How Long Are CELPIP Scores Valid?

How Long Are CELPIP Scores Valid? | CELPIP Store

For Canadian permanent residence programs and the post-graduation work permit, your CELPIP results must be less than two years old when you apply. Citizenship is the main exception: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) asks you to include your CELPIP results with a citizenship application even if they have expired.

This guide explains exactly where the two-year rule applies, the two dates that matter in Express Entry, what happens if your results expire while you wait, how the rule works for the post-graduation work permit (PGWP) and other programs, and how long you can see your scores in your CELPIP account. You will also find worked examples, a planning checklist, the most common mistakes and answers to the questions test-takers ask most often.

The short answer: the two-year rule

CELPIP does not print an "expiry date" that every organization must follow. Instead, each organization that accepts CELPIP decides how recent your results must be. For most Canadian immigration purposes, IRCC has set the same limit: results must be less than 2 years old when you apply.

Here is how the rule looks across the most common uses of CELPIP:

What you are applying for	CELPIP test accepted	How recent results must be
Express Entry (profile and permanent residence application)	CELPIP-General	Less than 2 years old when you complete your profile and when you submit your PR application
Other IRCC economic programs, such as the Atlantic Immigration Program and the Rural Community Immigration Pilot	CELPIP-General	Less than 2 years old when you apply
Post-graduation work permit (PGWP)	CELPIP-General	Less than 2 years old when you submit your application
Canadian citizenship	CELPIP-General or CELPIP-General LS	No two-year limit stated: IRCC asks for your results "even if they're expired"

The key words are "when you apply". IRCC does not ask whether your results are still valid on the day an officer looks at your file or the day you land in Canada. It asks whether they were less than two years old at the moments listed above. That is why timing your test well matters as much as getting the score you need.

Table showing how recent CELPIP results must be for Express Entry, other PR programs, the PGWP and citizenship.

Who decides how long CELPIP results are valid?

It helps to separate three different things that people often mix up.

1. The organization that receives your results

IRCC, a regulator, an employer or a school decides how old your results can be. For IRCC's permanent residence programs and the PGWP, that limit is two years. For citizenship, IRCC accepts expired results. If you are using CELPIP for a professional licence or a job, check that organization's own rules, because they may be different.

2. Your CELPIP account

Paragon Testing Enterprises, which runs CELPIP, says your scores can be accessed and viewed online in your CELPIP account for a period of 2 years from your test date. This is about how long you can see and download your official score report, not a rule about whether an organization will accept it.

3. Other countries

CELPIP is also accepted for some Australian visas. The CELPIP page for Australian permanent residence says that CELPIP scores are valid for two years after your score report has been issued. If you are applying to Australia, always confirm the current rule with the Australian government as well.

In short: the number "two years" appears in several places, but what matters for your application is the rule set by the organization you are applying to.

Express Entry: the two dates that matter

Express Entry is where most CELPIP test-takers meet the two-year rule. IRCC's Express Entry language page says your test results must be less than 2 years old when you:

complete your Express Entry profile, and
submit your application for permanent residence.

Many candidates only think about the first date. The second date is the one that catches people out, because time passes between creating a profile and submitting the full application.

Step 1: Creating your profile

You enter your CELPIP results in your Express Entry profile. IRCC notes that you may need your language test result form or certificate number and test PIN if the system asks for them. IRCC also says you have 60 days to complete and submit your profile once you start it, or you must start over.

Step 2: Waiting in the pool

Once your profile is in the pool, you wait for an invitation to apply. IRCC's page on applying for permanent residence says that if you are not invited within 12 months of submitting your profile, the profile automatically expires. IRCC also lists "Your language test results expired" as one of the reasons a profile can become ineligible.

Step 3: Receiving an invitation

An invitation to apply is valid for 60 days only. IRCC advises you to start your application right away so you have time to gather documents. If you are invited, IRCC says to check that your language test results will still be valid when you plan to apply.

