Get to know the major differences between CELPIP and IELTS. Check CELPIP vs IELTS Difficulty, Reviews, Score Comparison, Conversion and decide which is better for you.
Table of Contents
We’d like to clear the air first here by saying that any indication to show whether CELPIP is better than IELTS, or if it’s easier or harder can be subjective. However, it is possible to draw your own conclusions on that subject once you have glanced through the article that we’ve written, as have we provided some insights on the differences. It will cover everything there is to know about the difference between CELPIP and IELTS. We’ll first talk about what CELPIP and IELTS are, what the fundamental differences are, and what benefits they each carry.
Contents
- CELPIP vs IELTS Overview
- Major Differences Between CELPIP and IELTS
- IELTS vs CELPIP Section Wise Comparison
- CELPIP Benefits Over IELTS
- CELPIP or IELTS - Which is Better?
- CELPIP vs IELTS Summary
CELPIP vs IELTS Overview
The similarity between the Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program a.k.a CELIP and International English Language Testing System a.k.a IELTS is that they both serve as a test to judge one's proficiency in the English language. Apart from that, they are essential exams in case of immigration and study abroad. IELTS is an international level exam whereas, CELIP is specifically made for students to shift to Canada or study there and earn citizenship.
Major Differences Between CELPIP and IELTS
The Citizenship and Immigration Canadian (CIC) recognizes both CELPIP and IELTS as certain forms of English language tests for immigration purposes. When the final scores are drafted, it is compared to the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB). This benchmark sets the national language standards to recognize a second language. We’ll talk more about this scoring process below.
The following differences should give you a larger picture of what makes CELPIP different from IELTS. We’ll largely talk about whether one is better over the other, what makes them easier or difficult, what their equivalency charts look like, how difficult they are, and how the scores are calculated.
CELPIP Score vs IELTS Score
To put the case of “Is CELPIP better than IELTS” to rest, it’s slightly hard to tell. We’ve given the IELTS and CELPIP equivalency charts to help you understand. But it depends on how you compartmentalize the difficulty for these tests. As far as scores go, they are very similar. However, IELTS is a little more difficult in the sense they provide more accurate markings for your test due to the presence of decimal marks.
Since scores are compared to the CLB, you should look at the IELTS and CELPIP equivalency charts in action below.
| CELPIP General Test Score Equivalency Chart | IELTS General Training Test Score Equivalency Chart | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLB Level | Reading | Writing | Listening | Speaking | CLB Level | Reading | Writing | Listening | Speaking |
| 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 7.5 | 8.5 | 7.5 |
| 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 |
| 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 6.5 |
| 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3.5 | 4 | 4.5 | 4 |
IELTS vs CELPIP Difficulty
The level of difficulty between those tests is largely similar. As you saw in the table above, even the scores are largely similar, with the IELTS test slightly on the tougher side as far the scoring system is concerned. But there are other measures of difficulty, such as:
- Format: IELTS is a paper-based test, which is then followed by a face-to-face interview between the candidate and the examiner. CELPIP is a computer-based test. Why does this seem to be difficult for some? Well, social anxiety is a real issue; for some, it may be difficult to do the IELTS test since they must use their voice to provide answers to the questions asked to them. They will probably find comfort in writing the answers instead.
- Accent: Since CELPIP is specifically for Canadian citizenship and whatnot, it uses Canadian English, which may not be too different from other English language dialects, but some words may feel confusing. IELTS recognizes American, British, and Australian English dialects. India uses the British English dialect, so we would have no issues with IELTS.
IELTS vs CELPIP Section Wise Comparison
There are four sections in these tests. They are: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. In this section, we will compare both of these exams across all these sections to get a clear overview of the major differences between them.
