What is Minimum IELTS Score Required for Canada Express Entry 2020? Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Score.
IELTS Band Required for Canada Express Entry
In order to have the CRS points in your profile, you need to show language proficiency. For the entrance in Canada, you need to show proficiency in language either its French or English. So, for this purpose, the candidates have to go through a language test which measures the abilities of the candidates in the language. However, one of the accepted tests for language proficiency is IELTS which stands for the International English Language Test System. In contrast to this, the other test which is recognized in Canada for proficiency in the English language is the CELPIP which stands for the Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program.
Canadian Express Entry Program has made immigration into Canada very feasible. Once you have a visa of permanent residency in the duration of 3 years, then you are considered to be eligible for the country citizenship. However, keep in mind that there are some formalities you have to fulfill if you want that your process of immigration goes smoothly. So, among these formalities are proof of the language proficiency which you have to show through a standardized certificate.
IELTS Definition
International English Language Test System is one of the widely accepted and recognized tests in the world for the assessment of proficiency in the English language. The test is administered by the Cambridge Assessment English, British Council and the IDP. Moreover, the scoring pattern of IELTS ranges forms the 0 to 9 bands as the person who gets the 1 band is nonuser of the language and the person who gets 9 is the expert user of the English language.
Additionally, the IELTS test comes in two modules as follows:
1- IELTS Academic:
This module is for the people who want to apply to universities for higher degrees.
2- IELTS General Training:
People who want to migrate to English speaking countries need to take the general module of IELTS.
Moreover, the IELTS check the proficiency of the candidates in four different sections. These sections include Listening, reading, writing and speaking. On the examination day, you have to give the test of three sections without having any break. However, you can give the test of the speaking section on the same day or after some days when the date has been allotted to you.
IELTS Test Sections
1- Listening Section of IELTS
It is a 30 minutes test. In the listening test of IELTS, you have to listen to 4 different recordings and have to answer questions based on the recordings. Moreover, you will have to answer different types of questions such as sentence completion, fill in the blanks, etc.
2- Reading Section of IELTS
IELTS reading test is for 1 hour. In this test, you are given three passages taken from the newspaper, books, journals, etc. And you have to answer the questions at the end of the passages taken directly from the reading passage. Moreover, the test different skills such as skimming, understanding main ideas, etc.
3- Writing Section of IELTS
IELTS writing section is of 1 hour. It consists of two tasks.
- In the first task, you have to do a letter-writing or have to explain the graphs or charts in 20 minutes.
- In the second task, you have to do essay writing on some given topic.
4- Speaking Section of IELTS
The IELTS speaking test is usually made up of 3 sections and it lasts for 15 minutes. In IELTS you will be interviewed by the real person like you are having a conversation in real life. This section asses your speaking skills.
Minimum Score of IELTS for the Canadian Visa of PR
The points-based program also known as the Express Entry program is the one that manages different profiles of the people who fall into the category of skilled immigrants and have applied for the visa of PR in Canada. So, if any candidate’s profile has acquiesced to the points pool then he has to qualify for the immigration program such as the Federal Skilled Trades Program, Canadian Experience Program, and Federal Skilled Worker Program.
To be qualified for the PR application of Canada you need to have at least bands 6 in the IELTS exam or must have a level 7 in the Canadian Language Benchmark. However, the following is the table that will aid you to understand the conversion of IELTS score into the CLB level score.
CLB Level | Reading | Writing | Listening | Speaking |
10 | 8 | 7.5 | 8.5 | 7.5 |
9 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 |
8 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 6.5 |
7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
6 | 5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
4 | 3.5 | 4 | 4.5 | 4 |
So, once you make the express profile you will be given some points according to the CRS system. When you show your language proficiency the maximum points you get through the CRS system are 170 when you are giving the application with a spouse. On the other hand, the maximum points you get without the spouse are 160.
Can you Apply for Canadian Visa with a low score in IELTS Test?
There are several ways by which you can apply for immigration in Canada even when you have a low score in the IELTS exam. Moreover, there are around 60 programs of immigrations under the IRCC also known as Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada which help you to migrate to Canada. Anyhow, there are different language proficiency requirements for different types of programs. Such as, the Express Entry program is one of them, but it requires greater scores in language exams.
On the other hand, there are some other programs that require low scores in the IELTS exam in order to apply to Canada on a PR visa. Among these programs are the PNPs that are Provincial Nominee Programs. They help the immigrant to apply for the PR even on a low IELTS score.
Following we have mentioned some PNPs that require a low score in the IELTS exam.
- Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP):
It requires a minimum of 4.5 scores in IELTS exam.
- Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP):
It also requires a minimum of 4.5 scores in IELTS exam.
- Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP):
MPNP requires a 4.5 score in the IELTS exam.
Apart from these, the QSWP which stands for Quebec Skilled Worker Program and the AIPP which is Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program requires level 5 in the CLB for immigration purposes.
The fee of IELTS Exam
You can take the exam of IELTS in 2 formats. These formats include the computer-based test and the Paper-based test. Moreover, these tests can be given at the test centers of the British Council.
If you consider the fees of both exams, then keep in mind that the fee is the same for both exam types.
- The fee of Paper-based IELTS test is: INR 13,250
- The fee of Computer-delivered IELTS test is: INR 13,250
Tips for getting good IELTS score
Following we have listed some tips that may help you to get a score in the IELTS exam.
- Listening:
You should practice the reading of the questions before the recording starts. This will help you understand the question and you will be able to solve questions very easily.
- Writing:
To get a good score in the writing section you need to be very clear. Make sure that you do not copy phrases or words from the question. Always try to you use the descriptive words in your writings to give it a personalized touch.
- Speaking:
The best tip about the speaking section anyone can give you is that you should practice English speaking with someone. This will give you confidence and will make your English fluent. Keep in mind that you just have to express your thoughts clearly to the examiner without any grammatical mistakes and with proper pronunciation.
- Reading:
You can only get good marks in the reading section if you practice well. If you have practiced well enough only then you will be able to pick ideas and words from the text and will be able to manage the time properly.