How to Book IELTS General Training

If you are applying to immigrate to Canada through Express Entry or a Provincial Nominee Program, you need proof of your English ability from a test that IRCC approves. If you choose IELTS, there is only one version that counts: IELTS General Training. Booking the wrong version is one of the most expensive mistakes a candidate can make, because you pay again and you wait again.

This page walks you through exactly which test to book, what score you need, what it costs, how to book it, and what happens on test day.

Which IELTS test does IRCC accept

IRCC accepts these language tests for Express Entry. For English: CELPIP General, IELTS General Training, and PTE Core. For French: TEF Canada and TCF Canada (source).

Two things to be very clear about, because they come straight from IRCC:

You must take the IELTS General Training option. IELTS Academic is not accepted for Express Entry.

IRCC does not accept IELTS One Skill Retake for Express Entry. If you sit a One Skill Retake to fix a weak band, that result cannot be used in your Express Entry profile.

Your test results must be less than 2 years old both when you complete your Express Entry profile and when you submit your application for permanent residence (source).

What score do you actually need

IRCC does not read your IELTS bands directly. It converts them into Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB). This is the official IELTS General Training to CLB conversion table published by IRCC (source):

The minimum for Express Entry (Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker Program and Federal Skilled Trades Program) is CLB 7 in all four abilities for your first official language. In IELTS General Training terms that is 6.0 in Listening, 6.0 in Reading, 6.0 in Writing and 6.0 in Speaking (source).

That is the floor, not the target. CLB 9 (Listening 8.0, Reading 7.0, Writing 7.0, Speaking 7.0) is where your Comprehensive Ranking System score jumps meaningfully, because it unlocks the higher language points and the skill transferability points. Most of our clients who land an invitation are sitting at CLB 9 or above, and that is the number we coach toward.

If you claim a second official language, the minimum is CLB or NCLC 5 in speaking and listening and CLB or NCLC 4 in reading and writing.

What IELTS General Training costs in Canada

Fees published by IDP IELTS Canada (source):

IDP states the cost of an IELTS test in Canada ranges between CAD $335 and $361 before tax, and is the same whether you take General Training or Academic. Tax is added on top. There is no separate registration fee and no payment processing fee. Fees vary a little by test centre, city and province, and they do change, so confirm the exact amount on the booking page before you pay.

What the fee covers: assessment of all four skills, test administration, the venue, examiner marking, one copy of your Test Report Form, and access to preparation material. At registration you can also ask for copies of your Test Report Form to be sent to up to 5 institutions or organisations.

Cancelling or rescheduling (IDP Canada rules):

More than 5 weeks before your test date: refund minus an administration charge.

Within 5 weeks of your test date: you are charged the full fee, unless you have a serious medical reason.

Medical certificate provided within 5 days of the test date: refund minus the local administrative cost.

How to book, step by step

1. Confirm you need General Training. If your goal is Express Entry, a PNP, or Canadian citizenship, it is General Training. Academic is for university admission and it will not be accepted.

1. Choose your test provider. In Canada, IELTS is delivered by IDP IELTS Canada (source) and by British Council partner centres (source). Outside Canada, book through the IDP or British Council site for your country. The test, the marking and the recognition are identical. Only the centres and the local price differ.

1. Pick paper or computer. See the comparison below. Most immigration candidates should book computer.

1. Register with the exact ID you will bring on test day. You register with your passport (or, in Canada, your Permanent Resident Card if that is what you use). Your name on the booking must match your ID character for character, because that name goes on your Test Report Form and IRCC will compare it to your passport.

1. Check your passport expiry. IDP requires your passport to have an expiry date at least 7 days after the test date to be valid (source).

1. Pay. In Canada you can pay by debit or credit card (Visa, Mastercard or American Express) or by Interac online.

1. Book early. Popular centres in Toronto, Brampton, Surrey, Calgary and across Punjab and Kerala fill weeks ahead. Give yourself room to retake if the first result is short.

Paper or computer: which to book

Sources: IDP IELTS Canada test day and results pages (https://ielts.idp.com/canada/about/test-day/what-to-bring and https://ielts.idp.com/canada/about/what-is-ielts/ielts-faq/when-can-i-get-my-test-results).

For an Express Entry candidate, the faster result is usually worth more than the comfort of paper. Draws happen on a schedule you do not control.

What the test looks like

Total test time is about 2 hours 45 minutes. Listening, Reading and Writing are done on the same day with no breaks in between. The Speaking test may be scheduled up to a week before or after the other sections (source).

Test day: what to bring and what to leave at home

Bring the same identification you used to register: your original, current passport, or your Permanent Resident Card if you registered with that. Photocopies and certified copies are not accepted. Your passport must be valid for at least 7 days after the test date.

Arrive at least an hour early to get through registration.

Bring a clear bottle of water with the label removed.

The centre takes your photo and a finger scan. You do not need to bring passport photos. The centre provides stationery.

Leave behind or lock away: mobile phone, all electronic devices, smartwatch or fitness band, keys, wallet, bags, food.

Family members and children are not allowed inside the test venue. Anyone collecting you must wait outside.

If you got a new passport after booking, bring both the old and the new one to registration and tell the centre in advance.

Getting your results and using them

You get one Test Report Form (TRF). Keep the original safe. Do not mail your only copy anywhere.

Computer results are typically available in about 2 days. Paper results are available 13 days after the test.

For Express Entry, you enter your band scores into your profile yourself, along with your TRF number and the test date. IRCC does not need a sealed envelope from the test centre for the Express Entry profile stage.

Your TRF number tells IRCC which test you sat. A General Training TRF number ends in G. If it ends in A, you sat Academic and it will not be accepted.

If your score is short

Enquiry on Results (a remark): $165, requested within 6 weeks of your test date, and the review can take from 2 hours to 21 days. If your score improves you get a full refund of the fee and a new TRF. If it does not improve, no refund (source).

A full retake: allowed as often as you like, with no waiting period. You pay the full fee again.

One Skill Retake: it exists, it is cheaper, and IRCC will not accept it for Express Entry. Do not use it to fix an Express Entry score.

Common mistakes

• Booking IELTS Academic. It is the single most common and most expensive error. Academic is not accepted for Express Entry, and no appeal will change that. Check the test name on your booking confirmation before you pay.
• Using One Skill Retake for Express Entry. IRCC states plainly that it does not accept it for Express Entry. People still book it and lose both the fee and the weeks.
• Letting the 2 year clock run out. Your results must be under 2 years old when you create your profile and again when you submit your PR application. A profile sitting in the pool for 11 months on a test that was already 14 months old at entry is a problem waiting to happen.
• Name mismatches. If your booking says Kumar S and your passport says Suresh Kumar, expect trouble. The name on your TRF must match your passport.
• An expired or nearly expired passport. Fewer than 7 days of validity after the test date and you can be turned away at the door.
• Aiming at the CLB 7 floor. CLB 7 makes you eligible. It rarely makes you competitive. Aim at CLB 9.
• Assuming your result posts to IRCC automatically. It does not. You enter the scores and the TRF number in your own profile.

Questions people actually ask

How KGraph helps

We have guided more than 10,000 clients through Canadian immigration, we hold a 98% success rate, and we are rated 4.9 on Google. Language score is the lever with the biggest effect on your CRS, and it is the one thing entirely within your control. Before you book, we will tell you which score band actually gets you invited in your category, so you sit the test once and sit it at the right level.

Not sure which pathway is right for you? Our RCIC licensed consultants can advise you on the best strategy based on your immigration goals.

Prepared by KGraph Immigration. Last updated July 2026. General information, not legal advice.