Listening Section
Let us see the important differences between the reading sections of these two exams in the below table.
| Particulars | CELPIP | IELTS |
| Time Taken to Complete | 47 to 55 Minutes | 30 Minutes |
| Topics |
|
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Reading Section
To understand the difference between the two exams here is the detailed analysis of the reading section:
| Particulars | CELPIP | IELTS |
| Time Taken to Complete | 55 to 60 Minutes | 60 Minutes |
| Topics |
|
|
Writing Section
In the table displayed below, we will see the writing section. Candidates can follow the same for enhancing the knowledge.
| Particulars | CELPIP | IELTS |
| Time Taken to Complete | 55 to 60 Minutes | 60 Minutes |
| Topics |
|
|
Speaking Section
To understand the difference between the two exams here is the thorough analysis of the speaking section:
| Particulars | CELPIP | IELTS |
| Time Taken to Complete | 15 to 20 Minutes | 11 to 14 Minutes |
| Topics |
|
|
CELPIP Benefits Over IELTS
CELPIP does contain some benefits over IELTS. For one, it’s specifically created by the Canadian government for permanent immigration reasons. If you’re going to reside in Canada for a long time, it’s definitely worth taking up. This is because the Canadian English dialect is what is used, which is a mix of American or British English dialects.
If you have spent time in Canada before, you probably already know how people communicate with each other. In which case, the test plays a stronger role for you.
Compared to IELTS, it’s also pretty modern, given that it’s a computer-based test. The results you receive will take a maximum of a week, which is small compared to the 13-day window that IELTS requires. Not to mention that the test is finished in a single day and you won’t require any interviews and whatnot after finishing the test.
CELPIP or IELTS - Which is Better?
Once again, there is no substantive indication to show that one is better than the other apart from some nitpicks. The issue with this comparison is that we assume that there is a definitive answer. Instead, we’ve opted to put the main differences between them side-to-side so that you may be able to tell, by your own accounts, whether one seems better than the other. We’ve arranged the differences based on importance.
| Comparison | CELPIP | IELTS |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 33 locations; 9 provinces; Canada and UAE only Varying test frequencies |
119 locations; 5 provinces; >140 countriesVariant test frequencies |
| Price | CA$265 / US$207.5 / INR 15,119Tax added Express rating available for CA$100 |
CA$309 / US$242 / INR 17,629Tax included May be expensive in other locations |
| Time | 3-hour exam; single sitting Results in 10-12 calendar days |
Approx. 3-hour exam (writing, listening); speaking conducted another day Results in 13 calendar days |
| Difficulty | CBTCanadian English dialect Speaking test is done via recording |
PBTAustralian, American and British English dialects Speaking test is done via one-on-one discussion |
| Preparation | Courses available | Materials available |
What is CELPIP?
The Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) is the newest test that acts as the primary test for candidates who are either immigrants or international students. Since the test comes in two variants, only one of them is accepted by the Canadian and provincial governments, which is the CELPIP General Test.
The other variant is called the General LS Test, which only covers Listening and Speaking. The main difference is that the CELPIP test covers all four sections — listening, reading, writing and speaking — in 3 hours on the same day itself.
This test was specifically designed to understand and assess the candidate’s skills to draw a conclusion on whether they are fit for Canadian permanent residency and citizenship.
What is IELTS?
The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is possibly the most popular English language test in the entire world, frequently finding itself tied with the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Like CELPIP, it has two variations; General and Academic.
In order for the Citizenship and Immigration Canadian (CIC) to accept IELTS scores from immigrants and whatnot, the candidate would have to take up the IELTS General test. The IELTS Academic test is not accepted for immigration because it’s catered to students rather than immigrants who aren’t studying under an educational body yet.
It also has all four sections but is conducted in two parts; on one hand, the reading, writing, and listening sections are undertaken simultaneously and finished within 2.5 hours. The speaking section (which is an interview, in a manner of speaking) is conducted some other day and lasts only for 10-15 minutes.
CELPIP vs IELTS Summary
Conclusively, figuring out your CELPIP test vs IELTS dilemma comes down to a matter of preference. If you are planning to move to Canada, your best bet would be to take up the CELPIP, since it’s especially geared towards candidates looking to break into a career in Canada itself. If you also prefer a computer-based test, then CELPIP is a better option.
Otherwise, IELTS is the best choice. It is paper-based and rather traditional in nature. We’d extend our own opinion on the matter and say that CELPIP’s specialist nature may be difficult to manage in the future, so for long-term reasons, it’s always best to choose the more popular choice, which is IELTS.
We also recommend looking into the CELPIP vs IELTS reviews to get a good idea on what the public thinks of it to better arrive at your own conclusion. If you have any questions regarding the differences between CELPIP and IELTS, please put your thoughts in the comments below, and we’ll see to it that your queries are answered.
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