CELPIP Test Fee 2026: $299 Cost, Taxes, Refunds, Reschedules

The CELPIP-General test fee in Canada is $299 plus tax. With tax, you pay between $313.95 (Alberta, BC, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the territories) and $343.85 (New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, PEI). CELPIP-General LS, the listening-and-speaking test for citizenship, is $199 plus tax. Moving your test date costs $50 plus tax, and cancelling at least 7 days ahead refunds half of what you paid.

Those figures come from the CELPIP test overview, the policy text on the CELPIP Canada page and the tax table in Paragon's July 2026 registration form, all checked on October 26, 2026. Many pages that rank for "CELPIP fee" still say $290. That was the price until 2026, and it is out of date.

When I booked my CELPIP-General sitting in Vancouver for September 2025, the fee was $290 plus 5% GST, so $304.50. The same seat today costs $313.95. I scored 12 in Listening, Reading and Writing and 11 in Speaking, and most of what I'd tell you about cost comes down to one point: the fee that hurts is the second one.

Key takeaways

• CELPIP-General: $299 + tax in Canada. Used for Express Entry, other PR programs, professional designations and schools.
• CELPIP-General LS: $199 + tax. Listening and Speaking only, accepted for Canadian citizenship but not for PR.
• Total with tax: $313.95 to $343.85 for General, $208.95 to $228.85 for LS, depending on your province.
• Transfer (reschedule): $50 + tax if you ask at least 7 calendar days before the test.
• Cancellation: 50% refund if you cancel at least 7 calendar days before. Less than 7 days: no refund.
• Late, wrong ID or no-show: no refund and no transfer. You pay the full fee again.
• Retake: full price each time. No limit on attempts, but sittings must be a few days apart.
• Re-evaluation: priced per component in your CELPIP account, refunded for any component whose level changes.
• Score report: the PDF in your CELPIP account is the official report. You upload it to IRCC yourself.

How much does CELPIP cost in Canada?

Source: CELPIP test overview, checked October 26, 2026. Prices are in Canadian dollars and apply to test centres in Canada. celpip.ca notes that international pricing varies by country. Check the fee shown next to your chosen date on the test date finder before you pay, because that is the amount you will be charged.

If you are applying for PR, book CELPIP-General. IRCC lists CELPIP-General as the approved English test for Express Entry (IRCC language test page). The cheaper LS test cannot be used for a PR application, and booking the wrong one is an expensive way to lose $200.

CELPIP fee with tax in every province

Paragon charges the sales tax of the province you live in. These are the official totals from the tax table in the July 2026 registration form:

The form does not list the Northwest Territories separately. As a GST-only territory it should fall in the 5% row, but confirm the amount at checkout.

How the CELPIP fee has changed

The LS test moved from $195 in the January 2026 form to $199 in the July 2026 form. If a guide quotes $290 or $195, it was written before the 2026 increase.

How much does it cost to reschedule a CELPIP test?

CELPIP calls a reschedule a transfer. You can move to another date, time or centre for the same type of test.

Source: CELPIP Canada page and the test overview policies, checked October 26, 2026.

To transfer, sign in to your CELPIP account, find Upcoming test, click Actions, then Transfer to a different sitting. With tax, the $50 fee works out to $52.50 in BC or Alberta and $56.50 in Ontario.

One detail worth knowing: the policy printed in Paragon's July 2026 minors registration form says nine days in a couple of places, while the policy on celpip.ca says seven. If you are between seven and nine days out, request the transfer immediately and keep the confirmation email.

Can you get a refund if you cancel CELPIP?

Partly, and only if you cancel early.

Source: CELPIP Canada page and overview policies.

Compare the two options before you cancel. In Ontario, cancelling 7 days ahead gets you back about $168.94 of $337.87, so you lose roughly $169. A transfer costs $56.50. If there is any chance you will test in the next few months, transferring is the cheaper choice.

The fees nobody plans for: late arrival and ID problems

These cost more than any transfer, because you lose the whole fee.

• Arrive 45 minutes early. CELPIP asks you to arrive 45 minutes before your test, and check-in closes 15 minutes before the start. If you miss that, you are refused entry with no refund and no transfer (overview page).
• Bring the exact ID you registered with. It must be valid and original. If it is refused at check-in, there is no refund or transfer (CELPIP Canada page). If you registered with a passport, CELPIP recommends not sending it away for a visa or renewal before your test date.

Plan your route the day before, especially if your sitting is early on a weekend. A traffic delay costs the same as a no-show.

