How to calculate your Express Entry CRS score
Knowing your CRS before going into the Express Entry pool can help you plan your Canadian immigration strategy.

Getting a high Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score gives you a better chance of immigrating to Canada through Express Entry

.The CRS is the points-based ranking system that Canada uses to assess immigration applications in the Express Entry system. Express Entry is an application management system for three economic-class immigration programs. It is not an immigration program itself.

The Express Entry-managed programs are: the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Program, and the Federal Skilled Trades Program. Certain Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) pull candidates from the Express Entry pool, but these candidates have to already be eligible for one of these programs.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) uses the CRS to assess your profile as a candidate for immigration. Basically, the more points you get, the more likely you are to be invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence.

You get points based off of factors that the Canadian government has determined will help you succeed in the labour market. Namely, your education, work experience in a skilled occupation, official language proficiency, and age. You alsoget scored differently depending on if you are including a spouse on your application. The CRS is out of a total of 1,200 points, though most people fall somewhere under 500 points.

You can get a pretty good idea of what your score will be in the Express Entry system before you submit your profile. There are a number of online tools that allow you to easily estimate what your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score may be, although you will only get your official score once you upload all of your documents to the online system.

Understanding how the CRS is calculated can help you to make the most of the Express Entry system and improve your chances of getting an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residency.

The ranking system

The first consideration when it comes to calculating points is whether or not you are including your spouse. You do not have to include your spouse if they are already a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.

Including a spouse on your application means that you will be eligible for 40 fewer points than single applicants in the core human capital factors, but you get to make them up in a special section for your partner’s human capital. This is supposed to make it so couples do not necessarily have an advantage in the pool over single applicants.

The core human capital factors are age, education, official language proficiency, and Canadian work experience. Beyond that, you can get points for skills transferability, such as your foreign work experience or education. There are a few other miscellaneous factors that can add points to your score, such as: having a sibling in Canada, French-language skills, Canadian education, arranged employment, and a provincial nomination.

Here are those three CRS components broken down further.

Core Human Capital Factors
For your core human capital score, you can get a maximum of 100 points if you are applying solo, and 110 if you area pplying with a spouse. These factors include your age, education, language ability, and Canadian work experience.
IRCC uses the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) to measure language proficiency in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. To determine if work experience is “skilled,” IRCC refers to the National Occupational Classification (NOC). Occupations that are classified as skill level 0, A, and B are eligible for CRS points. SelfEmployed work in Canada cannot be used toward your overall score.

Summary of maximum points per factor for Express Entry candidates

A. Core / human capital factors

B. Spouse or common-law partner factors 

FactorsPoints per factor – With a spouse or common-law partnerPoints per factor – Without a spouse or common-law partner
Age 100110
Level of education 
140150
Official languages proficiency 150160
Canadian work experience 7080
FactorsPoints per factor
(Maximum 40 points)
Level of education 10
Official language proficiency 20
Canadian Work Experience 10

A. Core/human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner factors = Maximum 500 points (with OR without a spouse or common-law partner)

C. Skill Transferability factors (Maximum 100 points)

Foreign work experiencePoints per factor
(Maximum 50 points)
With good/strong official languages proficiency (Canadian Language Benchmark [CLB] level 7 or higher) and foreign work experience50
With Canadian work experience and foreign work experience50
Certificate of qualification (for people in trade occupations)Points per factor
(Maximum 50 points)
With good/strong official languages proficiency and a certificate of qualification50

A. Core/human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner + C. Transferability factors = Maximum 600 points 

 D. Additional points (Maximum 600 points)
FactorMaximum points per factor
Brother or sister living in Canada (citizen or permanent resident)15
French language skills50
Post-secondary education in Canada30
Arranged employment200
PN nomination600
EducationPoints per factor
(Maximum 50 points)
With good/strong official languages proficiency and a post-secondary degree50
With Canadian work experience and a post-secondary degree50
Points breakdown, section by section

CRS – A. Core / human capital factors

  • With a spouse or common-law partner: Maximum 460 points total for all factors.
  • Without a spouse or common-law partner: Maximum 500 points total for all factors.
 
