Yes: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) lists the CELPIP-General and CELPIP-General LS tests as accepted for citizenship, with a result of 4 or higher in listening and speaking. CELPIP is the English test that Paragon Testing Enterprises organizes. CELPIP-General LS tests Listening and Speaking only and is the version celpip.ca describes for citizenship, while CELPIP-General also tests Reading and Writing and is the version it describes for permanent residence. IRCC pages read on November 4, 2026 set the level at Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) 4 or higher in speaking and listening, and the list of accepted tests gives the CELPIP result as 4 or higher.
Why does the version of the CELPIP test matter?
celpip.ca offers two types of CELPIP test, and the two cover different abilities and different purposes (celpip.ca’s CELPIP-General page).
| CELPIP version | Sections and published times | What celpip.ca says it is used for |
|---|---|---|
| CELPIP-General | Listening (46–55 minutes), Reading (43–56 minutes), Writing (53 minutes), Speaking (15 minutes) | Permanent residence applications and professional designations |
| CELPIP-General LS | Listening (46–55 minutes), Speaking (15 minutes) | Citizenship applications and professional designation |
Source: celpip.ca, CELPIP-General, read November 4, 2026. Other celpip.ca material lists different ranges and totals, so the registration page is the place to confirm the length of a sitting.
IRCC’s list of accepted tests for citizenship names both versions, CELPIP-G and CELPIP-G LS, and asks for the same result from each: 4 or higher in listening and speaking. For how the longer test runs, section by section, see the CELPIP-General test format.
What level does IRCC ask for?
IRCC says that applicants aged 18 to 54 must submit proof that they can speak and listen at CLB level 4 or higher (language proof page, as of November 4, 2026). IRCC’s list of accepted tests then states the CELPIP result for those two abilities: 4 or higher, up to 12. The list asks for listening and speaking only, so it does not ask for a Reading or Writing result. Those are also the two abilities that CELPIP-General LS tests. CELPIP scores and CLB levels explains how a CELPIP level converts to a CLB level.
What does CLB 4 mean for Listening and Speaking?
The Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks (CCLB) says on its page for immigration and citizenship that the CLBPT is not accepted for citizenship purposes. The same page points readers to the CLB Level 4 Listening and Speaking documents to understand what CLB 4 means, and to language test equivalency charts that show what approved test results mean in CLB levels (CCLB’s page on immigration and citizenship, as of November 4, 2026). The level itself is IRCC’s: CLB 4 or higher in speaking and listening.
How can you practice for Listening and Speaking?
celpip.ca says every CELPIP account includes one set of 2 free practice tests, and its tips page adds that the Speaking test is delivered through a computer, with no human examiner, and suggests practicing speaking into a recording device (as of November 4, 2026). Express Prep (expressprep.ca), which offers preparation for the CELPIP test, publishes a 7-day Listening plan on its site, with a mock test and an error review each day, and its terms let members of a program with live sessions submit Speaking for feedback. Task-by-task practice for the Speaking component is in CELPIP Speaking. A practice result is not a CELPIP result.
What does IRCC’s list include, and is a test the only proof?
IRCC’s list for citizenship names other English tests as well: the IELTS training test and PTE Core. Each of the three tests reports its result on its own scale, and IRCC’s list gives the result it accepts for each one separately.
A language test is also not the only proof IRCC lists. The first question on IRCC’s language proof page asks whether the applicant attended a secondary or post-secondary program in English or French, and the page says proof can be a diploma, a transcript or a certificate. The list of language tests is a later step, step 5. How old a result can be for other IRCC processes is in how long a CELPIP score is valid.
What should you know about test day?
The rules for a CELPIP test sitting are set out in celpip.ca’s test day information, as of November 4, 2026. Test takers must arrive 45 minutes before the test, and check-in closes 15 minutes before the scheduled start time; latecomers are denied entrance and are not eligible for a refund or transfer. They must bring the original, valid identification that they used to register, and that identification is the only personal belonging allowed in the test room.
Test takers are provided with a pen and notepaper, which must be returned at the end of the test, and the workstation has a standard QWERTY English keyboard. The test time does not stop for washroom breaks, and a test taker who is away from the workstation for longer than 20 minutes has the test terminated. A test day issue that may have affected the results must be reported through the CELPIP account within 24 hours of the test.
What can a retake change?
A result can change with a new test. The CELPIP Office recommends additional studying before retaking it, and its retake policy says a test taker may register for no more than one test session within five calendar days (celpip.ca, as of November 4, 2026). A new test produces a new result, and for CELPIP-General LS that result covers Listening and Speaking.
FAQ
Does the citizenship result include Reading and Writing?
IRCC’s list of accepted language tests gives the CELPIP result as 4 or higher (up to 12) in listening and speaking only (IRCC). CELPIP-General LS tests Listening and Speaking, while CELPIP-General also tests Reading and Writing (celpip.ca).
Which CELPIP level matches CLB 4?
In IRCC’s conversion tables, CELPIP level 4 is CLB 4, and celpip.ca’s chart also shows CELPIP 4 as CLB 4 (IRCC and celpip.ca). IRCC’s citizenship page asks for CLB 4 or higher in speaking and listening, and its list of accepted tests asks for a CELPIP result of 4 or higher in those two abilities.
What do CELPIP-G and CELPIP-G LS mean on IRCC’s page?
IRCC abbreviates the two tests as CELPIP-G and CELPIP-G LS: the first is the General Test, which covers Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking, and the second is the General Listening and Speaking Test (IRCC and celpip.ca).
How long is the CELPIP-General LS test?
celpip.ca publishes a time for each component, 46 to 55 minutes for Listening and 15 minutes for Speaking, but its CELPIP-General page gives two different totals for the whole test, so the registration page is the one to check before booking (celpip.ca).
Who decides which version of the test to take?
celpip.ca says there are two types of CELPIP tests to choose from and asks test takers to confirm which version they are required to take (celpip.ca). IRCC’s list of accepted tests for citizenship names both versions.
The bottom line
- IRCC’s list of accepted language tests for citizenship names CELPIP-General and CELPIP-General LS, with a result of 4 or higher in listening and speaking (IRCC, as of November 4, 2026).
- CELPIP-General LS tests Listening and Speaking only, while CELPIP-General also tests Reading and Writing and is the version celpip.ca describes for permanent residence (celpip.ca).
- IRCC asks applicants aged 18 to 54 for speaking and listening at CLB 4 or higher, and CELPIP level 4 is CLB 4 in IRCC’s conversion tables (IRCC).
- IRCC’s list also names the IELTS training test and PTE Core, each with its own scale, and a test is not the only proof IRCC lists (IRCC).
- IRCC’s citizenship pages are the source to check before relying on a level or a test version.
Express Prep offers preparation for the CELPIP test, including a 7-day trial of its simulator. The trial becomes a paid monthly subscription unless you cancel before day 7; current price and terms: Express Prep trial page.
General information, not immigration advice. For your case, talk to a licensed consultant (RCIC) on the CICC public register, or a lawyer, Quebec notary or licensed paralegal in your province.
Published by Express Prep, which offers preparation for the CELPIP test. Last updated November 4, 2026.