CELPIP-General LS: the test for Canadian citizenship

If you're applying for Canadian citizenship, you don't need the full CELPIP test. There's a shorter version — CELPIP-General LS — built specifically for the citizenship language requirement. Here's what it is and what you need.

General vs General LS

The standard CELPIP-General tests all four skills and is the one used for permanent residence. CELPIP-General LS tests only two — Listening and Speaking — because that's all citizenship requires. No Reading, no Writing. It's shorter, and it costs less.

What citizenship requires

Applicants aged 18–54 must prove English (or French) at CLB 4 or higher in Speaking and Listening. On CELPIP that means a level 4 or better in each of those two skills — and CELPIP levels map one-to-one to CLB, so level 4 is CLB 4. (For permanent residence the bar is higher and covers all four skills — see what score you need for PR.)

What the LS test looks like

The Listening and Speaking sections are the same as in the full test — multi-voice Listening clips you hear once, and the eight short Speaking tasks recorded into a headset. You just skip Reading and Writing entirely, so the whole thing is much quicker.

Should you take LS or the full General?

• Citizenship only → CELPIP-General LS is the cheaper, faster choice.
• Permanent residence → you need the full CELPIP-General (all four skills).
• Both on your horizon → if PR is also a goal, the full General covers everything; take LS only if citizenship is your sole purpose.

Preparing for the two skills

CLB 4 is an achievable bar, but the listen-once format and the Speaking timer still catch people out — so practise in the real format. You can practise Listening free and add AI feedback on Speaking whenever you want a graded read on your level. 🍁