AgeWith a spouse or common-law partner
(Maximum 100 points)
Without a spouse or common-law partner
(Maximum 110 points)
17 years of age or less00
18 years of age9099
19 years of age95105
20 to 29 years of age100110
30 years of age95105
31 years of age9099
32 years of age8594
33 years of age8088
34 years of age7583
35 years of age7077
36 years of age6572
37 years of age6066
38 years of age5561
39 years of age5055
40 years of age4550
41 years of age3539
42 years of age2528
43 years of age1517
44 years of age56
45 years of age or more00
Level of EducationWith a spouse or common-law partner
(Maximum 140 points)
Without a spouse or common-law partner
(Maximum 150 points)
Less than secondary school (high school)00
Secondary diploma (high school graduation)2830
One-year degree, diploma or certificate from  a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute8490
Two-year program at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute9198
Bachelor’s degree OR  a three or more year program at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute112120
Two or more certificates, diplomas, or degrees. One must be for a program of three or more years119128
Master’s degree, OR professional degree needed to practice in a licensed profession (For “professional degree,” the degree program must have been in: medicine, veterinary medicine, dentistry, optometry, law, chiropractic medicine, or pharmacy.)126135
Doctoral level university degree (Ph.D.)140150

Official languages proficiency – first official language

Maximum points for each ability (reading, writing, speaking and listening):

  • 32 with a spouse or common-law partner
  • 34 without a spouse or common-law partner
Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level per abilityWith a spouse or common-law partner
(Maximum 128 points)
Without a spouse or common-law partner
(Maximum 136 points)
Less than CLB 400
CLB 4 or 566
CLB 689
CLB 71617
CLB 82223
CLB 92931
CLB 10 or more3234

Official languages proficiency – second official language

Maximum points for each ability (reading, writing, speaking and listening):

  • 6 with a spouse or common-law partner (up to a combined maximum of 22 points)
  • 6 without a spouse or common-law partner (up to a combined maximum of 24 points)
Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level per abilityWith a spouse or common-law partner
(Maximum 22 points)
Without a spouse or common-law partner
(Maximum 24 points)
CLB 4 or less00
CLB 5 or 611
CLB 7 or 833
CLB 9 or more66
Canadian work experienceWith a spouse or common-law partner
(Maximum 70 points)
Without a spouse or common-law partner
(Maximum 80 points)
None or less than a year00
1 year3540
2 years4653
3 years5664
4 years6372
5 years or more7080

Subtotal: A. Core / human capital factors

  • With a spouse or common-law partner – Maximum 460 points
  • Without a spouse or common-law partner – Maximum 500 points

CRS – B. Spouse or common-law partner factors (if applicable)

 
Spouse’s or common-law partner’s level of educationWith spouse or common-law partner
(Maximum 10 points)
Without spouse or common-law partner
(Does not apply)
Less than secondary school (high school)0n/a
Secondary school (high school graduation)2n/a
One-year program at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute6n/a
Two-year program at a university, college, trade or technical in school, or other institute7n/a
Bachelor’s degree OR  a three or more year program at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute8n/a
Two or more certificates, diplomas, or degrees. One must be for a program of three or more years9n/a
Master’s degree, or professional degree needed to practice in a licensed profession (For “professional degree”, the degree program must have been in: medicine, veterinary medicine, dentistry, optometry, law, chiropractic medicine, or pharmacy.)10n/a
Doctoral level university degree (PhD)10n/a

Note: (n/a) means that this factor does not apply in this case.

Spouse’s or common-law partner’s official languages proficiency – first official language

Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level per ability (reading, writing, speaking and listening )Maximum 20 points for section
Maximum 5 points per ability
Without spouse or common-law partner
(Does not apply)
CLB 4 or less0n/a
CLB 5 or 61n/a
CLB 7 or 83n/a
CLB 9 or more5n/a

Note: (n/a) means that this factor does not apply in this case.

