TCF Canada (Test de connaissance du français pour le Canada) is the French proficiency exam officially recognized by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and administered by France Éducation International. It is accepted as official language proof for permanent residence, citizenship and professional qualifications. This single page covers the whole exam: what it is, who needs it, the four sections and their timing, the official score bands for Listening and Reading, the score-to-NCLC (and CLB) conversion, the criteria examiners apply, registration step by step, how long results take, retake rules, Express Entry French bonus points, how the exam compares with TEF and DELF, and a preparation roadmap — with official sources cited at the end.
TCF Canada has minimal eligibility restrictions — you must be at least 16 years old, with no education, nationality or language-background requirement. Anyone who needs to prove French proficiency for a Canadian immigration file can register. In practice, four groups take it most often.
If you are unsure which level you need, work backwards from the program: Express Entry and the francophone provincial streams almost always stop at NCLC 7, while professional orders and post-secondary admission set their own thresholds. Our NCLC score guide maps every requirement to a raw TCF score.
TCF Canada has 4 sections with a total duration of 2 hours 47 minutes, taken in one sitting. Listening and Reading are multiple-choice and auto-scored out of 699 points each; Writing and Speaking are each graded by two independent examiners out of 20 points.
There is no penalty for wrong answers in Listening and Reading — an unanswered question costs the same as a wrong one, so never leave a blank.
The questions, format and scoring are identical in both versions — only the delivery differs. In the digital version you take the test on a computer at the centre: Listening and Reading are click-to-answer, and Writing is typed; candidates who write faster by hand can choose a paper-based centre. Not every centre offers the digital option — check the "digital test option" badge in our test centre directory before registering. The Speaking section is face-to-face with an examiner in both formats.
Neither FEI nor IRCC publishes the point weight of individual questions, nor how many questions fall in each difficulty band. What is official is the score range that maps to each NCLC level: Listening and Reading each have 39 questions scored out of 699, ordered from easier to harder, and each listening recording is played only once.
For candidates targeting NCLC 7, the B2 band (Listening 458–502, Reading 453–498) is where the level is decided, so it deserves the most practice time. The full conversion table is below.
The interactive NCLC calculator on the page converts your own four scores; the full reference table is below. Each skill converts separately and your final NCLC level equals your lowest skill. Reading and Listening are scored out of 699, Writing and Speaking out of 20 — so the same NCLC band requires different raw scores per skill.
| NCLC | Reading | Listening | Speaking | Writing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10+ | 549–699 (C1-C2) | 549–699 (C1-C2) | 16–20 (C1-C2) | 16–20 (C1-C2) |
| 9 | 524–548 (C1) | 523–548 (C1) | 14–15 (C1) | 14–15 (C1) |
| 8 | 499–523 (B2-C1) | 503–522 (C1) | 12–13 (B2) | 12–13 (B2) |
| 7 | 453–498 (B2) | 458–502 (B2-C1) | 10–11 (B2) | 10–11 (B2) |
| 6 | 406–452 (B2) | 398–457 (B1-B2) | 7–9 (B1) | 7–9 (B1) |
| 5 | 375–405 (B1-B2) | 369–397 (B1) | 6 (B1) | 6 (B1) |
| 4 | 342–374 (B1) | 331–368 (B1) | 4–5 (A2) | 4–5 (A2) |
| Below NCLC 4 | ≤341 | ≤330 | ≤3 | ≤3 |
NCLC 7 is the threshold for most immigration programs, and where the French +25/+50 CRS bonus starts. In practice, "NCLC 7" means Reading 453–498, Listening 458–502, Writing 10–11 and Speaking 10–11. Convert your own four scores with the free NCLC calculator, or read the underlying method in our NCLC score conversion guide.
All three writing tasks must be completed in 60 minutes, so budget roughly 12, 18 and 30 minutes respectively. The official length targets are:
Structure beats vocabulary. A clean three-paragraph essay with correct connectors scores higher than a dense text with tangled syntax. Studied templates for each task are in our TCF Canada writing templates guide, and the vocabulary that actually moves scores is collected in the B2 vocabulary guide.
The oral is recorded and marked twice, which means consistency matters more than one brilliant answer. The 12 minutes break down into a guided interview (2 min, no prep), a role-play interaction (5 min 30, incl. 2 min prep) and an opinion defence (4 min 30).
Examiners are listening for five things: whether you keep going without long silences, whether you are intelligible, whether your grammar holds under pressure, whether your vocabulary is varied and precise, and whether your argument is organised. Preparing frameworks for a dozen common topics — environment, work, technology, health, immigration — is the highest-yield oral exercise. Our speaking scoring guide breaks down each band with annotated sample answers.
You cannot register directly with IRCC or France Éducation International — you book through an authorised test centre. The fee is roughly CAD $390–$400 and varies slightly by centre and session type.
