The Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) is a system used in Canada to assess and measure an individual’s proficiency in English or French. The CLB is utilized by Canadian immigration authorities to evaluate the language abilities of individuals wishing to live or work in Canada.

It’s important to note that CLB is not a language certificate like IELTS or TOEFL. Instead, it’s a standard that allows you to convert your IELTS or other recognized language test scores to meet Canadian standards. There’s also a CLB self-assessment tool in Canada, which you can use to evaluate your language abilities.

If you’re looking to immigrate to Canada through the Express Entry system and apply for permanent residency, you’ll need proof of proficiency in either English or French. For English, only three certificates are acceptable: IELTS, PTE Core, and CELPIP. Since these tests have different scoring methods, CLB provides a common benchmark for comparing all applicants’ performance.

In general, there are two key systems used to assess language proficiency for immigrants:

• English version – Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB)
• French version – Niveaux de Compétence Linguistique Canadiens (NCLC)

CLB evaluates the four main language skills: Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing. Each skill is scored on a 12-point scale. Broadly, the CLB system has three main levels:

• Level 1: Basic Proficiency (Score 1-4)
• Level 2: Intermediate Proficiency (Score 5-8)
• Level 3: Advanced Proficiency (Score 9-12)

This evaluation helps not only with your Canadian citizenship and residency application, but also assists you in identifying areas where you may need to improve your language skills.