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5. Calculating your CRS score
You need to calculate your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score out of 1,200
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All applicants who create their Express Entry profile are given a score, out of 1,200, based on factors that play an important role in the economic success of the newcomers once they migrate to Canada. These factors include your job experience, language skills (English and/or French), education, approved Job offer, provincial nomination etc.
Overview of the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS)
Express Entry candidates are given a score out of 1,200 based on the four major sections:
The table below summarizes the maximum points that can be awarded for each factor. Be careful to look into each factor's detailed tab to calculate your CRS score.
- A. Core / human capital factors: these include points for Age, Education, Canadian Work Experience and Language proficiency. These are considered as key to economic success for immigrants.
- B. Spouse or common-law partner factors: these include the accompanying spouse or common-law partner’s Language proficiency, Education, and Canadian Work Experience.
- C. Skills transferability: this section provides additional points to your profile that are based on a combination of factors, e.g a combination of your Education, Language proficiency, and/or Non-Canadian Work Experience.
- D. Additional points: This section awards 600 additional points for a Provincial nomination, and other additional points for a valid job offer, etc..
The table below summarizes the maximum points that can be awarded for each factor. Be careful to look into each factor's detailed tab to calculate your CRS score.
| Section/Factor | Maximum CRS points with spouse/partner | Maximum CRS points without spouse/partner |
|---|---|---|
| A & B. Core / human capital factors | ||
| Age | 100 | 110 |
| Education level | 150 | 150 |
| Language proficiency | 170 | 160 |
| Canadian work experience | 80 | 80 |
| Total A & B. | 500 | 500 |
| C. Skill transferability factors | ||
| Combination of (i) Education and (ii) Language proficiency OR Canadian work experience | 50 | 50 |
| Combination of (i) Non-Canadian work experience and (ii) Language proficiency OR Canadian work experience | 50 | 50 |
| Combination of (i) a Certificate of qualification and (ii) Language proficiency | 50 | 50 |
| Total C. | 100 | 100 |
| D. Additional points | ||
| Provincial nomination | 600 | 600 |
| Valid job offer | 200 | 200 |
| Post-secondary studies in Canada | 30 | 30 |
| French abilities | 50 | 50 |
| Sibling in Canada (citizen or permanent resident) | 15 | 15 |
| Total D. | 600 | 600 |
| TOTAL A + B + C + D | 1200 | 1200 |
Sections A & B. Human Capital Factors (Max 500 points)
Age (Max points: 100 with spouse, 110 without)
| Age (years) | CRS points without spouse/partner | CRS points with spouse/partner |
|---|---|---|
| 17 or younger | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | 99 | 90 |
| 19 | 105 | 95 |
| 20 to 29 | 110 | 100 |
| 30 | 105 | 95 |
| 31 | 99 | 90 |
| 32 | 94 | 85 |
| 33 | 88 | 80 |
| 34 | 83 | 75 |
| 35 | 77 | 70 |
| 36 | 72 | 65 |
| 37 | 66 | 60 |
| 38 | 61 | 55 |
| 39 | 55 | 50 |
| 40 | 50 | 45 |
| 41 | 39 | 35 |
| 42 | 28 | 25 |
| 43 | 17 | 15 |
| 44 | 6 | 5 |
| 45 or older | 0 | 0 |
Education Level (Max points: 150 points)
For more information on how to get your Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for your non-Canadian diploma, check this ECA page.
Points are only awarded for the highest level of education obtained. The maximum points that can be awarded for education are 150 CRS points, either if single or with an accompanying spouse or common-law partner.
Points are only awarded for the highest level of education obtained. The maximum points that can be awarded for education are 150 CRS points, either if single or with an accompanying spouse or common-law partner.
| Education Level | CRS points without spouse/partner | CRS points with spouse/partner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Principal Applicant | Spouse/Partner | ||
| Doctoral (PhD) degree | 150 | 140 | 10 |
| Master's degree, OR professional degree | 135 | 126 | 10 |
| Two or more credentials, with a least one for a program of three years or more | 128 | 119 | 9 |
| Three-year or more post-secondary credential | 120 | 112 | 8 |
| Two-year post-secondary credential | 98 | 91 | 7 |
| One-year post-secondary credential | 90 | 84 | 6 |
| Secondary (high) school diploma | 30 | 28 | 2 |
| Less than secondary (high) school | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Language proficiency (Max points: 170 with spouse, 160 without)
You can choose your first official language if you take the French and English test. The tests where you scored the best marks is the one you should take as your first official language. For more information, you should check this language test page.