Because sessions fill weeks in advance and results take another three weeks, work backwards from your Express Entry or PNP deadline: book at least two months before you need the score in hand.
Results are issued through France Éducation International in about 15 business days and are valid for 2 years from the date the results are issued. If you fall short in one skill you retake the whole exam — all four sections are compulsory — and the minimum interval between two attempts is 20 days.
Two practical points. First, because your NCLC level is your lowest skill, a retake only helps if you fix that specific weakness; repeating the same preparation usually reproduces the same band. Second, diagnose whether the shortfall was a timing problem (unfinished sections) or a level problem (genuine gaps) — the two require completely different fixes. Our retake strategy guide covers the diagnostic.
The on-site procedure is set by France Éducation International (official "Déroulement d'une passation du TCF"). Knowing the rules in advance keeps your time and energy on the language itself rather than on the logistics.
Sources: France Éducation International — test-day procedure (Déroulement d'une passation du TCF) · official TCF Canada page.
French as first official language: NCLC 7 in all four skills earns 68 points without a spouse or partner (17 per skill) — or 64 with one — and the maximum 136 (34 per skill; 128 with a spouse) requires NCLC 10 or higher in all four.
French as second official language, added on top of your English scores: NCLC 5-6 = +1 per skill (up to +4), NCLC 7-8 = +3 per skill (up to +12), NCLC 9+ = +6 per skill (cap: +24 without a spouse, +22 with one).
With French at NCLC 7 or higher in all four skills you get an additional 25 CRS points (English at CLB 4 or lower, or untested) or 50 points (English CLB 5+ in all four skills). Provincial programs add their own rules: New Brunswick's Strategic Initiative requires NCLC 5 in all four French skills, Quebec's PEQ requires spoken level 7 on the provincial scale, Ontario closed its French-speaking stream in 2026, and Manitoba invites French speakers through francophone selection draws. Full strategy: Express Entry French bonus guide.
If your goal is immigration points, only TCF Canada and TEF Canada are relevant — and they convert to the same NCLC scale. Our TCF vs TEF comparison puts the two side by side, and the registration guide covers booking at a centre near you.
Because the final level is your weakest skill, the efficient route is always to lift the lowest score rather than polish the highest one. Our study plan guide turns that into a structured weekly routine.
Recommended target: NCLC 7 (CLB 7) in all four sections. Candidates starting from scratch follow a path that varies widely with their native language and weekly hours; candidates already around B1 usually reach the threshold much sooner. Our platform offers 5,000+ practice questions with AI writing feedback — 100 reading and listening questions are free, no credit card required. Deep dives by stage: NCLC score conversion table, TCF vs TEF, registration, study plans, Express Entry French bonus, writing templates, B2 vocabulary, speaking scoring & samples.
Start practising: free TCF Canada practice (100 questions) or take a mock exam under timed conditions.
2 hours 47 minutes in total, taken in one sitting: Listening 35 minutes, Reading 60 minutes, Writing 60 minutes and Speaking 12 minutes. Waiting time between sections is not included in the official duration.
Listening and Reading are multiple-choice and scored automatically out of 699 points each. Writing and Speaking are graded by two independent examiners out of 20 points each. Every skill is then converted to an NCLC level, and your final level equals your lowest skill.
NCLC 7 requires Reading 453–498, Listening 458–502, Writing 10–11 and Speaking 10–11. It corresponds to CEFR B2 and is the level most Express Entry and francophone PNP candidates need.
Register through an authorised test centre — not directly with IRCC or France Éducation International. Choose a session date, pay the fee (about CAD $390–$400) and bring the same photo ID on test day. Sessions fill weeks in advance, so book early if you have a filing deadline.
About 15 business days. You receive an electronic score report that includes a QR code for verification. Scores are valid for 2 years.
Yes. There is no limit on the number of attempts, but the minimum interval between two sittings is 20 days, and you must retake all four sections — there is no partial retake.
Tâche 1: 60–120 words (transactional email). Tâche 2: 120–150 words (narrative). Tâche 3: 120–180 words (text comparing two viewpoints). Staying inside the range is part of the task-fulfilment criterion, and going far over the limit is penalised.
Both formats exist and use the same questions and scoring. In the digital version you type the Writing section directly on the computer. Not every centre offers the digital option, so check before booking.
No — you need a recognized language test, and TCF Canada and TEF Canada are the two French options. Taking one is how you unlock the French-language CRS bonus.
From a genuine beginner level the timeline varies widely — by native language, starting level and weekly hours. Candidates already around B1 usually get there much sooner. The decisive factor is weekly hours spent on your weakest skill, not elapsed time.
About CAD $390–$400, set by the test centre and varying slightly by location and session type. There is no additional IRCC fee for using the score in your profile.
Yes — a TCF Canada score is valid for 2 years from the date the results are issued. If your immigration file is still open when it expires, you need to sit the exam again.