Which CELPIP test do you need?
Pick what you need the result for, and the check suggests a version.
CELPIP-General
Permanent residence programs such as Express Entry ask for all four skills, and only CELPIP-General tests reading and writing.
When to choose CELPIP-General
You are applying for permanent residence, such as Express Entry, or a program asks for reading and writing scores. It is also accepted for Canadian citizenship.
When to choose CELPIP-General LS
You need a result for Canadian citizenship only, and you want a shorter test of listening and speaking.
CELPIP-General vs LS side by side
CELPIP-General LS has no reading or writing section. That is why it is shorter, and why it is accepted for fewer applications.
| CELPIP-General | CELPIP-General LS | |
|---|---|---|
| Sections | Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking | Listening, Speaking |
| Test time | About 2 h 40 min to 3 h | About 1 h to 1 h 10 min |
| Scores | A CELPIP level in each of the 4 skills | A CELPIP level in each of the 2 skills |
| Accepted by IRCC for | Permanent residence and Citizenship | Citizenship |
Format and timings: our exam configuration. Versions and who accepts them: the official CELPIP website and IRCC, being checked.
Check the fee for your version on the official CELPIP website before you book. Our CELPIP test fee guide explains what one test covers and what can add to the cost.
What is the same in both versions
CELPIP-General LS tests listening and speaking, two of the four skills in CELPIP-General, so the same preparation covers both. Our practice for those skills follows this format:
- Listening: 6 parts and 38 scored questions in 46–55 minutes. Each recording plays once, and you cannot go back to an earlier question.
- Speaking: 8 tasks in about 15 minutes, with 30 or 60 seconds to prepare and 60 or 90 seconds to speak. Recording starts by itself when the preparation time ends.
The CELPIP test format guide explains each part and task. LS is shorter because it has fewer sections, not because its listening or speaking is easier.
How to prepare for the CELPIP LS test
Prepare for LS the way you would for the listening and speaking sections of CELPIP-General: part by part for listening, task by task for speaking, always with a timer.
- 1
Practise each listening part
Full free sets of Part 4, news item, Part 5, discussion and Part 6, viewpoints let you train one part at a time. Play each recording only once, as in the test.
- 2
Learn a plan for each speaking task
The speaking templates give a flexible structure for all eight tasks, so you know what to do with your preparation time.
- 3
Hear what each level sounds like
The speaking sample answers show answers written to levels 7, 9 and 11, with notes on what would lift each one.
- 4
Speak for the full time
Practise starting the moment preparation ends and keep talking until the time is nearly up: a short answer gives raters less to score.
- 5
Sit both sections under time
Take the listening and speaking sections of our free mock test to feel the length of the LS test, about 1 h to 1 h 10 min.
Plan two points and one example while you prepare, then speak until the time is nearly up, linking ideas with words like “because” and “for example”.
Reciting a memorized script that does not fit the prompt, then stopping with half the time left.
Why you might still choose CELPIP-General
CELPIP-General is accepted for permanent residence and Canadian citizenship, while CELPIP-General LS is accepted for Canadian citizenship. One CELPIP-General result covers more applications.
- You are not sure what you will apply for. A CELPIP-General result works for permanent residence and Canadian citizenship while it is valid, for 2 years.
- Someone else asks for all four skills. An employer, a licensing body or another program may want reading and writing scores as well.
If citizenship is your only goal, CELPIP-General LS is enough and spares you the reading and writing sections.
Common mistakes when choosing a CELPIP version
Each of these can cost a second booking, and each is avoided by checking before you pay.
Booking CELPIP-General LS for permanent residence
CELPIP-General LS has no reading or writing section, so it cannot earn Express Entry points for those skills. A second test in the right version means a second fee.
Paying before reading the application
Check which test and which skills each application asks for before you pay. Picking a version from memory can mean booking twice.
Taking CELPIP-General when only citizenship matters
It works, but it adds reading and writing to your preparation and your test day. If citizenship is the only goal, CELPIP-General LS is enough.
Leaving no room for results
Whichever version you choose, book early enough for results to arrive before your deadline, with a few weeks spare for a second sitting.