What is the connection between CELPIP and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)?

The CELPIP Test is designated by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The CELPIP-General Test is proof of English language proficiency for permanent resident status in Canada and the CELPIP-General LS Test is proof of Listening and Speaking proficiency for Canadian citizenship. For specific language requirements, please visit the IRCC website at www.cic.gc.ca.

How much does the test cost? How do I pay?

For information on test fees, see Test Locations and Fees.

We accept the following forms of payment:

  • Online: VISA®, MasterCard®, American Express®,  PayPal®
  • By Mail: Money Orders
  • If you do not have a credit card for online payment, we do recommend prepaid credit cards such as Mastercard® Prepaid Cards or Visa® Gift Cards. Full payment must be made with one card only.
  • You can register and pay in person at either of our head offices which are located in Vancouver, BC and Toronto, ON.
  • For test takers in the Philippines, please click here for detailed information on alternative payment options.

NOTE:

  • With PayPal® , you can make purchases from your bank account or registered credit card. Simply choose PayPal at checkout, sign in to your PayPal account, and confirm your payment details.
  • We do not accept personal cheques. If you are paying by money order, payment must be made in Canadian dollars (CAD$) and made payable to “Paragon Testing Enterprises Inc.“. The name of the person taking the test or ordering study materials must be on the front of the money order.
  • We do not accept VISA® Debit as payment.
  • If paying by credit card, your statement will show this transaction as “Paragon Testing Ent”. Please ensure that anyone who reviews the statement is aware of the transaction.
How do I change or cancel my test date?

For information on how cancel your test date or transfer to an alternate test session, click here.

Do I need to submit a photo of myself?

No. You do not need to submit a photo of yourself as a part of your application or on the day of your CELPIP Test. In fact, we take a picture of you on the day of the test.

What if I haven’t received (or have lost) my Test Confirmation Email?

A test confirmation email is sent to each test taker who has successfully registered for a CELPIP Test. If you have not received (or have lost) your test confirmation email, please:

  1. Check you email junk folder, or
  2. Contact our office.

Can I bring my own food and water to the test?

Since the CELPIP Tests are delivered in a computer lab, we do not allow any food or drinks in the lab. However, if you do need some water during the test, please raise your hand and a Test Centre Supervisor will escort you to the water fountain.

Since the CELPIP Test is fully computer delivered, can I take this test remotely?

The CELPIP Test is fully computer delivered. However, the test must be completed in person at one of our test centres.  See Test Locations and Fees.

I don’t live in Canada. Can I take the test in my country?

CELPIP Tests are now available internationally, with test sittings now available in Dubai, UAE, New York, USA, and Manila, Philippines. We are constantly working to improve our services and the availability of our tests. Please check our website often for updates regarding new testing locations.  See Test Locations and Fees.

What is Canadian English?

Canadian English is the variety of English spoken in Canada. It contains elements of British English and American English in its vocabulary, as well as many distinctive Canadianisms. Please note that both British and American English spellings are accepted on the CELPIP Test.

More information about Canadian English on Wikipedia.

What does a Canadian accent sound like?

To get a good idea of what a Canadian accent sounds like, we recommend reviewing the Listening component of our FREE Online Sample Test.

Is the CELPIP-General Test designated by Quebec Immigration?

Currently, the CELPIP-General Test is not considered a designated English language test by the Quebec Immigration Office. Quebec establishes its own immigration requirements. To learn about that province’s requirements, visit  Quebec’s immigration website.

What is the passing score?

Each component of the test is given a CELPIP Level and there is no pass or fail. It is recommended that you contact the institution to which you are applying about their English language requirements.

How do I request special arrangements?

If you have a disability or special condition that might require special arrangements, please fill out the Special Accommodations Request Form and submit it to Paragon Testing Enterprises to request such arrangements. A minimum of 2 months’ advance notice prior to the registered CELPIP Test sitting date must be provided in order for the request to be considered. Requests must be accompanied by medical documentation (in English or translated by an authorized translator into English) issued within 2 years of the request date by a professional who is qualified to evaluate the test taker’s special needs.  Each request is treated on a case-by-case basis and must be reviewed and approved by Paragon’s central CELPIP Office before special arrangements for a test sitting can be confirmed.

How do I access my CELPIP Study Guide (Ebook)?

