FAQ
General
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has approved the CELPIP-General Test as a measure of English language proficiency for those applying to immigrate to Canada under the Federal Skilled Workers Class, Federal Skilled Trades Program, Canadian Experience Class, and under various Provincial Nominee Programs. Read more
As of November 1, 2012, CIC has approved our CELPIP-General LS Test as a measure of listening and speaking proficiency for those applying for Canadian citizenship. Read more
The CELPIP Test is fully computer-delivered. However, the test must be completed in-person at one of our testing centres in Canada. See test dates and locations.
Currently, all of our testing centres are located in Canada. You must come to one of these centres on the scheduled dates to write the CELPIP test. However, we are constantly working to improve our services and the availability of our tests, please check our website often for updates regarding new testing locations. See test dates and locations.
YES, as of November 23, 2012, the CELPIP-General Test is designated under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).
Canadian English is the English variety spoken in Canada. It contains elements of British English and American English in its vocabulary, as well as many distinctive Canadianisms. Please note that both British and American English spellings are accepted on the CELPIP Test.
To get a good idea of what a Canadian accent sounds like, we recommend reviewing the Listening component of our FREE Online Sample Test.
Currently, the CELPIP-General Test is not a designated English language test by the Quebec Immigration Office. Quebec establishes its own immigration requirements and selects immigrants who will adapt well to living in Quebec. To learn about that province’s requirements, visit Quebec’s immigration website.
However, the CELPIP-General Test is a designated English language test by Citizenship and Immigration Canada for those applying under the Skilled Workers and Professionals Class and under various Provincial Nominee Programs.
Each component of the test is given a CELPIP Level and there is no pass or fail. It is recommended that you contact the institution, for which you are applying to, to see what their English language requirements are.
If you have a disability or special condition that might require special arrangements, you should contact the central CELPIP Office to make a request for such arrangements. A minimum of two months advance notice prior to the registered CELPIP Test sitting date must be provided to the central CELPIP Office for the request to be considered. Requests must be accompanied by medical documentation (in English or translated by an authorized translator in English) issued within two years from the date of the request from an evaluator who is qualified to make a determination of the test candidate’s special needs. Each request is treated on a case-by-case basis and must be reviewed and approved by the central CELPIP Office before a test sittings having special arrangements can be confirmed for the individual making the request.
Registration
For information on all test fees and payment, click here.
For information on how cancel your test date or transfer to an alternate test session, click here.
We highly recommend that you register online. For more information on how to register, click here.
If you experience any problems with our online registration page, please contact our office by email at info@celpiptest.ca, by phone at 778-327-6854 or toll free (within North America) at 1-800-958-5186.
No. You do not need to submit a photo of yourself as a part of your application or on the day of your CELPIP test. In fact, we take a picture of you on the day of the test.
The CELPIP Test Centres do not process any registration applications. All registrations should be completed through the CELPIP Office at Paragon Testing Enterprises. The best and easiest way to register is online.
Before the Test
A Test Admission Ticket is emailed to the test candidate after being successfully registered for a CELPIP test. If you have not received (or have lost) your Test Admission Ticket, please contact our office. For more information on Test Admission Tickets, click here.
For information on studying for CELPIP, click here.
For information on what to bring to the test, click here.
For information on valid identification, click here.
If you are having troubles accessing your CELPIP-General Online Practice Program or your CELPIP-General LS Learning Program, please try the following:
- make sure you are entering the correct email and password
- try using a different browser (ie. Firefox, Chrome, Safari)
If you are still unable to access the program, please contact our office by email at info@celpiptest.ca or toll free (within North America) at 1-800-958-5186.
Photocopies are not a valid form of identification and will not be accepted for entrance into the CELPIP Test. You must bring your valid, original (not expired) identification (ie. passport) to the test sitting. Test candidates who do not provide their valid identification during check-in at the test sitting will be refused entry to the test and will not be eligible for a refund or transfer.
During the Test
The CELPIP-General Test is 180 minutes. (Listening – 30 minutes, Speaking – 30 minutes, General Reading and Writing – 120 minutes)
The CELPIP-General LS Test is 60 minutes. (Listening – 30 minutes, Speaking – 30 minutes)
The CELPIP-Academic Test is 210 minutes. (Listening – 30 minutes, Speaking – 30 minutes, Academic Reading and Writing – 150 minutes)
Paper will be supplied to you at the test site for any notes you may want to write down. This paper must be returned to the Test Supervisor at the end of the exam. You may not bring any other paper into the test room.
No. A headset and microphone for the listening and speaking components of the test are provided by the test centre.
Since our tests are delivered in a computer lab, we do not allow any food or water in the lab. However, if you do need some water during the test, please raise your hand and a test supervisor will escort you to the water fountain.
After the Test
For information on obtaining test results, click here.
For information on scoring, click here.
We will make your scores available to you and other institutions for 2 years from the date of the exam. The length of time that your scores are valid to CIC and other institutions however is determined by their individual policies. You can obtain this information from these institutions.
Test candidates may only register for more than one CELPIP Test (that is, either CELPIP-General, CELPIP-General LS, or CELPIP-Academic) if all test sitting dates are at least 30 calendar days apart from one another. Therefore test candidates who have taken a CELPIP Test on a test sitting date may not register for another CELPIP Test (of any type) unless it occurs at least 30 days later than the one just completed. Registrations that violate this policy will be cancelled.
The CELPIP Office recommends that you do additional studying before retaking the test. See CELPIP Test Preparation.
You can apply for a re-evaluation of some or all components of your CELPIP test within six weeks of the test date. You must pay a re-evaluation fee at the time of your application that depends on which components of the test you would like re-evaluated. If the CELPIP level changes for any component that has been re-evaluated, the re-evaluation fee for this component will be refunded. Test candidates who apply for a re-evaluation of their test results will be notified of the results of the re-evaluation within two weeks of submission of their application and payment of the re-evaluation fee.
A Re-Evaluation Request Form can be downloaded from the Request Form page.