CELPIP CELPIP Level Descriptors for Writing and Speaking (official, May 2026 edition)
Updated 12 Nov 2026
CELPIP publishes a chart called the Level Descriptors. It describes what test takers at each level from 3 to 12 can typically do in Writing and Speaking. The chart follows the same four rating categories used to score Writing and Speaking (see CELPIP scores), plus a column for the situations each level covers. The latest edition is from May 2026 and is linked from the Score Comparison Chart page on celpip.ca.
Use it to see what your target level asks for, then compare your own writing and speaking against it to find the category where you fall short. It describes ability at each level; it is not a marking checklist.
The official chart
Source: celpip.ca, CELPIP Level Descriptors (May 2026 edition), viewed 12 Nov 2026. Download the original PDF.
The same chart as text, level by level
The text below is copied from the official PDF so it is easier to read on a phone. Only a few spacing typos in the PDF were fixed.
Jump to level: 12111098765430, 1, 2
Level 12 Expert proficiency in high-stakes social, educational, or workplace contexts
At this level, I can:
- Content/Coherence
- write complex formal and informal texts for a full range of purposes, intentions, and objectives
- develop ideas with relevant and sufficient facts, extended descriptions, details, or quotations
- Vocabulary
- choose specialized, formal, and common words to express my precise meaning
- Readability
- connect ideas and make transitions within and between paragraphs
- write with very good control of a very broad range of complex and diverse grammatical structures
- Task Fulfillment
- present information using a tone and style appropriate to the situation
- precisely communicate my ideas
When: I write for a diverse and undefined audience and the situation is formal or informal
Level 11 Advanced proficiency in high-stakes social, educational, or workplace contexts
At this level, I can:
- Content/Coherence
- write formal and informal texts for a range of purposes
- develop ideas with relevant facts, descriptions, details, or quotations
- Vocabulary
- choose specialized, formal, and common words to express my meaning
- Readability
- connect ideas and make transitions within and between paragraphs
- write with good control of a broad range of complex and diverse grammatical structures
- Task Fulfillment
- present information using a tone and style that is usually appropriate to the situation
- accurately communicate my ideas
When: I write for an undefined audience and the situation is formal or informal
Level 10 Highly effective proficiency in some high-stakes social, educational, or workplace contexts
At this level, I can:
- Content/Coherence
- write short formal and informal texts of some complexity
- support key ideas with a range of facts, descriptions, details, or quotations
- Vocabulary
- choose words and phrases to provide precise details, descriptions, and comparisons
- Readability
- connect ideas and make transitions within and between paragraphs
- write with good control of a range of complex and diverse grammatical structures
- Task Fulfillment
- present information using a tone and style that follows most formal and informal writing conventions
- convey my intended meaning
When: I write for a defined audience and the situation is formal or informal
Level 9 Effective proficiency in some high-stakes social, educational, or workplace contexts
At this level, I can:
- Content/Coherence
- write short formal and informal texts of some complexity
- support key ideas with relevant facts, descriptions, details, or quotations
- Vocabulary
- choose words and phrases to provide accurate details, descriptions, and comparisons
- Readability
- write well-organized paragraphs
- write with control of a range of complex and diverse grammatical structures
- write with good control of spelling and punctuation
- Task Fulfillment
- present information using a tone and style that follows some formal and most informal writing conventions
- convey my intended meaning
When: I write for a defined audience and the situation is formal or informal
Level 8 Good proficiency in more demanding social, educational, or workplace contexts
At this level, I can:
- Content/Coherence
- write short, moderately complex texts
- develop a main idea with supporting details
- Vocabulary
- use common or context-specific words to communicate meaning
- Readability
- write well-organized paragraphs
- write with good control of complex grammatical structures, spelling, and punctuation
- Task Fulfillment
- present information using a tone and style that follows common writing conventions
- convey and support my main ideas about a topic
When: I write for a familiar or clearly defined audience
Level 7 Adequate proficiency in somewhat demanding social, educational, or workplace contexts
At this level, I can:
- Content/Coherence
- write short, moderately complex, factual texts
- express a main idea with supporting detail
- Vocabulary
- use common and some context-specific words to communicate meaning
- Readability
- organize related ideas into paragraphs
- write with adequate control of complex grammatical structures
- write with good control of simple grammar, spelling, and punctuation
- Task Fulfillment
- present information using a tone and style that follows most common writing conventions
- convey factual information about a topic