Spouse’s Canadian work experienceMaximum 10 pointsWithout spouse or common-law partner
(Does not apply)
None or less than a year0n/a
1 year5n/a
2 years7n/a
3 years8n/a
4 years9n/a
5 years or more10n/a

Note: (n/a) means that this factor does not apply in this case.

Subtotal : A. Core / human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner factors = Maximum 500 points

CRS – C. Skill transferability factors (Maximum 100 points for this section)

Education

With good official language proficiency (Canadian Language Benchmark Level [CLB] 7 or higher) and a post-secondary degreePoints for CLB 7 or more on all first official language abilities, with one or more under CLB 9
(Maximum 25 points)
Points for CLB 9 or more on all four first official language abilities
(Maximum 50 points)
Secondary school (high school) credential or less00
Post-secondary program credential of one year or longer1325
Two or more post-secondary program credentials AND at least one of these credentials was issued on completion of a post-secondary program of three years or longer2550
A university-level credential at the master’s level or at the level of an entry-to-practice professional degree for an occupation listed in the National Occupational Classification matrix at Skill Level A for which licensing by a provincial regulatory body is required2550
A university-level credential at the doctoral level2550
With Canadian work experience and a post-secondary degreePoints for education + 1 year of Canadian work experience
(Maximum 25 points)
Points for education + 2 years or more of Canadian work experience
(Maximum 50 points)
Secondary school (high school) credential or less00
Post-secondary program credential of one year or longer1325
Two or more post-secondary program credentials AND at least one of these credentials was issued on completion of a post-secondary program of three years or longer2550
A university-level credential at the master’s level or at the level of an entry-to-practice professional degree for an occupation listed in the National Occupational Classification matrix at Skill Level A for which licensing by a provincial regulatory body is required2550
A university-level credential at the doctoral level2550

Foreign work experience – With good official language proficiency (Canadian Language Benchmark Level [CLB] 7 or higher)

Years of experiencePoints for foreign work experience + CLB 7 or more on all first official language abilities, one or more under 9
(Maximum 25 points)
Points for foreign work experience + CLB 9 or more on all four first official language abilities
(Maximum 50 points)
No foreign work experience00
1 or 2 years of foreign work experience1325
3 years or more of foreign work experience2550

Foreign work experience – With Canadian work experience

Years of experiencePoints for foreign work experience + 1 year of Canadian work experience
(Maximum 25 points)
Points for foreign work experience + 2 years or more of Canadian work experience
(Maximum 50 points)
No foreign work experience00
1 or 2 years of foreign work experience1325
3 years or more of foreign work experience2550
Certificate of qualification (trade occupations) – With good official language proficiency (Canadian Language Benchmark Level [CLB] 5 or higher)Points for certificate of qualification + CLB 5 or more on all first official language abilities, one or more under 7
(Maximum 25 points)
Points for certificate of qualification + CLB 7 or more on all four first official language abilities
(Maximum 50 points)
With a certificate of qualification2550

Subtotal: A. Core / human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner + C. Skill transferability factors – Maximum 600 points

CRS – D. Additional points (Maximum 600 points)

Additional pointsMaximum 600 points
Brother or sister living in Canada who is a citizen or permanent resident of Canada15
Scored NCLC 7 or higher on all four French language skills and scored CLB 4 or lower in English (or didn’t take an English test)25
Scored NCLC 7 or higher on all four French language skills and scored CLB 5 or higher on all four English skills50
Post-secondary education in Canada – credential of one or two years15
Post-secondary education in Canada – credential three years or longer30
Arranged employment – NOC 00200
Arranged employment – any other NOC 0, A or B50
Provincial or territorial nomination600

Subtotal: D. Additional points – Maximum 600 points

Grand total: A. Core / human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner + C. Skill transferability factors + D. Additional points = Maximum 1,200 points