For your first official language, the following conversion table lets you know how many CRS points you can claim based on your test results. This table is per ability, so for example, if you got a Canadian Level Benchmark (CLB) 7 for the four abilities (speaking, reading, listening, writing) and are single, you will get 17 x 4 = 68 points.
For your first official language, the following conversion table lets you know how many CRS points you can claim based on your test results. This table is per ability, so for example, if you got a Canadian Level Benchmark (CLB) 7 for the four abilities (speaking, reading, listening, writing) and are single, you will get 17 x 4 = 68 points.
| First Official Language Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) | CRS points without spouse/partner | CRS points with spouse/partner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Principal Applicant | Spouse/Partner | ||
| CLB3 or less | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| CLB4 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| CLB5 | 6 | 6 | 1 |
| CLB6 | 9 | 8 | 1 |
| CLB7 | 17 | 16 | 3 |
| CLB8 | 23 | 22 | 3 |
| CLB9 | 31 | 29 | 5 |
| CLB10 or more | 34 | 32 | 5 |
For the second official language, the following conversion table lets you know how many CRS points you can earn, per ability.
There no need for your spouse or common-law partner to take French and English tests as there are no additional points for the second Official Language.
CRS points with a spouse or partner cannot exceed a total 22 points (vs 24 points for a candidate without a spouse or partner).
| Second Official Language Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) | CRS points without spouse/partner | CRS points with spouse/partner |
|---|---|---|
| CLB4 or less | 0 | 0 |
| CLB5 or CLB6 | 1 | 1 |
| CLB7 or CLB8 | 3 | 3 |
| CLB9 or more | 6 | 6 |
Canadian work experience (Max points: 80 points)
You need to find your NOC here first, and then check if your job experience in that NOC is eligible here.
The maximum points that can be awarded for Canadian work experience are 80 CRS points, either if single or with an accompanying spouse or common-law partner.
The maximum points that can be awarded for Canadian work experience are 80 CRS points, either if single or with an accompanying spouse or common-law partner.
| Canadian Work Experience | CRS points without spouse/partner | CRS points with spouse/partner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Principal Applicant | Spouse/Partner | ||
| Less than one year | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| One year | 40 | 35 | 5 |
| Two years | 53 | 46 | 7 |
| Three years | 64 | 56 | 8 |
| Four years | 72 | 63 | 9 |
| Five years or more | 80 | 70 | 10 |
Section C. Skill Transferability Factors (Max 100 points)
Education Level (Maximum 50 points)
The skill transferability factors are the most important in your CRS score. You can add up to a 100 points to your score, almost guaranteeing you to be drawn from the pool. However, it is not easy. For candidates in the Federal Skilled Workers program (that do not have Canadian work experience), scoring a CLB9 in all four language abilities is what could make you stand out.
For example here, if you have at least CLB9 in all four abilities, and a Master's degree (which theoretically had to obtain a Bachelors first that is usually 4 years long), you will get an additional 50 points. This is why it is extremely important to assess all your credentials with an ECA and not just your highest degree (check here for the ECA page), it will not cost you more money if you do it in one take.
If you have CLB9 on all four abilities, you will not get to add up the points for CLB7 also. It's either one or the other.
You can check here on how to prepare your language tests.
For example here, if you have at least CLB9 in all four abilities, and a Master's degree (which theoretically had to obtain a Bachelors first that is usually 4 years long), you will get an additional 50 points. This is why it is extremely important to assess all your credentials with an ECA and not just your highest degree (check here for the ECA page), it will not cost you more money if you do it in one take.
