Which CELPIP for PR?
- Amardeep Singh
- Nov 29
- 2 min read
Congratulations if you have decided to take the plunge and apply for Permanent Residence (PR) in Canada. It is an exciting journey, but it comes with a checklist of requirements—one of the most important being proof of English proficiency.
If you are applying for Permanent Residence (PR) through Express Entry, the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), or any other immigration stream, you MUST take the CELPIP-General test.
Do not take the CELPIP-General LS for PR applications. It will not be accepted.
What is the Difference?
The main difference lies in which skills are being tested and what the test is used for.
1. CELPIP-General (The "PR" Test)
This is the comprehensive version of the exam. It evaluates your English skills in four distinct areas:
Listening
Reading
Writing
Speaking
Time: Approximately 3 hours.
Purpose: Immigration (PR) and professional designations.
Why you need it: Immigration Canada (IRCC) needs to know you can read contracts, write emails for work, and handle daily life in Canada.
2. CELPIP-General LS (The "Citizenship" Test)
The "LS" stands for Listening and Speaking. This test only evaluates those two skills. It completely skips the Reading and Writing sections.
Time: Approximately 1 hour.
Purpose: Canadian Citizenship applications.
Why: Once you are already a permanent resident and applying for citizenship, the government only requires proof that you can speak and listen effectively.
Why Can’t I Use the "LS" Test for PR?
For immigration purposes, the Canadian government requires a "CLB" (Canadian Language Benchmark) score for all four skills. If you submit a CELPIP-General LS result with your PR application, the officer will reject it immediately because it has no score for Reading or Writing.
To summarize:
If you are applying for Permanent Residence (PR), you need to book CELPIP General, and if you are applying for Canadian Citizenship, you need to book CELPIP= General (LS)
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