To access your CELPIP Study Guide (Ebook), please follow these steps:

    1. Sign in to your CELPIP Account.

If you have not signed into your CELPIP Account before or you keep getting an error stating “There was a problem activating your account”, click Forgot your password? at the bottom right of the sign in page. Follow the steps to reset your password. Once you have reset your password you will be able to sign in to your CELPIP Account.

2. Scroll down to the heading “My products and subscriptions”. You will see a link to your CELPIP Study Guide. Before you click the link to access your guide, you will need to:

a. Create a free account with Adobe.

b. Download the Adobe Digital Editions reader.

c. Sign in to Adobe Digital Editions with your new Adobe account so that your computer is authorized to view the guide.

3. To create a free account with Adobe, please go to Adobe’s Account page.

4. Click Get an Adobe ID if you are not already an Adobe member.

a. You will be asked to enter your name, date of birth, email address; create a password; agree to terms and conditions; and click Sign Up. You now have an Adobe account!

b. Next, click here to download Adobe Digital Editions. You can download Adobe Digital Editions on Windows, or Macintosh, or on the Apple App Store.

c. Once you have downloaded Adobe Digital Editions, click on the program logo.

d. A popup window will open. Click Run.

e. A setup window will then ask you to install the program. Click Install.

f. At the end of the installation, you will be asked to agree to the terms.

g. The Adobe Digital Editions download is now complete!

5. Now you can sign back in to your CELPIP Account, scroll down to “My Products and Subscriptions” and click the red link for your study guide ebook. Adobe Digital Editions will open automatically and ask you to authorize your computer by entering the Adobe Account ID and name that you created in step 4a.

6. You are now able to access your study guide ebook!

I know that there was an academic CELPIP Test, but I can’t find any information about it on your website.

When Paragon acquired the CAEL Assessment, the company decided to retire its CELPIP-Academic Test. If you would like to take an academic English proficiency test, please visit www.cael.ca.

How do I register for a test?
  1. Online (Recommended)
  2. By mail (For registrations in Canada only)
  3. In person at the CELPIP Head Office in Vancouver, British Columbia, or at the Paragon Office in Toronto, Ontario

Please note that CELPIP Test Centres do not process any registration applications. All registrations are completed through Paragon’s CELPIP Office by any of the methods listed above.

Important Notices

  • Please note that there is no walk-in registration for the CELPIP Test.
  • It is recommended that you register well in advance because test centres have limited capacity and registration requests are processed in the order in which they are received.
  • To take the CELPIP Test, you must be familiar with using a computer mouse and keyboard.
  • If you are under 18, please click here to fill out our CELPIP Registration Form for Minors.
  • To register at one of our head offices, you are required to present your acceptable, original and valid (unexpired) identification. Click here to see all of our acceptable identification.
I am having problems with the online registration page.

If you experience any problems with our online registration page, please contact our office by email at info@celpip.ca, by phone at 778-327-6854 (in the Vancouver area), at 647-793-8278 (in the Toronto area) or 1-800-958-5186 toll free (within North America).

Can I register at one of your test centres?

The CELPIP Test Centres do not process any registration applications. All registrations should be completed through the CELPIP Office at Paragon Testing Enterprises. The best and easiest way to register is online.

To register in person, please visit the Paragon Head Office in Vancouver, or at our office in Toronto. For more information about our office locations, click here.

I have completed the registration, but was not asked for payment. How do I pay for my test?

If you have not entered a credit card number for payment, your registration will be in pending status until it is paid for. Please follow these steps within 24 hours of attempting to register:

  1. Sign in to your CELPIP account here.
  2. Once you have signed in, you will see a small picture of a shopping cart with an orange box with the number 0 or 1 beside it, in the top right hand corner of the page. Click the orange box. It will take you to a page that says “Shopping cart”.
  3. You will see your registration and a button labelled “Checkout”. Click “Checkout”.
  4. Verify your address and click “Next” at the bottom of the page to review your order.
  5. Click “Place order”. Enter a valid credit card for payment of your registration fee. Once this payment is complete, you will receive an email confirming your CELPIP Test registration is complete.
How do I study for CELPIP?

For information on studying for CELPIP, click here.

What should I expect on test day?

For test day information, click here.

What kind of identification document (ID) can I use?

For information on what kind of identification is acceptable for the CELPIP Test, click here.

I purchased the Online Learning Program or Online Practice Tests and I am unable to access it.