How much does a CELPIP retake cost?

A retake costs the full test fee again: $299 plus tax for CELPIP-General. There is no discounted retake and no option to retake only one section. CELPIP is always booked and scored as the whole test.

There is no limit on how many times you can take it. The policy on celpip.ca says your sittings must be at least four calendar days apart. The overview page phrases it as no more than one session within five calendar days. Leave a week between bookings and you satisfy both.

If you need a CLB 9 and keep landing on 8 in one skill, two full attempts cost about $630 to $690 depending on your province. That is the number to weigh against a few more weeks of targeted practice.

How much does CELPIP re-evaluation cost?

Paragon does not publish a fixed re-evaluation price. The fee depends on which components you choose, and you see the amount in your CELPIP account when you apply (CELPIP results page). The rules that are published:

• Apply within six months of your test date.
• One re-evaluation per component.
• If the level changes for a component you paid to re-evaluate, that component's fee is refunded.
• Results in about one to two weeks.
• Requests are final sale and cannot be cancelled.
• Listening and Reading re-evaluations rarely change, because they are computer-scored.

I wrote a full guide with reported outcomes: CELPIP re-evaluation cost, timeline and real results.

Is sending your CELPIP score to IRCC free?

Yes. Your official score report is a PDF you download from your CELPIP account, usually 2 to 4 business days after the test (CELPIP results page). Hard-copy reports have been discontinued. For Express Entry you enter your test details and scores in your profile, then upload the PDF with your application. Paragon lists no fee for this.

Validity is where people get caught. CELPIP's results page says scores are valid for five years from the date of the report, but IRCC requires results to be less than two years old when you create your Express Entry profile and again when you submit your PR application (IRCC). For immigration, the two-year rule is the one that matters. If your result expires before you apply, you pay for another test. I covered the timing in CELPIP results: timeline and score report.

Is CELPIP cheaper than IELTS?

Usually, yes. IDP lists IELTS General Training in Canada at $335 to $361 before tax, depending on the centre (IDP: cost of IELTS in Canada, checked October 26, 2026). CELPIP-General is $299 before tax at every Canadian centre.

Price is a small part of the choice, though. A test you pass once is cheaper than a test you take twice. CELPIP is computer-based, done in one sitting, and uses Canadian English in everyday situations. The format is fixed, so the practice you do transfers directly to test day. If you are still deciding, try one full CELPIP practice test before you book anything.

What a CELPIP attempt really costs

Free study materials exist: celpip.ca offers free sample tests, videos and webinars. Paid study materials bought from Paragon are not refundable (overview page).

How to avoid paying for CELPIP twice

1. Book the right test. CELPIP-General for PR, LS only for citizenship.
2. Book when your practice scores are already at your target. Take a free full practice test under real timing first. If you are a level short in one skill, a few weeks of work is cheaper than a $300 retake.
3. Leave a buffer before your deadline. Results take 2 to 4 business days, but book at least a few weeks before your Express Entry or PNP deadline in case you need a second attempt.
4. Transfer instead of cancelling if you are not ready. $50 plus tax beats losing half the fee.
5. Check your ID and arrival time the week before. These are the most expensive mistakes on the list.

For the test itself, see the CELPIP test format for 2026 and how to prepare for CELPIP.

FAQ

How much is the CELPIP exam fee in Canada?

$299 plus tax for CELPIP-General, which is $313.95 to $343.85 depending on your province. CELPIP-General LS is $199 plus tax.

Is the CELPIP fee the same in every province?

The base fee is the same, $299. The total changes with sales tax: 5% in Alberta, BC, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the territories, 13% in Ontario, 14% in Nova Scotia, 14.975% in Quebec and 15% in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and PEI.

How much does it cost to change my CELPIP date?

$50 plus tax if you request the transfer at least 7 calendar days before your test. Closer than that, contact Paragon. They may require documentation and are not obliged to approve.

Do I get my money back if I cancel CELPIP?

You get 50% back if you cancel at least 7 calendar days before your test. Inside 7 days there is no refund.

Can I pay for only one section of CELPIP?

No. CELPIP-General is booked and scored as a full test. To improve one skill, you retake the whole test at full price, or request a re-evaluation of that component within six months.

Is CELPIP LS cheaper and can I use it for PR?

CELPIP-General LS is $199 plus tax, but it is only for Canadian citizenship. For Express Entry and other PR programs you need CELPIP-General.

How much does CELPIP cost outside Canada?

It depends on the country and the centre. celpip.ca shows the local fee next to each date in the test date finder.

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