The number that matters is rarely the one you are given
Most candidates are told a single number, and it is usually the wrong one. The visa floor and what the institution actually wants are two different numbers, and they can be more than a band apart.
Three things also differ between countries in ways a single figure hides:
- Whether they score IELTS at all, or convert it to their own scale.
- Whether they need a different version of the test. The UK will not accept a standard IELTS for a visa application.
- Which version of IELTS. Migration routes generally want General Training; study routes generally want Academic.
Canada: IELTS becomes CLB
Canada does not score your IELTS band. Each of the four skills is converted to a Canadian Language Benchmark level, from CLB 4 to CLB 10, and Express Entry awards points per ability.
The mapping is not symmetric across skills, which is the part worth memorising:
| CLB | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10+ | 8.5-9.0 | 8.0-9.0 | 7.5-9.0 | 7.5-9.0 |
| 9 | 8.0 | 7.0-7.5 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| 8 | 7.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| 7 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| 6 | 5.5 | 5.0 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
CLB 7 is the eligibility floor for the Federal Skilled Worker and Canadian Experience Class routes, and it means IELTS 6.0 across all four. CLB 9, the level most candidates should be aiming at, needs Listening 8.0 with the other three at 7.0. An overall 7.0 does not give you CLB 9.
Your lowest skill sets the limit. The four abilities are converted separately, so Reading 7.5 with Listening 6.0 is scored at CLB 7, not at the average.
Points awarded per ability range from 6 at CLB 4 or 5 up to 34 at CLB 10, so the gap between CLB 7 and CLB 9 is worth 14 points per ability, or 56 across the four. That is why one band in the right skill is worth more than a band spread thinly.
The UK: a CEFR level, and a different test
The UK Student visa does not name an IELTS band. It names a level on the Common European Framework of Reference:
| What you are studying | Level required |
|---|---|
| Degree level or above | CEFR B2 |
| Below degree level | CEFR B1 |
In IELTS for UKVI terms, CEFR B2 means 5.5 in each of the four components.
Two things catch people out here. First, IELTS for UKVI is a different test from IELTS, booked at a different test type, and a standard IELTS certificate is not accepted for a visa application. Second, the visa floor is not the university's requirement. B2, or 5.5 across the board, clears the immigration hurdle and then fails most university entry requirements, which commonly sit at 6.5 and often require nothing below 6.0. Aim for the university's number, not the visa's.
The B2 requirement was extended to several work routes for new applicants from 8 January 2026, with B1 retained only for people already on those routes who were extending their permission. Skilled Worker, Scale-up and Skilled Worker changes of job all sit in that group.
You can also prove your English without a test: a UK qualification, a degree from a UK institution, or a degree taught in English assessed through Ecctis. Worth checking before booking a test.
Australia: named levels, and a test that must be taken in person
Australia assigns named English levels rather than scores: Functional, Vocational, Competent, Proficient and Superior. For points-tested skilled migration you are first assigned an Overseas Language Score, and the level follows from that, so a single IELTS band does not map straight onto a level.
Competent English, the common minimum for skilled migration, requires IELTS 6.0 in each of the four components.
Two practical points that catch applicants out:
- IELTS Online is not accepted for Australian visa purposes, nor are other fully online or at-home versions. The test must be taken at a secure test centre.
- The list of approved tests changed on 7 August 2025. IELTS remains approved, but check the current list rather than relying on an old checklist. Results from tests taken on or before 6 August 2025 may still be usable as evidence for up to three years, depending on the visa.
Student visa applicants do not use this points-based system; their requirement comes from the institution.
Which test to book
| Route | Version |
|---|---|
| Canada Express Entry | General Training is what most candidates take; confirm with your programme |
| UK Student visa | IELTS for UKVI, not IELTS |
| UK university entry only | IELTS Academic or General Training, whichever the university accepts |
| Australia skilled migration | IELTS, in person at a secure test centre |
| Australia university entry | IELTS as the institution specifies |
What nobody can tell you
Where the cut-off lands in a given immigration round. That number changes with every draw and nobody can quote it in advance, including anyone who appears confident about it. Plan on the basis that your score is the part you control.
Migration rules also change, sometimes without much notice, as they did in the UK in January 2026 and in Australia in August 2025. Check the current published figures before you book, because the tables here are a snapshot and not a guarantee they will still read this way next month.
Where to aim
The visa floor gets you eligible. It does not get you admitted, funded or invited. For study, aim above the university's stated minimum so you have options rather than one choice. For migration, aim above the eligibility floor, because the floor is the level at which everyone else is also present.
Work out which single skill is limiting you, then move that one. On Canada's scale that is worth far more than raising a skill you are already strong in, and it is the part of your score that three months of study can actually change.
🎯 Practice What You Learned
Put these tips into action with our student practice portals:
Both portals are available for enrolled students — login required. Daily practice is what actually moves a score, so use them as often as you can and keep track of your own mock results.
📍 Visit Step Ahead Institute
Ready to start your IELTS journey? Visit us today:
- Address: 519B, Darshan Lane, Model Town, opp. Guru Nanak Girls College, Yamunanagar, Haryana 135001
- Call: 78766-66588 | 74171-13474 | 94677-77196
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