If you are having trouble accessing your Online Learning Program or Online Practice Tests, please try the following:

  1. Use a desktop computer, as the online products are not compatible with smartphones or tablets.
  2. Ensure that your browser meets the minimum version requirements as listed below:

Chrome: version 14 or higher
Firefox: version 6 or higher
Opera: version 12.10 or higher
Safari: version 4 or higher

  1. Try a different browser than the one that you are currently in.
  2. Ensure that the email address and password you are entering are correct.

If you are still unable to access your online products, please contact our office by email at info@celpip.ca or toll free (within North America) at 1-800-958-5186.

How much time do the tests take?

See Test Format.

Can I use notepaper during the test?

Paper will be supplied to you at the test centre for any notes you may wish to write down. This paper must be returned to the Test Centre Supervisor at the end of the test. You may not bring any other paper into the test room.

Do I need to bring my own headset and microphone?

No. A headset and microphone for the Listening and Speaking components of the test are provided by the test centre.

Do I have to read anything in the Listening and Speaking components?

Yes, test takers will be required to read answer choices in the Listening component and questions in the Speaking component. To get an idea of what the test is like, we recommend purchasing instructional materials or reviewing our free online sample test.

How and when do I get my CELPIP scores?

For information on obtaining test results, click here.

What do CELPIP scores mean?

For information on scoring, click here.

How long are my CELPIP scores valid?

We will make your scores available to you for 2 years from the date of the test. The length of time that your scores are considered valid by various institutions, however, is determined by their individual policies. You can obtain this information from these institutions.

How soon can I retake the test?

You may register for no more than one Test Session within four (4) calendar days. Test session registrations that violate this rule are subject to cancellation by Paragon.

The CELPIP Office recommends that you do additional studying before retaking the test. See CELPIP Instructional Materials.

What if I feel my test has been evaluated incorrectly?

You can apply for a re-evaluation of some or all components of your CELPIP Test within 6 months of the test date. You must pay a re-evaluation fee at the time of your application. The amount of the fee will depend on which components of the test you would like to have re-evaluated. If the CELPIP level changes for any component that has been re-evaluated, the re-evaluation fee for that component will be refunded. Please note that there is a limit of one re-evaluation for any particular component of the test. Re-evaluation requests are final sale, and cannot be cancelled once the request has been submitted.

Test takers who apply for a re-evaluation of their test results will be notified of the results of the re-evaluation in approximately 2 to 3 weeks of submitting of their application and paying the re-evaluation fee.

To make a re-evaluation request, sign in to your CELPIP Account.

I sent my passport booklet away. Can I still take the test?

If you registered for the CELPIP Test with a passport booklet, we recommend that you do not send it away for any reason (i.e., extensions or visa renewals) before your scheduled test date. If you are required to do so, please send away your passport booklet after you have taken the test or before you register for the test. If you do not provide your passport booklet or the identification document that you registered at the test sitting, you will be refused entry to the test and no refunds or transfers will be given. For more information, see the Cancellation and Transfer Policies.

I want to report a test security issue. Where can I do this?

To report a test security issue, please visit our Test Security page.

What are the browser requirements for purchasing test registrations and study materials?

To see if your browser is compatible with our online transaction system, click here.

If you are having difficulty completing a purchase in our online store, please refer to the TLS compatibility chart, and make sure that your browser is supported.

How can I pay online if I am in the Philippines and do not have a credit card and do not have access to PayPal?

For test takers in the Philippines who do not have a credit card for online payment, we do recommend prepaid credit cards, which can be purchased at the following financial institutions:

Please note that full payment must be made with one card only.

Test takers are also able to register and pay for a CELPIP Test in person at one of our Approved CELPIP Registration Agents (ACRA). Please see here for more information.

How do I update my registration details?

To update the registration details (ie. name, date of birth), please contact our office by email to submit a formal request to have it amended. Please note that the name and date of birth entered for your CELPIP Test registration must match exactly with the ID you present on the day of the CELPIP Test. If the name does not match, you may be refused entry to the test and will not be eligible for a refund or transfer.

How can I register and pay in person in the Philippines?

Paragon Testing Enterprises works with organizations in the Philippines to allow for in-person CELPIP Test registration and payment. Approved centres are known as an Approved CELPIP Registration Agent (ACRA). Please note that Paragon Testing Enterprises is not responsible for exchange rates, which may differ between organizations.

You can register and pay in person at our test centre, Magsaysay Institute of Hospitality and Culinary Arts.

You may also register and pay in person at one of our other ACRAs: