--- title: "CLB 6 scores: IELTS, CELPIP, PTE Core, TCF and TEF Canada" description: "CLB 6 on IELTS (L 5.5, R 5.0, S 5.5, W 5.5), CELPIP, PTE Core, TCF Canada and TEF Canada, and the 9 CRS points per ability it earns." canonical: https://francaisprep.com/clb/6 last-updated: 2026-10-14 --- [CLB levels](/tools/clb-calculator) # CLB 6: the score you need on every accepted test CLB 6 is level 6 of the Canadian Language Benchmarks, written NCLC 6 for French. It takes 5.0 reading, 5.5 in the other three on IELTS General Training, 6 in every ability on CELPIP-General and L 50, R 51, S 59, W 60 on PTE Core; in French, L 398, R 406, S 7/20, W 7/20 on the TCF Canada and L 217, R 181, S 271, W 271 on the TEF Canada. Updated 14 October 2026 | Test | Listening | Reading | Speaking | Writing | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | IELTS General Training | 5.5 | 5.0 | 5.5 | 5.5 | | CELPIP-General | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | | PTE Core | 50 to 59 | 51 to 59 | 59 to 67 | 60 to 68 | | TCF Canada | 398 to 457 | 406 to 452 | 7 to 9 | 7 to 9 | | TEF Canada | 217 to 248 | 181 to 206 | 271 to 309 | 271 to 309 | | Level | Per ability, single | Per ability, with spouse | All four, single | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | CLB 5 | 6 | 6 | 24 | | CLB 6 | 9 | 8 | 36 | | CLB 7 | 17 | 16 | 68 | Scores from IRCC's [language test equivalency charts](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/study-canada/work/after-graduation/eligibility/language-results.html) and [French equivalency charts](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/documents/language-test.html) and points from its [Comprehensive Ranking System criteria](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/check-score/crs-criteria.html), checked against canada.ca on 14 October 2026. IRCC revises these pages, so confirm the current values there before you plan around a number. ## What CLB 6 means NCLC and CLB are the same twelve-level framework under two names. NCLC is the French-language scale and CLB the English-language one, so a French result reported as NCLC 6 is the level English speakers write as CLB 6. IRCC reports French test results in NCLC. IRCC's equivalency charts run from CLB 4 to CLB 10, so CLB 6 is 2 levels above the bottom of the published range and 4 below the top. Each ability is converted on its own: a requirement of CLB 6 is met only when every ability it names reaches the level, however strong the others are. ## CLB 6 on each accepted test IELTS General Training: 5.5 in listening, 5.0 in reading, 5.5 in speaking and 5.5 in writing. CELPIP-General: 6 in listening, 6 in reading, 6 in speaking and 6 in writing. PTE Core: 50 to 59 in listening, 51 to 59 in reading, 59 to 67 in speaking and 60 to 68 in writing. TCF Canada: 398 to 457 in listening, 406 to 452 in reading, 7 to 9 out of 20 in speaking and 7 to 9 out of 20 in writing. TEF Canada: 217 to 248 in listening, 181 to 206 in reading, 271 to 309 in speaking and 271 to 309 in writing. ## CRS points at CLB 6 Express Entry scores each ability separately. At CLB 6 in your first official language that is 9 points per ability for a single applicant and 8 for one with a spouse or common-law partner, so 36 or 32 when all four abilities sit at CLB 6. CLB 7 is worth 8 more points per ability without a spouse and 8 with one. One level lower, CLB 5 pays 6 per ability, 3 fewer than CLB 6. ## Where CLB 6 sits between the programme minimums No programme in IRCC's published minimums uses CLB 6 as its bar. It sits above the CLB 5 named for the Canadian Experience Class, NOC TEER 2 or 3 and Federal Skilled Trades Program, and below the CLB 7 that the Federal Skilled Worker Program and Canadian Experience Class, NOC TEER 0 or 1 ask for, so it clears the first and still misses the second. In points, CLB 6 is worth 36 first-language points across four abilities without a spouse, against 24 at CLB 5 and 68 at CLB 7. ## CLB 6 in French: NCLC 6 In French, CLB 6 is NCLC 6. On the TCF Canada it takes 398 listening, 406 reading, 7/20 speaking and writing; on the TEF Canada, 217 listening, 181 reading, 271 speaking and writing in the Equivalence ancien score column. NCLC 6 sits 1 level below NCLC 7, where the additional French CRS points begin, so at this level French counts through the per-ability table only. ## Every CLB level - [CLB 4](/clb/4) - [CLB 5](/clb/5) - [CLB 7](/clb/7) - [CLB 8](/clb/8) - [CLB 9](/clb/9) - [CLB 10](/clb/10) ## Check your own result - [CLB calculator for all five tests](/tools/clb-calculator) - [TCF and TEF score converter](/tools/score-converter) - [French CRS points calculator](/tools/french-crs-points) Questions ## CLB 6: common questions ### What is CLB 6 in IELTS? CLB 6 on IELTS General Training is 5.5 in listening, 5.0 in reading, 5.5 in speaking and 5.5 in writing. Only the General Training option counts for Express Entry. ### What CELPIP score is CLB 6? A 6 in each ability. CELPIP-General reports on the CLB scale itself, so the number on the score report is the level. ### What PTE Core score is CLB 6? PTE Core needs 50 to 59 in listening, 51 to 59 in reading, 59 to 67 in speaking and 60 to 68 in writing, the bottom of each range being the score that reaches CLB 6. PTE Academic is not accepted for Express Entry. ### What is CLB 6 in French? NCLC 6. On the TCF Canada that is 398 to 457 in listening, 406 to 452 in reading, 7 to 9 out of 20 in speaking and 7 to 9 out of 20 in writing; on the TEF Canada, 217 to 248 in listening, 181 to 206 in reading, 271 to 309 in speaking and 271 to 309 in writing. ### How many CRS points does CLB 6 give? 9 points per ability without a spouse and 8 with one, for your first official language: 36 or 32 across four abilities. ### Is CLB 6 enough for Express Entry? It depends on the programme: CLB 6 is above the CLB 5 some programmes accept and below the CLB 7 the Federal Skilled Worker Program asks for in all four abilities. NEXT STEP ## Find out where your French actually stands Book a short assessment with Adèle: one writing task, one speaking task, and an honest plan for the weeks you have left before the exam. [Book an assessment](/book)[See the course tiers](/pricing) --- For agents: site index https://francaisprep.com/llms.txt, developer access https://francaisprep.com/developers, and TCF or TEF to NCLC conversion over a plain GET at https://api.francaisprep.com/v1/score/convert?exam=tcf_canada&listening=512&reading=470&writing=12&speaking=11 (exam is tcf_canada or tef_canada).