How Does the CRS Score Work?
The Comprehensive Ranking System scores every Express Entry candidate out of 1,200 points. Here's exactly what's being measured, and why.
The first 500 points
Your age, education, language ability and Canadian work experience make up your "core human capital" score — worth up to 500 points if you're single, or split across you and your spouse if you have one.
- Age: peaks between 20–29, then declines — there's no way around this one except applying sooner rather than later.
- Education: a Master's degree scores meaningfully higher than a Bachelor's — an ECA is required to prove your foreign credential's Canadian equivalency.
- Language: the single most improvable factor. Moving from CLB 7 to CLB 9 across all four abilities can add well over 100 points.
- Work experience: scored in bands (1, 2–3, 4–5, 6+ years) — more years help, but with diminishing returns after 3.
The 100-point bonus most people miss
Combinations of education + language, or education + Canadian work experience, unlock additional "transferability" points. A strong language score doesn't just count once — it compounds with your other factors here.
The 600-point lever
A provincial nomination adds 600 points outright — more than most people can gain from every other factor combined. If your core score isn't clearing recent draw cut-offs, this is almost always the more efficient path.
Check Provincial Nominee Programs →