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 exam structure, score distribution, NCLC conversion, scoring criteria, registration, immigration bonus points and preparation — with official sources cited.
TCF Canada has 4 sections with a total duration of 2 hours 47 minutes. Listening and Reading are auto-scored out of 699; Writing and Speaking are graded by two independent examiners out of 20.
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. One thing to prepare for: digital Writing means typing on a French (AZERTY) keyboard, so practise French typing before test day; 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.
Questions are weighted by difficulty: A1 = Q1-4 (12 pts), A2 = Q5-10 (54 pts), B1 = Q11-19 (135 pts), B2 = Q20-29 (210 pts), C1 = Q30-35 (156 pts), C2 = Q36-39 (132 pts). Total 699. B1-B2 questions account for about 49% of the total — mastering them is the fastest path to NCLC 7.
Each skill converts separately; your final NCLC level equals your lowest skill. See the full NCLC calculator.
Register at an authorized test centre (fee approx. CAD $390-$400) → pay → take the exam → receive the electronic score report in about 15 business days → enter the report details into your IRCC Express Entry profile to claim points. Minimum retake interval: 30 days. Score validity: 2 years.
French as first official language: NCLC 7 in each skill earns up to 136 points. French as second official language: NCLC 5-6 = +1 per skill (up to +4), NCLC 7-8 = +3 per skill (up to +12), NCLC 9+ = +6 per skill (up to +24). English CLB 5+ + French NCLC 5+ adds a bilingual bonus of +25 to +50. Provincial programs (Quebec, New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba) have additional French requirements.
Recommended target: NCLC 7 (CLB 7) in all four sections. Beginners typically need 6-12 months. Our platform offers 5,000+ practice questions with AI writing feedback — 100 reading/listening questions free. Deep dives: NCLC score conversion table, TCF vs TEF, registration, study plans, Express Entry French bonus, writing templates, speaking scoring & samples.
Start practicing: free TCF Canada practice (100 questions) or take a mock exam.