When: I write for a familiar or clearly defined audience
Level 6 Developing proficiency in everyday social, educational, or workplace contexts
At this level, I can:
- Content/Coherence
- write short, coherent texts
- express a main idea with some supporting detail
- Vocabulary
- use common words and phrases
- Readability
- organize related ideas into paragraphs
- write with good control of simple grammar
- write with adequate control of spelling and punctuation
- Task Fulfillment
- present information using a tone and style that are sometimes appropriate to the situation
- convey some factual information about a topic
When: I write for a familiar or clearly defined audience
Level 5 Acquiring proficiency in everyday social, educational, or workplace contexts
At this level, I can:
- Content/Coherence
- write short, simple to moderately complex texts
- express a main idea and some related ideas
- Vocabulary
- use common words and phrases
- Readability
- connect two or more related ideas
- write with good control of simple grammar
- write with adequate control of spelling and punctuation
- Task Fulfillment
- use common phrases that are appropriate to the situation
- convey some information about familiar topics
When: I write for or to familiar people
Level 4 Adequate proficiency for daily life activities
At this level, I can:
- Content/Coherence
- write simple sentences and short, simple paragraphs
- communicate personal information
- Vocabulary
- use common words
- Readability
- write with some control of simple grammar
- use capital letters and simple punctuation
- Task Fulfillment
- use some common phrases that are appropriate to the situation
- convey some information about very familiar topics
When: I write for or to a familiar person
Level 3 Some proficiency in limited contexts of personal relevance
At this level, I can:
- Content/Coherence
- write short, simple sentences
- Vocabulary
- use very common words
- Readability
- sometimes use correct grammar
- use capital letters and some punctuation
- Task Fulfillment
- write some information about me
When: I write for or to a familiar person
Level 0, 1, 2 Limited ability in contexts related to immediate needs or insufficient information to assess
At this level, I can:
- Content/Coherence
- write very short, simple sentences and simple phrases
- Vocabulary
- write the alphabet and numbers
- use very common words
- Readability
- rarely use correct grammar
- Task Fulfillment
- write some very simple information about me
When: I write for or to a familiar person
Jump to level: 12111098765430, 1, 2
Level 12 Expert proficiency in high-stakes social, educational, or workplace contexts
At this level, I can:
- Content/Coherence
- communicate in demanding non-routine situations for a full range of purposes, intentions, and objectives
- present information and develop ideas with complex, clear, and precise descriptions or details
- Vocabulary
- use a very broad range of concrete and abstract language
- use a broad range of figures of speech and idioms
- Listenability
- speak with very good control of a very broad range of complex and diverse grammatical structures
- speak intelligibly with consistently fluent rhythm, pronunciation, and intonation
- Task Fulfillment
- adapt my language to the situation, my desired purposes, and my relationships to listeners
- precisely communicate my ideas to others when I speak
When: I speak with peers or authority figures; I speak face-to-face, online, or on the phone; the situation is formal or informal
Level 11 Advanced proficiency in high-stakes social, educational, or workplace contexts
At this level, I can:
- Content/Coherence
- communicate in demanding non-routine situations for a range of purposes
- present information and develop ideas with clear and precise descriptions or details
- Vocabulary
- use a broad range of concrete and abstract language
- use a range of figures of speech and idioms
- Listenability
- speak with good control of a broad range of complex and diverse grammatical structures
- speak intelligibly with consistently fluent rhythm, pronunciation, and intonation
- Task Fulfillment
- adapt my language to most situations, my desired purposes, and my relationships to listeners
- communicate my ideas to others when I speak
When: I speak with peers or authority figures; I speak face-to-face, online, or on the phone; the situation is formal or informal
Level 10 Highly effective proficiency in some high-stakes social, educational, or workplace contexts
At this level, I can:
- Content/Coherence
- communicate in moderately demanding non-routine situations
- present information and develop ideas with clear descriptions or reasons
- Vocabulary
- use a range of concrete and abstract language
- use some figures of speech and idioms
- Listenability
- speak with good control of a broad range of complex grammatical structures
- speak intelligibly with mostly fluent rhythm, pronunciation, and intonation
- Task Fulfillment
- adjust my speaking style and tone to a broad range of audiences and situations
- convey my ideas to others when I speak
When: I speak with peers or authority figures; I speak face-to-face, online, or on the phone; the situation is formal or informal
Level 9 Effective proficiency in some high-stakes social, educational, or workplace contexts
At this level, I can:
- Content/Coherence
- present information and support ideas with moderately complex reasons
