- CELPIP (25 July 2024): scammers offer fake registrations, fake score report certificates and fake practice tests on WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Reddit and other websites; all vouchers and scores are electronically verified.
- IDP IELTS: “Can I buy an IELTS certificate? The simple answer is NO.” A user of a fake certificate risks having results rejected and being reported to authorities.
- IRCC accepts CELPIP-General, IELTS General Training and PTE Core in English, and TEF Canada and TCF Canada in French, for Express Entry, with results less than 2 years old, and says it will verify the results you submit.
- IRPA s. 40: five years of inadmissibility for misrepresentation after a final determination. Criminal Code s. 368: using a forged document as genuine, up to 10 years on indictment.
The matrix of what is sold
This is the one area of this country where the test providers themselves publish warnings about sellers. We name no sellers, but we can describe the offers from the providers' own pages.
| What is offered | What the test body says |
|---|---|
| A CELPIP score report certificate with high scores, no test | Scammers who advertise them often take your money and disappear. All CELPIP registration vouchers and scores are electronically verified, so a fake certificate will be rejected. |
| A cheap CELPIP registration voucher from an unverified seller | Fake registrations will not be recognized by CELPIP test centres. Only the organizations on CELPIP's verified voucher provider list are verified. |
| An IELTS Test Report Form, “buy IELTS without giving exam” | IDP says anyone claiming to sell you an IELTS certificate is trying to scam you, and a buyer could be banned from IELTS. |
| A fake test centre or fake practice test | Both CELPIP and IDP warn about these, and about fake centres. |
| A message from someone claiming to be test-company staff, asking for extra fees | CELPIP warns that scammers sometimes use the name or photo of real employees and tells you to contact customer service to check. |
Where the adverts appear
The channels CELPIP lists are WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Reddit and other websites. IDP's list for IELTS adds Google, Quora and blogs, and notes a catchy headline such as “Buy IELTS without giving exam”. In other words these are ordinary advertising channels, which is why you should expect to see them. IELTS says it pursues allegations of scam activity, and CELPIP asks anyone approached to buy score certificates or practice tests to report it on its test-security page.
Why a bought score cannot reach IRCC
- The score exists at the testing organization. A real result is produced by taking the test and stored in the provider's system.
- You enter the result into your Express Entry profile, with the certificate number and test PIN if the system asks. IRCC's page says it will verify both the averaged scores and the language test results you submit.
- Organizations can check with the provider. CELPIP's verification service lets an organization verify scores and identity directly with the CELPIP office using the registration number and PIN on the report; IELTS has an online verification service for each Test Report Form.
- A mismatch is the end of the file. A fake has no matching record.
The step-by-step on checking is on how results are checked. In practice a bought certificate does not fail slowly or by chance: it fails at the first lookup, usually after an application has already been built on it.
What using a fake can cost
Immigration
- Section 40 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act makes misrepresentation of material facts a ground of inadmissibility, continuing for five years after a final determination.
- Section 127 prohibits knowingly misrepresenting or withholding material facts that could induce an error in administering the Act.
Criminal law
- Criminal Code s. 368 covers using or dealing with a document known or believed to be forged as genuine: up to 10 years on indictment, or a summary conviction.
- These are ceilings; no source we read says what sentence a language-certificate case usually brings.
There is also a test-taker sanction. IDP says a fake certificate user could get banned from IELTS. The CCI Paris Île-de-France article on TEF fraud, dated 30 June 2025, lists plagiarism, cheating, use of connected devices and identity impersonation as fraud, and warns that fraud can undo your application.
The legitimate routes
- Book directly with the provider or one of its listed test centres. For CELPIP, buy vouchers only from the verified provider list on its site.
- If your scores were recalculated, follow IRCC's instruction. IRCC notes that anyone who took TEF Canada between 11 December 2023 and 6 May 2024 may have received updated scores and must update their Express Entry profile with the new scoring to avoid refusal.
- Report any seller you meet to the provider and to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
Frequently asked questions
Can you buy a CELPIP certificate?
No. CELPIP says all registration vouchers and scores are electronically verified, that fake registrations are not recognized by test centres, and that a fake score report certificate will be rejected and may be reported to authorities.
Can you buy an IELTS certificate in Canada?
No. IDP's IELTS page says the answer is no and that anyone claiming to sell one is trying to scam you; using a fake certificate can get your results rejected and you banned from IELTS.
Which language tests does IRCC accept?
For Express Entry: CELPIP-General, IELTS General Training and PTE Core in English; TEF Canada and TCF Canada in French. Results must be less than two years old.
Does IRCC check language test results?
IRCC's Express Entry page says it will verify both the averaged scores and the language test results you submit.
What happens if you use a fake IELTS or CELPIP certificate for immigration?
The result will be rejected, and misrepresentation under section 40 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act can make you inadmissible for five years. Using a forged document as genuine can also fall under Criminal Code section 368.
Where do I report someone selling test certificates?
CELPIP asks you to report on its test-security page; IELTS asks you to report to security.ielts@idp.com or at a test centre. Also report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
Sources and official links
- CELPIP: watch out for CELPIP scams (25 July 2024)
- CELPIP: Score and Identity Verification System
- IDP IELTS: beware of IELTS scams
- Le français des affaires (CCI Paris Île-de-France): frauder au TEF, un risque qui peut tout compromettre (30 June 2025)
- IRCC: Express Entry language test results
- Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, section 40 (misrepresentation)
- Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, section 127 (misrepresentation offence)
- Criminal Code, section 368 (use, trafficking or possession of forged document)