If you have CLB9 on all four abilities, you will not get to add up the points for CLB7 also. It's either one or the other.
You can check here on how to prepare your language tests.
| Education level + Language proficiency | Minimum CLB7 on the four language abilities | Minimum CLB9 on the four language abilities |
|---|---|---|
| Post-secondary education of less than 1 year | 0 | 0 |
| Post-secondary education of at least 1 year | 13 | 25 |
| At least 2 post-secondary credentials, one of which is a program at least 3 years | 25 | 50 |
This can come in handy if you are eligible to the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), you could also get an additional 50 points if you satisfy to the two conditions below, on (i) the level of education, and (ii) the Canadian work experience.
| Education level + Canadian work experience | At least 1 year of Canadian work experience | At least 2 years of Canadian work experience |
|---|---|---|
| Post-secondary education of less than 1 year | 0 | 0 |
| Post-secondary education of at least 1 year | 13 | 25 |
| At least 2 post-secondary credentials, one of which is a program at least 3 years | 25 | 50 |
You cannot get more than 50 points in this category, even if you get the 50 points from the first table, and the 50 points from the second table. And you cannot get more than 100 points in this whole section C.
Foreign work experience (Maximum 50 points)
The skill transferability factors are the most important in your CRS score. You can add up to a 100 points to your score, almost guaranteeing you to be drawn from the pool. However, it is not easy. For candidates in the Federal Skilled Workers program, scoring a CLB 9 in all four language abilities is what could make you stand out.
For example here, if you have at least CLB 9 in all four abilities, and 3 years of foreign work experience (non-Canadian), you will get an additional 50 points.
If you have CLB9 on all four abilities, you will not get to add up the points for CLB7 also. It's either one or the other.
For example here, if you have at least CLB 9 in all four abilities, and 3 years of foreign work experience (non-Canadian), you will get an additional 50 points.
If you have CLB9 on all four abilities, you will not get to add up the points for CLB7 also. It's either one or the other.
| Foreign work experience + Language proficiency | Minimum CLB7 on the four language abilities | Minimum CLB9 on the four language abilities |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign work experience: Less than 1 year | 0 | 0 |
| Foreign work experience: 1 to 2 years | 13 | 25 |
| Foreign work experience: at least 3 years | 25 | 50 |
This can come in handy if you are eligible to the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), you could also get an additional 50 points if satisfy to the two conditions below, on (i) the foreign work experience, and (ii) the Canadian work experience.
| Canadian + Foreign Work Experience | At least 1 year of Canadian work experience | At least 2 years of Canadian work experience |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign work experience: Less than 1 year | 0 | 0 |
| Foreign work experience: 1 to 2 years | 13 | 25 |
| Foreign work experience: at least 3 years | 25 | 50 |
You cannot get more than 50 points in this category, even if you get the 50 points from the first table, and the 50 points from the second table. And you cannot get more than 100 points in this whole section.
Certificate of qualification (Maximum 50 points)
This skill transferability factor concerns the candidates eligible under the Federal Skilled Trades program, that hold a valid certificate of qualification in a trade occupation issued by a competent provincial or federal authority. You can get an additional 50 points if your language proficiency in the four abilities is at CLB 7 and hold a certificate of qualification. For more on the eligibility under the Federal Skilled Trades program, you should check here.
If you have CLB7 on all four abilities, you will not get to add up the points for CLB5 also. It's either one or the other.
If you have CLB7 on all four abilities, you will not get to add up the points for CLB5 also. It's either one or the other.
| Certificate of qualification + Language proficiency | Minimum CLB5 on the four language abilities | Minimum CLB7 on the four language abilities |
|---|---|---|
| Issued a certificate of qualification | 25 | 50 |
Section D. Additional Factors (Max 600 points)
Additional factors
You can get up to 600 additional points.
You can check here how to prepare your French language test.
For provincial nominations, you need to check which provinces have an Express Entry program and that is open. You can learn all about provincial nominations here.
Click here for more information on what is a valid job offer by the standards of IRCC.
You can check here how to prepare your French language test.
