listening is CLB 7; the other three skills are CLB 9)
- Listening is different: CLB 9 Listening is 8.0, and CLB 10 Listening is 8.5 (so Listening often needs a higher band to match the same CLB)
(Your exact result can differ if your skills aren’t all the same—use the calculator for your real combo.)
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CLB to IELTS converter (reverse cheat sheet)
People also search “CLB to IELTS converter” when a program says “CLB 7” and they want to know what IELTS score they need.
This quick table is for IELTS General Training:
| Target CLB | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLB 4 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| CLB 5 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| CLB 6 | 5.5 | 5.0 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| CLB 7 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| CLB 8 | 7.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| CLB 9 | 8.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| CLB 10 | 8.5 | 8.0 | 7.5 | 7.5 |
Scores below the CLB 4 thresholds are shown as “Below CLB 4.” The tool does not assign a specific lower CLB level. Check IRCC’s official equivalency tables and your program’s per-skill requirements.
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If you took CELPIP instead, use our CELPIP to CLB Checker to convert your official levels into CLB by skill