The Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) has two types of tests: CELPIP-General and CELPIP-General LS. Both tests measure how well a person speaks English, but there are some major differences between the two.

Areas of evaluation:

  • Language skills: The four language skills that the CELPIP-General test assesses are: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. On the other hand, the CELPIP-General LS only tests two language skills: listening and speaking.
  • Test Purpose: The CELPIP-General test is for people who want to move to Canada or must show that they can speak English well for work or school. CELPIP-General LS is made for people who want to become Canadian citizens but need to show that they can speak English well.
  • CELPIP Test Format: The CELPIP-General and CELPIP-General LS tests have different ways of being set up. For the written part of the CELPIP-General, test-takers have to write answers to questions in the Reading and Writing sections. On the other hand, there is no written part to the CELPIP-General LS. Instead, all answers are given orally.
  • Length of the test: The CELPIP-General is a longer test that takes about 3 hours and 15 minutes to finish. The CELPIP-General LS test, on the other hand, takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes to finish.
  • Score reporting: Both tests are scored on a scale from 1 to 12, with 12 being the best score possible. But the results of each test are given in a different way. For the CELPIP-General, test-takers get a total score and separate scores for each language skill. Listening and Speaking are scored separately and as a whole on the CELPIP-General LS.

Overall, CELPIP-General tests all four language skills is made for immigration, employment, or school, has a written part, is longer, and reports scores in a different way. CELPIP-General LS only tests two language skills, is made especially for Canadian citizenship, doesn’t have a written part, is shorter, and reports scores in a different way.