For provincial nominations, you need to check which provinces have an Express Entry program and that is open. You can learn all about provincial nominations here.
Click here for more information on what is a valid job offer by the standards of IRCC.
| Additional points | Maximum 600 points |
|---|---|
| Provincial or territorial nomination acquired through an Express Entry aligned PNP stream | 600 |
| Valid job offer in NOC TEER Category 0, Major Group 00* | 200 |
| Valid job offer in NOC TEER Category 0 (other than Major Group 00*), 1, 2 or 3 | 50 |
| Completion of post-secondary program in Canada, of at least 3 years in duration | 30 |
| Completion of post-secondary program in Canada, of 1 or 2 years in duration | 15 |
| French: at least CLB7 AND English: at least CLB5 - On all four language abilities | 50 |
| French: at least CLB7 AND English: lower than CLB5 or no test results- On all four language abilities | 25 |
| Sibling in Canada as Citizen or Permanent Resident | 15 |
* Major Group 00 of the NOC (Legislative and senior managers) corresponds to the 6 NOC codes, from 00010 to 00015.
If during your studies in Canada, you received more than 50 percent of your education via distance learning, you should not get the additional Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points for completion of post-secondary program in Canada.
However, if you completed any part of your program of study or training between March 2020 and August 2022, you are eligible even if you completed the program entirely
If during your studies in Canada, you received more than 50 percent of your education via distance learning, you should not get the additional Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points for completion of post-secondary program in Canada.
However, if you completed any part of your program of study or training between March 2020 and August 2022, you are eligible even if you completed the program entirely
- through distance learning
- from outside Canada, or
- through part-time studies.
With all of this information about the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), you should be able to calculate your own CRS score if you followed steps 1 to 4. You can use this tool here that will calculate your CRS score.
Increase your CRS Score
An article summarizing how a candidate, who has been waiting to be selected for some time, can boost its rank and its CRS points, and ultimately receive an Invitation to Apply is available here.
Express Entry Step-by-Step Guide
1. Finding your NOC (National Occupational Classification)
To be eligible, you need to first check that you work experience, as defined by the NOC system, is eligible for Express Entry. First check out this page to learn how to find your correct NOC.
Go to step 1.
Go to step 1.
2. Getting your Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) if you credential is not Canadian
You need to get your foreign educational credential assessed by one of IRCC's approved third parties. Click here to see the procedure to get this done, the list of approved third parties and the one we recommend.
Go to step 2.
Go to step 2.
3. Taking your English and/or French language tests
For all the three Express Entry programs, you need to take English and/or French test(s) and score a number of points to be eligible. Find out all you need to know about language tests here.
Go to Step 3.
Go to Step 3.
4. Checking your eligibility to Express Entry
Under Express Entry, there are eligibility requirements for each of the three economic immigration programs. To find out if you could be eligible under any of the three programs, click here.
Go to Step 4.
Go to Step 4.
5. Calculate your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score - YOU ARE HERE
You need next to understand how to calculate your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. This score is the one you will be ranked with in the Express Entry pool.
6. Getting into the Express Entry Pool
After taking your language exam(s), and getting your ECA (if your credential is not Canadian), you need to verify your eligibility through the Come to Canada Tool and then create your Express Entry profile to get into the pool of applicants.
Go to step 6.
Go to step 6.
7. Receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA)
If you have enough CRS points, you will get an Invitation to Apply. You will have 60 days to fill additional forms and submit your supporting documents.
Go to step 7.
Go to step 7.
8. Your document checklist: Tips and Advice
After receiving you Invitation to Apply (ITA), you will need to upload the requested supporting documents. Get ahead and make sure you will not have a problem gathering them.
Go to step 8.
Go to step 8.
9. From Acknowledgement of Receipt (AoR) to Passeport Request (PPR)
After submitting your documents, learn about the process of approval of your application and the different updates that will let you have an idea on where you application is at.
Go to step 9.
Go to step 9.
10. Preparing your landing in Canada
Check out our before landing and living pages, to learn all about Canada, its biggest cities, its healthcare and education systems, what things to do first when arriving in Canada, etc.