Step 4: Submitting your permanent residence application

On the day you submit, your CELPIP results must still be less than two years old. IRCC is clear: if you apply for permanent residence with language test results that have expired, your application will be refused.

Your CELPIP scores also affect your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. Read our guide to the CELPIP score for Express Entry to see how your levels turn into points.

What happens if your results expire during Express Entry?

If your CELPIP results are getting close to the two-year mark, you have a few choices. IRCC's language page lists them directly. If your results will expire before you can apply, you can:

Take the test again and update your profile with the new results.
Apply before your results expire, if you have an invitation and can submit a complete application in time.
Decline the invitation and go back into the pool to be considered in the future.

Updating your profile with new results

IRCC says you must update your profile when your situation changes, and getting a new language test is one of those changes. Updating your profile does not change the date your profile was received, so you keep your place if there is a tie-breaker.

Be careful if your new score is lower

A retest does not always go better. IRCC's page on applying for permanent residence warns that if your language test scores have expired or were lowered after a retest, your score may drop, and you should recalculate it before applying. In practice, this means you should not book a retest so late that a lower result could leave you without a usable score.

Declining an invitation is not the end

Declining feels painful, but it is better than applying with expired results and being refused. If you decline and return to the pool, you can take the test again, update your profile and wait for another invitation.

Five steps in Express Entry showing when CELPIP results must be less than two years old.

Other permanent residence programs with the same rule

The two-year rule is not just for Express Entry. IRCC's help centre lists the programs that need a language test, and says the results must be less than 2 years old when you apply. The list includes:

Agri-Food Pilot
Atlantic Immigration Program
Caregivers
Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot
Express Entry
Federal Internship for Newcomers Program
Permanent residence pathways for Hong Kong residents
Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot
Self-employed Persons Program
Start-up Visa Program

For Express Entry you type your scores into your profile. For the other programs, IRCC says to include a copy of your test results with your application. For all of them, the CELPIP test to take is CELPIP-General, not CELPIP-General LS.

Example: Atlantic Immigration Program

IRCC's Atlantic Immigration Program page says your results must be less than 2 years old when you apply. The level you need depends on your job offer: CLB 5 for a job offer in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3, and CLB 4 for a job offer in TEER 4.

Example: Rural Community Immigration Pilot

The Rural Community Immigration Pilot page also says results must be less than 2 years old when you apply. The level depends on the job offer's TEER category: CLB 6 for TEER 0 or 1, CLB 5 for TEER 2 or 3, and CLB 4 for TEER 4 or 5.

If you are not sure how CELPIP levels match CLB levels, see our guide to CELPIP scores vs CLB.

Post-graduation work permit (PGWP)

International students who apply for a PGWP on or after November 1, 2024 must give proof of their English or French skills. IRCC's PGWP documents page says your test results must be less than 2 years old when you submit your application.

Which test and what level?

Test: take the CELPIP-General test. IRCC also says language tests should be taken in person.
Skills: your results must cover reading, writing, listening and speaking, and you must meet the level in all four.
Bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree, and other university programs: at least CLB 7.
College, polytechnic or other non-university programs: at least CLB 5.

IRCC's PGWP table for CELPIP-General shows that, for CLB 4 to 10, the CELPIP level is the same number as the CLB level in each skill. So CLB 7 means a CELPIP score of 7 in reading, writing, listening and speaking.

Timing tip for students

Some students take CELPIP early in their studies to be safe. That can backfire on a longer program: if the test was taken more than two years before you submit your PGWP application, the results will be too old. Plan your test so the results are recent when you finish your program and apply.

Key PGWP language rules: results under two years old, CLB 7 for university, CLB 5 for college, all four skills.

Citizenship: the main exception

Canadian citizenship works differently. IRCC accepts both CELPIP-General and CELPIP-General LS (Listening and Speaking only) as proof of English for citizenship. On its citizenship language proof tool, IRCC tells applicants to include a copy of their CELPIP-G test results "even if they're expired" with the citizenship application.

