IELTS has long been a top choice for people moving to Canada, with over 4 million tests taken worldwide in 2023.
In January 2024 PTE Core joined IELTS General Training and CELPIP as the English language tests that are accepted by the Canadian government for work and migration visas as well as permanent residency.
Let’s take a closer a look at how IELTS General Training and PTE Core compare and why IELTS remains a clear and easy choice for Canadian immigration.
Comparing IELTS General Training and CLB equivalency scores
The Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLBs) are used by the Canadian government to manage score equivalencies between tests. Different visas have different test requirements so it’s important to always check with the Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website . For example, to apply for permanent residency through Express Entry for many programs, a minimum language proficiency of CLB 7 is required .
The tables below compare how the IELTS General Training and PTE Core tests compare to the CLB benchmarks:
CLB Level | IELTS Reading | IELTS Writing | IELTS Listening | IELTS 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 |
CLB Level | PTE Core Reading | PTE Core Writing | PTE Core Listening | PTE Core Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
10 | 88-90 | 90 | 89-90 | 89-90 |
9 | 78-87 | 88-89 | 82-88 | 84-88 |
8 | 69-77 | 79-87 | 71-81 | 76-83 |
7 | 60-68 | 69-78 | 60-70 | 68-75 |
6 | 51-59 | 60-68 | 50-59 | 59-67 |
5 | 42-50 | 51-59 | 39-49 | 51-58 |
4 | 33-41 | 41-50 | 28-38 | 42-50 |
IELTS General Training and PTE Core for migration: Understand the difference
IELTS General Training is an internationally recognised English language test with more than 4,000 testing locations in 120 countries.
The first IELTS test was taken in 1989 and it now includes both traditional paper-based tests and computer-based tests at over 380 centres around the world. On the other hand, PTE Core is a newer test that started in 2024.
Both tests assess reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills.
One key difference is that PTE Core is completely done on a computer. In contrast, IELTS offers test takers the opportunity to show their real-world communication skills through a face-to-face Speaking Test with a real person.
The table below shows some of the other differences between the two tests:
IELTS General Training vs PTE Core
| IELTS General Training | PTE Core |
How long is the test? | 165 minutes | 120 minutes |
How can I take the test? | On paper or on computer | On computer only |
How are the speaking tests different? | One-to-one speaking test with a real person who understands different accents. | Talking into a computer microphone in a room full of other test takers. |
How is the test scored? | Overall score of between 0 and 9, with 9 being the highest score. | Overall score of between 10 and 90, with 90 being the highest score. |
Accepted by the Canadian government for work and migration visas, permanent residency and citizenship. | Yes | Yes |
How does the speaking section of IELTS General Training compare to PTE Core?
When you take IELTS General Training you prove your real-life communication skills to future employers in Canada as you’ll do your speaking test one-on-one with a real person.
The PTE Core speaking test is AI-marked and involves talking into a computer microphone in a room full of other test takers. You might find this distracting if there are others speaking at the same time.
IELTS General Training: Fairness in marking
In the IELTS General Training test, your speaking and writing skills will be assessed by friendly human markers who follow global standards.
Our markers are English experts who are trained to understand different accents. With IELTS, you can confidently ensure that your level of English will be accurately assessed, paving the way for a brighter future and enabling you to make the most of your opportunities.
IELTS General Training: Trusted in Canada and worldwide
IELTS General Training has been trusted by the Canadian government and test takers as a reliable and fair English language proficiency test for over 30 years.
In addition, IELTS is trusted and accepted by more than 12,000 organisations around the world, including universities, professional bodies, employers and immigration authorities.
IELTS General Training: More flexibility
Do you feel comfortable typing in English? Or do you prefer to use pen and paper to write your test answers? PTE Core is only available on computer. However, IELTS lets you decide whether you want to take your test on computer or on paper.
While both IELTS General Training and PTE Core are accepted alongside CELPIP for Canadian migration, we believe IELTS’ flexibility, recognition and real-world speaking test make it the clear choice when preparing for success.
Book IELTS test for migration to Canada .
References:
IRCC Language test equivalency charts
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is not intended to provide advice on migrating to Canada and all immigration programs should be checked on the IRCC website or with your migration consultant or lawyer.