Canada
Which English tests count for Canadian immigration?
For Express Entry, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) accepts only three English tests: CELPIP-General, IELTS General Training and PTE Core.
The three tests IRCC accepts
- CELPIP-General: a Canadian test, taken fully on a computer.
- IELTS General Training: the General version of IELTS, not the Academic version.
- PTE Core: the version of PTE made for Canadian immigration, not PTE Academic.
Tests that do not count for immigration
Many people lose time and money here, because these tests are well known and accepted for other things:
- IELTS Academic
- PTE Academic
- OET
- TOEFL
Some of them may be accepted by your university or your licensing board, but IRCC will not accept them for Express Entry.
Read the test name carefully when you book. IELTS General Training and IELTS Academic look almost the same on the booking page, and so do PTE Core and PTE Academic. Only the first one of each pair counts for Express Entry.
For pharmacists in Ontario: one test can cover both
Your license and your immigration are separate steps with separate rules. In Ontario, the Ontario College of Pharmacists decides which English tests count for your license, and it accepts several tests, including OET, CELPIP-General and IELTS.
That makes CELPIP-General a smart choice for many pharmacists, because it is the one test that can count for both your Ontario license and your Express Entry application, as long as you reach the scores each one requires. The two sets of minimum scores are different, so check both before you book.
Other provinces and professions
Every province has its own regulator for each profession, and each one sets its own English rules for licensing. Nurses, dentists and other professionals should check their own regulator’s list, and then check IRCC’s list separately for immigration.
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This guide is general information, not legal or immigration advice. Rules change, so always confirm with the official source before you book a test.