--- title: "CLB 9 IELTS score: 8.0 listening, 7.0 in the other three" description: "CLB 9 on IELTS General Training: 8.0 listening, 7.0 in the other three. What CLB 8 and CLB 10 take, and the 31 CRS points per ability it earns." canonical: https://francaisprep.com/clb/9/ielts last-updated: 2026-10-14 --- [CLB 9](/clb/9) # What IELTS score is CLB 9? CLB 9 on IELTS General Training takes 8.0 in listening, 7.0 in reading, 7.0 in speaking and 7.0 in writing. Each ability is converted on its own, so all four have to reach their figure before the result reads as CLB 9 overall. Updated 14 October 2026 | Level | Listening (Band 0 to 9, half bands) | Reading (Band 0 to 9, half bands) | Speaking (Band 0 to 9, half bands) | Writing (Band 0 to 9, half bands) | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | CLB 8 | 7.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | | CLB 9 | 8.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | | CLB 10 | 8.5 to 9.0 | 8.0 to 9.0 | 7.5 to 9.0 | 7.5 to 9.0 | | Level | Per ability, single | Per ability, with spouse | All four, single | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | CLB 8 | 23 | 22 | 92 | | CLB 9 | 31 | 29 | 124 | | CLB 10 | 34 | 32 | 136 | 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 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. ## The IELTS scores for CLB 9 IRCC's equivalency chart sets CLB 9 on IELTS General Training at 8.0 in listening, 7.0 in reading, 7.0 in speaking and 7.0 in writing. IRCC publishes one minimum band per ability for IELTS General Training, so each figure reads as that band or higher, up to the minimum for CLB 10. The highest bar at CLB 9 is listening, at 8.0; the lowest is writing, at 7.0. Candidates who average the four miss this, because IRCC reads every ability on its own. Only IELTS General Training counts for Express Entry. The Academic option and the One Skill Retake are not accepted. ## CLB 8, CLB 9 and CLB 10 on IELTS, side by side One level down, CLB 8 on IELTS needs 7.5 in listening, 6.5 in reading, 6.5 in speaking and 6.5 in writing. One level up, CLB 10 needs 8.5 in listening, 8.0 in reading, 7.5 in speaking and 7.5 in writing. Moving from CLB 9 to CLB 10 takes half a band in listening, one full band in reading, half a band in speaking and half a band in writing. The biggest step is reading, so that is usually the section to train first. ## How many CRS points is CLB 9 worth? As your first official language, each IELTS ability at CLB 9 earns 31 CRS points without a spouse or common-law partner and 29 with one: 124 or 116 across the four, in a block that tops out at 136 and 128. The next 3 points per ability are cheapest in listening, which needs only half a band more on IELTS to reach CLB 10; reading needs one full band. A listening result just under 8.0 reads as CLB 8 and earns 23 instead of 31, which is why the weakest ability matters as much as the strongest. ## What CLB 9 buys above the programme minimums Every programme minimum IRCC publishes is met at CLB 7, which on IELTS is 6.0 in all four abilities. Going on to CLB 9 buys points rather than eligibility: 56 more first-language points for a single applicant with all four abilities at CLB 9. ## What French adds to a CLB 9 IELTS result With IELTS at CLB 9 in all four abilities, NCLC 7 in all four French abilities would add 50 additional CRS points: the full French block, because your English already clears its CLB 5 condition. Compare that with IELTS: lifting all four abilities from CLB 9 to CLB 10 takes half a band in listening, one full band in reading, half a band in speaking and half a band in writing, and is worth 12 first-language points without a spouse, less than the 50 the French block pays. The same level in French is NCLC 9, reached on the TCF Canada or the TEF Canada. ## IELTS at the other CLB levels - [IELTS at CLB 4](/clb/4/ielts) - [IELTS at CLB 5](/clb/5/ielts) - [IELTS at CLB 6](/clb/6/ielts) - [IELTS at CLB 7](/clb/7/ielts) - [IELTS at CLB 8](/clb/8/ielts) - [IELTS at CLB 10](/clb/10/ielts) ## CLB 9 on the other tests - [CLB 9 on every test](/clb/9) - [CLB 9 on CELPIP-General](/clb/9/celpip) - [CLB 9 on PTE Core](/clb/9/pte-core) - [CLB 9 on TCF Canada](/clb/9/tcf-canada) - [CLB 9 on TEF Canada](/clb/9/tef-canada) ## 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 ## IELTS, CLB 9: common questions ### What IELTS score is CLB 9? CLB 9 on IELTS General Training is 8.0 in listening, 7.0 in reading, 7.0 in speaking and 7.0 in writing, according to IRCC's equivalency chart. Every ability has to reach its own figure; a strong section does not make up for a weak one. ### Is IELTS 7.0 in every ability enough for CLB 9? Not quite. 7.0 covers reading, speaking and writing, but listening needs 8.0 for CLB 9. ### What IELTS score do I need for CLB 10? CLB 10 on IELTS needs 8.5 in listening, 8.0 in reading, 7.5 in speaking and 7.5 in writing. From CLB 9, that is half a band in listening, one full band in reading, half a band in speaking and half a band in writing. ### How many CRS points is a CLB 9 IELTS result worth? With 8.0 listening, 7.0 in the other three on IELTS as your first official language, you earn 31 points per ability without a spouse and 29 with one: 124 or 116 across the four. That is one block of the CRS, not your full score. ### What would French add to CLB 9 on IELTS? NCLC 7 or higher in all four French abilities would add 50 additional CRS points, because a CLB 9 IELTS result already meets the CLB 5 English condition. ### How do I turn my own IELTS result into a CLB level? Enter your four IELTS General Training bands, in half-band steps, in the free CLB calculator. It applies the same IRCC chart as this page, shows the level of each ability and the lowest one, and the CRS points that level earns. 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) Independence notice Français Prep is an independent preparation service. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or administered by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge University Press & Assessment, Educational Testing Service, Duolingo, Inc. or Paragon Testing Enterprises. IELTS is a registered trademark of the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge University Press & Assessment. TOEFL is a registered trademark of Educational Testing Service. The Duolingo English Test is a trademark of Duolingo, Inc.. CELPIP is a trademark of Paragon Testing Enterprises. They are used here only to describe the exams this site prepares candidates for. --- 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).