If you’re seeking Canadian permanent residency through Express Entry, language proficiency can make or break your chances of success.
As a sole applicant, you can score up to 310 Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points for language proficiency.*
Maximizing your language points can give you an edge over other candidates in the increasingly-competitive Express Entry pool.
There’s no limit to the number of times you can re-take language tests, so as your language proficiency increases, you can re-test and boost your score with the latest results.
And if you can get a high enough French proficiency, you can qualify for French-language category-based draws, which have seen some of the lowest CRS cut-off scores of any draws in 2024 and 2025.
*Language proficiency CRS points:
| Section of CRS | Maximum points for language proficiency |
|---|---|
| Core human capital | 160 |
| Skill transferability | 100 (50 + 50) |
| Additional Points – French | 50 |
Example
Amy has a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 515 – not enough to qualify for any of the three most recent Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draws, which had cut-off scores of 527, 521, and 547.
Amy is 30 years old. She has a bachelor’s degree from a Canadian university, three years of foreign work experience, five years of Canadian work experience, and an English proficiency of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 8 across all language abilities.
Amy studies for several months, re-takes her English language test, and scores CLB 9 across all abilities.
Her CRS score increases from 515 to 559, more than enough to qualify for the most recent CEC draws.
With a CLB 9, Amy could have expected to receive an invitation to apply (ITA) for Canadian permanent residency through Express Entry, if she’d had a valid profile at the time of each draw.
As we can see from this example, boosting your language score by even one CLB level can make you much more competitive as an Express Entry candidate.
Here’s the breakdown of Amy’s CRS score at CLB 8 and CLB 9, with the differences bolded:
| Factor | Points with CLB 8 | Points with CLB 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 105 | 105 |
| Level of Education | 120 | 120 |
| Official languages proficiency | 92 | 124 |
| Canadian Work Experience | 80 | 80 |
| Skill transferability – language proficiency + post-secondary education | 13 | 25 |
| Skill transferability – Canadian work experience + post-secondary education | 25 | 25 |
| Skill transferability – Foreign work experience + Canadian work experience | 50 | 50 |
| Additional points – post-secondary education in Canada | 30 | 30 |
| Total Points | 515 | 559 |
In going from CLB 8 to CLB 9, Amy gained an additional 44 points – 32 in the Language portion of Core Human Capital, and 12 for the Education skill transferability factor.
Tips for boosting your language test score
Study daily
Frequency is key to building language proficiency.
Make studying English or French into a daily habit by building it into your routine, and giving yourself a reward for completing each study session.
Immerse yourself
Immersion in a language can help you build much more proficiency much more quickly.
If you’re looking to boost your French skills, for example, consider enrolling in an immersion or exchange program where you’ll be in a completely French-speaking environment for at least six or eight weeks.
Get real-world practice
There’s a big difference between doing vocabulary or grammar exercises on Duolingo, versus actually using a language in real life.
Make sure that, in addition to studying, you’re flexing your language muscles in the real world regularly.
A conversation group or even a book club can help if your day-to-day routine doesn’t include enough real-world practice.
Take practice tests
Taking practice tests helps in two ways.
First, practice tests familiarize you both with the material itself and with the structure of the test, enabling you to build language skills and test-taking skills at the same time.
Second, practice tests help you become more comfortable with the test process and in the testing environment.
Increased comfort and familiarity can make you more relaxed for your real exam, and the more relaxed you are, the better you’ll be able to perform, and the less likely you are to make silly mistakes or become flustered.
Take advantage of free resources
There are various free and affordable resources you can find online to help you prepare with confidence and ensure you are ready for test day. Language testers often provide resources themselves that can help you understand exactly what to expect and how to prepare effectively.
Taking advantage of resources like free sample tests, interactive online practice tools, comprehensive study guides, expert instructor-led webinars, and full-length practice tests that simulate the real testing environment can help you feel prepared on test day.