- Vocabulary
- use common and context-specific vocabulary
- use some figures of speech and idioms
- Listenability
- speak with some control of complex grammatical structures
- speak intelligibly with mostly fluent rhythm, pronunciation, and intonation
- Task Fulfillment
- adjust my speaking style and tone to a range of audiences and situations
- convey my ideas to others when I speak
When: I speak with peers or authority figures; I speak face-to-face, online, or on the phone; the situation is formal or informal
Level 8 Good proficiency in more demanding social, educational, or workplace contexts
At this level, I can:
- Content/Coherence
- present concrete and some abstract information that is supported with moderately complex reasons
- Vocabulary
- use common words and some context-specific vocabulary
- use some figures of speech and idioms
- Listenability
- speak with some control of complex grammatical structures
- speak intelligibly with mostly fluent rhythm, pronunciation, and intonation
- speak with very few self-corrections, repetitions, or inappropriate pauses
- Task Fulfillment
- adjust my speaking style and tone to some audiences and situations
- convey my intended meaning to others when I speak
When: I speak face-to-face, online, or on the phone; the situation is formal or informal
Level 7 Adequate proficiency in somewhat demanding social, educational, or workplace contexts
At this level, I can:
- Content/Coherence
- present concrete and some abstract information that is supported with moderately complex reasons
- Vocabulary
- use common words and some more precise vocabulary to communicate meaning
- use some figures of speech and idioms
- Listenability
- speak with good control of simple grammatical structures
- speak clearly with understandable rhythm, pronunciation, and intonation
- speak with very few self-corrections, repetitions, or inappropriate pauses
- Task Fulfillment
- adjust my speaking style and tone to some familiar listeners and situations
- convey my intended meaning to others when I speak
When: I speak face-to-face, online, or on the phone; the situation is formal or informal
Level 6 Developing proficiency in everyday social, educational, or workplace contexts
At this level, I can:
- Content/Coherence
- support my opinions and feelings with reasons
- relate factual information
- Vocabulary
- use common words and phrases
- Listenability
- speak with control of simple grammatical structures
- usually speak with understandable rhythm, pronunciation, and intonation
- speak with some self-corrections, repetitions, or inappropriate pauses
- Task Fulfillment
- adjust my speaking style to suit some familiar situations
- convey accurate information to others when I speak
When: I speak face-to-face, online, or on the phone; the situation is casual or somewhat formal
Level 5 Acquiring proficiency in everyday social, educational, or workplace contexts
At this level, I can:
- Content/Coherence
- communicate my feelings
- describe common objects, situations, and people that I know
- tell a simple story about something that happened to me
- Vocabulary
- use common words and phrases
- Listenability
- speak with some control of simple grammatical structures
- Task Fulfillment
- convey information about a familiar topic
When: I speak face-to-face, online, or on the phone; the situation is casual or somewhat formal
Level 4 Adequate proficiency for daily life activities
At this level, I can:
- Content/Coherence
- say what I like, dislike, and how I feel
- give a simple description of objects, situations, and people that I know
- tell a short, simple story about something that happened to me
- Vocabulary
- use common words
- Listenability
- speak with limited control of simple grammatical structures
- Task Fulfillment
- convey some information about a very familiar topic
When: I speak face-to-face, online, or on the phone; the situation is casual
Level 3 Some proficiency in limited contexts of personal relevance
At this level, I can:
- Content/Coherence
- say what I like, dislike, and what I need
- Vocabulary
- use very common words
- Listenability
- sometimes use correct grammar
- Task Fulfillment
- talk about myself and what I need
When: I speak face-to-face, online, or on the phone; the situation is casual
Level 0, 1, 2 Limited ability in contexts related to immediate needs or insufficient information to assess
At this level, I can:
- Content/Coherence
- sometimes say what I like, dislike, and what I need
- Vocabulary
- use very common words
- Listenability
- rarely use correct grammar
- Task Fulfillment
- sometimes talk about myself and what I need
When: I speak face-to-face, online, or on the phone; the situation is casual
What changes from level 9 to level 10
CLB 9 and CLB 10 are the two targets most people aim for in Express Entry. Comparing the two levels in the chart:
- Writing: level 9 writes well-organized paragraphs with accurate words. Level 10 connects ideas and makes transitions within and between paragraphs, chooses words precise enough for details and comparisons, and follows most formal writing conventions, not only informal ones.
- Speaking: level 9 uses common and context-specific vocabulary with some control of complex grammar. Level 10 uses both concrete and abstract language, has good control of a broad range of complex structures, handles non-routine situations, and adjusts style and tone to a broader range of audiences.