What score counts

For a CELPIP-G test taken on or after April 1, 2014, IRCC accepts a level of 4 or higher (up to 12) in listening and speaking. For tests taken on or before March 31, 2014, IRCC lists the older scale (2H or higher) because CELPIP used different score bands at that time.

General vs General LS for citizenship

According to CELPIP's test overview, CELPIP-General LS takes about 1 hour 10 minutes and is priced at $195 plus taxes, while CELPIP-General takes under 3 hours and is priced at $290 plus taxes in Canada. If you only need citizenship, General LS is enough. If you might also need results for permanent residence or a PGWP, only CELPIP-General is accepted for those. Our guide to CELPIP General vs CELPIP General LS explains the difference in more detail.

For the citizenship level and how to prepare, see CELPIP score for Canadian citizenship.

Comparison of CELPIP rules for permanent residence and for citizenship.

How long you can access your scores in your CELPIP account

CELPIP's test results page explains how scores are delivered and stored:

Scores are available online in 3-4 business days. Business days do not include weekends or holidays.
You receive an email when your scores are posted.
You can download a PDF copy of your CELPIP Official Score Report from your CELPIP account. CELPIP says to download this PDF when you need to send scores to an organization such as IRCC.
Your scores can be viewed online in your CELPIP account for 2 years from your test date.

Download your report early

Because access in your account is limited to two years from the test date, download your official score report as soon as it is posted and keep it somewhere safe, such as cloud storage and a printed copy. This matters most for citizenship, where IRCC accepts expired results: if you apply for citizenship years later, you will need that PDF.

Working out your own expiry date: worked examples

IRCC's pages say results must be "less than 2 years old" but do not spell out whether the two years count from the test date or the date the results were issued. CELPIP counts account access from your test date. The safest approach is to count two years from your test date and plan to submit well before that.

The examples below use made-up dates to show how the rule works in practice.

Situation	Test date	Safe "submit by" date	What to do
Express Entry candidate, invited with lots of time left	10 January 2026	Before 10 January 2028	Submit the PR application within the 60-day invitation window; results are valid throughout
Express Entry candidate, invited near the two-year mark	5 March 2025	Before 5 March 2027	If invited in late January 2027, submit early in the window or retest and decline
PGWP applicant finishing a two-year diploma	1 September 2024	Before 1 September 2026	If the PGWP application goes in after that date, take CELPIP-General again first
Citizenship applicant with an old result	June 2019	No two-year limit stated	Include the results with the application even though they are expired

Worked example 1: the invitation that comes late

Priya (an example, not a real person) took CELPIP-General on 5 March 2025 and entered her results in her Express Entry profile. She receives an invitation on 25 January 2027. Her invitation is valid for 60 days, which would take her into late March. But her results stop being less than two years old in early March. To be safe she must submit her complete application before 5 March 2027. If she cannot gather her documents in time, IRCC's options are to retest or to decline the invitation and return to the pool.

Worked example 2: the long wait in the pool

Daniel (also an example) created his profile three months after his test. His profile can stay in the pool for up to 12 months without an invitation. By the end of that year, his results are about 15 months old. If he creates a new profile after the first one expires, his results will reach two years old during the second year, so he should plan a retest before then and update his profile.

Worked example 3: the student

Ana (an example) took CELPIP-General before starting a two-year college diploma. By the time she graduates and applies for her PGWP, her results are more than two years old. They no longer meet IRCC's PGWP requirement, so she needs to take the test again before she applies.

How to plan your CELPIP test date

Good timing saves money and stress. Use these steps to plan backward from your application.

