The CRS score explained
The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) is how Express Entry ranks candidates in the pool. It scores your profile out of 1,200, and the highest scores are invited to apply in each round.
What the CRS measures
The CRS has four parts. Core human-capital factors (age, education, official-language ability and Canadian work experience) carry the most points. Spouse or partner factors add a smaller amount if they accompany you. Skill-transferability points reward strong combinations of education, language and experience. Additional points cover things like a provincial nomination, Canadian study, French proficiency, or a sibling in Canada.
Together these total a single score out of 1,200 that determines your rank in the pool.
The factors that move your score most
Language ability and age are usually the biggest levers, followed by education and Canadian work experience — and improving your language test result is often the most controllable way to gain points. French ability can add bonus points on top of your first language.
The single largest factor is a provincial nomination, worth 600 points, which effectively guarantees an invitation. Use the CRS estimator to see how each factor changes your total.
What score you need
There is no fixed pass mark. The cut-off is set by each round: IRCC invites candidates from the top down until the round's target is met, so the threshold moves with the size and strength of the pool and the round type.
The best guide to a realistic target is recent history — check the draws tracker for the cut-off scores of the latest Express Entry rounds. And remember a high CRS still rides on the right NOC, since category-based draws are pulled by occupation.