TOEFL for Canadian immigration | TOEFL vs IELTS and CLB
Once upon a time, TOEFL was the most popular English test in the world. Almost all English-speaking universities accepted TOEFL as a measure of suitability. However, IRCC showed resistance toward TOEFL for Canadian immigration. This article explores this test and compares it with IELTS and Canada Language Benchmark (CLB). Of course, I’ll also explain where you could potentially use TOEFL.
TOEFL types
Before exploring TOEFL for Canadian immigration, let’s define it. TOEFL stands for Test of English as a Foreign Language. According to ETS, more than 11,000 institutions in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and elsewhere accept this test. Consequently, TOEFL is an English test to get acceptance to many English-speaking universities and colleges. ETS, the organizer of TOEFL, offers it in three types:
- PBT – Paper-based Test,
- CBT – Computer-based Test, and
- iBT – Internet-based Test.
TOEFL vs IELTS and CLB for Canadian immigration
CLB stands for Canada Language Benchmark. Therefore, IRCC and other organizations use equivalency tables to see how other tests compare to CLB. The following table shows various TOEFL tests and compares them with CLB. Moreover, I have included IELTS, which is the most popular English language test for Canadian immigration.
| PBT | CBT | IBT | IELTS | CLB* / CELPIP |
| 0 – 310 | zero – 30 | 0 – 30 | 0.0 – 1.0 | 0 – 1 |
| 310 – 343 | 33 – 60 | 33 – 60 | 1.0 – 1.5 | 1 – 2 |
| 347 – 393 | 63 – 90 | 19 – 29 | 2.0 – 2.5 | 3 |
| 397 – 433 | 93 – 120 | 30 – 40 | 3.0 – 3.5 | 4 |
| 437 – 473 | 123 – 150 | 41 – 52 | 4.0 | 5 |
| 477 – 510 | 153 – 180 | 53 – 64 | 4.5 – 5.0 | 6 |
| 513 – 547 | 183 – 210 | 65 – 78 | 5.5 – 6.0 | 7 |
| 550 – 587 | 213 – 240 | 79 – 95 | 6.5 – 7.0 | 8 – 9 |
| 590 – 677 | 243 – 300 | 96 – 120 | 7.5 – 9.0 | 10 – 12 |
* I have used IELTS Reading scores for CLB equivalency. However, the scores for other language abilities could be different.
Using TOEFL for Canadian immigration
Unfortunately, IRCC does not accept TOEFL for Canadian immigration. IELTS General Training and CELPIP General for Express Entry and other options are the only acceptable English language tests. However, you may still use TOEFL for the following reasons:
- Getting admission to DLI schools
- Unofficially showing to an immigration officer you know English when a test is not mandatory.
The following options do not require a test by default. However, an officer could ask you to present an official test result.
- Study permit applications except for SDS
- Work permit applications
- Federal Self-employed Class immigration
If you include even non-official test results such as TOEFL or Duolingo, you could convince the officer not to ask you for an official one. Of course, your results must be good (e.g., TOEFL iBT 65 or higher). Nonetheless, the final say is by the officer.
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Al Parsai, LLM, MA, RCIC-IRB
Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant
Adjunct Professor, Queen’s University Faculty of Law
Instructor, Ashton College, Immigration Consulting Program
Author of 88 Tips on Immigration to Canada and Inadmissibility to Canada for Human Rights Violations
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