Find the rule for your program. Read the IRCC page for the exact program you are applying to. Most say "less than 2 years old when you apply"; citizenship accepts expired results.
Estimate when you will apply. For Express Entry, remember the 12-month pool limit and the 60-day invitation window. For a PGWP, think about your graduation date.
Allow time for results. CELPIP scores are posted online in 3-4 business days. Leave extra time in case you decide on a re-evaluation or a retest.
Take the right test. CELPIP-General for permanent residence and the PGWP; CELPIP-General LS only if you need citizenship and nothing else.
Write down your two-year date. Put a reminder in your calendar a few months before your results turn two, so you have time to retest if needed.
Download and save your score report. Keep the PDF and your certificate number and test PIN somewhere safe.

Practise before you book a retest

If you need to retest because your results are about to expire, use the time to aim for a higher level, not just to repeat your old score. Taking full practice tests on a computer helps you get used to the timing and the screen. You can start with a free CELPIP practice test on CELPIP Store, and create a free account to track your progress.

Checklist for planning your CELPIP test date around the two-year rule.

Common mistakes with CELPIP score validity

These are the mistakes that most often cause problems:

Thinking only about the profile date. In Express Entry, results must also be less than two years old on the day you submit your PR application.
Waiting until the last week of the invitation window. If your results are close to two years old, the 60-day window may be shorter for you in practice.
Taking CELPIP-General LS for permanent residence. IRCC's permanent residence programs and the PGWP require CELPIP-General.
Testing too early for a PGWP. Results taken at the start of a long program may be too old by graduation.
Not downloading the score report. Account access lasts two years from the test date; save the PDF straight away.
Booking a retest too late. If the new score is lower or you need a re-evaluation, you may run out of time.

Six common mistakes test-takers make with CELPIP score validity.

Retakes, re-evaluation and validity

Does a re-evaluation give you a new two-year period?

A re-evaluation is a second look at a test you already took, so your test date stays the same. CELPIP says you can apply for a re-evaluation of some or all components of your CELPIP-General test within six months of the test date. You pay the fee when you apply, and the fee for a component is refunded if its level changes. There is a limit of one re-evaluation per component, requests are final sale, and results are sent in about one to two weeks. CELPIP also notes that re-evaluating Listening or Reading is unlikely to change your scores because those sections are computer rated.

Does a retake give you a new two-year period?

Yes, in the sense that a new test has a new test date. Your new results are less than two years old from that new date. For Express Entry, remember to update your profile with the new results, and recalculate your score if any level went down.

Read more about retaking in our guide Can you retake the CELPIP test?

Common questions

Are CELPIP scores valid for two years?

For IRCC permanent residence programs and the PGWP, your results must be less than two years old when you apply. Your scores also stay viewable in your CELPIP account for two years from your test date. For citizenship, IRCC accepts expired CELPIP results.

Do my results need to be valid when IRCC makes a decision?

IRCC's Express Entry page lists two moments: when you complete your profile and when you submit your permanent residence application. It does not list the decision date. Other programs say "when you apply".

My results expire next month and I just got an invitation. What can I do?

IRCC lists three options: apply before your results expire, take the test again, or decline the invitation and return to the pool. If you apply with expired results, IRCC says your application will be refused.

Can I use an expired CELPIP result for citizenship?

Yes. IRCC's citizenship language proof tool says to include a copy of your CELPIP results even if they are expired. For tests taken on or after April 1, 2014, you need a level of 4 or higher in listening and speaking.

Is CELPIP-General LS valid for permanent residence?

No. IRCC's permanent residence programs and the PGWP require CELPIP-General, which tests all four skills. CELPIP-General LS is accepted for citizenship.

Where do I find my score report after two years?

CELPIP says scores can be viewed online in your account for two years from your test date, so download the PDF of your official score report as soon as it is posted and keep a copy.

Do employers and regulators use the same two-year rule?

Not always. Each organization sets its own rule. CELPIP says its tests are accepted for professional certification by a number of organizations, so check the rules of the regulator or employer you are applying to.

Next step: if your CELPIP results will turn two before you apply, plan a retest early and aim higher. Learn how the test works in What is CELPIP? The complete overview, then take a free CELPIP practice test to see where you stand today.