How do you measure how well I can speak English or French when applying for citizenship?

To measure if you have adequate knowledge of English or French we use:

• Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB)
• Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadien (NCLC)

You must reach CLB/NCLC Level 4 or higher to get Canadian citizenship.

CLB/NCLC is the official standard used in Canada to describe, measure and recognize how well adult immigrants can communicate in their second language. We use this standard to make sure we evaluate everyone the same way.

The ways we measure how well you can speak and listen in English or French include:

• reviewing the documents you send in with your application to prove you can speak and listen in English or French at Level 4 (if you’re 18 to 54 years of age) 
• noting how well you communicate when you talk to staff or a citizenship officer during your interview

Using the CLB/NCLC, a citizenship officer will make the final decision if you have adequate knowledge of English or French.