A 27-year-old web developer with ~4.5 years of experience (NOC 2175 at the time) calculated a CRS of 373 with IELTS 8.5L/6.5R/6W/7S and asked how competitive that is and which provinces to target.
Member consensus:
- 373 is a very low score, even for PNP streams. Multiple members were blunt that this score is not competitive.
- Retake IELTS targeting 8777. The applicant's own math showed 8777+ would lift the CRS to about 435. Members agreed writing was the band to fix, though noted even ~435 mainly opens PNP doors rather than guaranteeing a general draw.
- The three levers members recommended for someone under 30: improve the language score first (cheapest, fastest), learn French for additional CRS points, and consider a Canadian master's degree, which adds education points plus post-graduation options.
- On the BC PNP Tech stream: it requires a valid job offer from a Canadian employer. The thread did not resolve whether employers will wait through the process - treat securing that offer as the hard part of the pathway.
Historical note: this discussion reflects draw cut-offs and the BC PNP Tech program as they stood at the time; CRS competitiveness and NOC codes (now TEER-based) have changed, so check current IRCC and provincial draw data.