Frequently asked questions

NCLC Ready is a pair of unofficial practice apps for the two French tests IRCC accepts for Express Entry and citizenship: TCF Canada Prep: NCLC Ready and TEF Canada Prep: NCLC Ready. Each app covers one test’s four sections in the real format and timing, with AI feedback on writing and speaking and an estimated NCLC level for each skill. Both are published by Certloom Learning.

No. NCLC Ready is independent practice material and is not affiliated with France Éducation International, which runs TCF Canada, or with CCI Paris Île-de-France, which runs TEF Canada. All questions are original, and scores in the apps are estimates.

Each test has its own app, so everything in it matches one format: TCF Canada Prep: NCLC Ready for TCF Canada, and TEF Canada Prep: NCLC Ready for TEF Canada. Install the one for the test you are booking. A subscription covers only the app you buy it in.

iPhone, iPad and Android phones and tablets. The interface is in English or French; the exam material is in French, as in the real tests.

The apps are not in the App Store or Google Play yet. When they launch they will be offered in most countries, except the European Union, the European Economic Area and the United Kingdom. The free practice questions and the NCLC converter on this site work now.

Each app is free to download and includes the 12-minute level check, a daily sample of 10 listening and 10 reading questions, one mock section per skill, every model answer and a sample of AI feedback.

Premium costs C$24.99 for 1 month, C$59.99 for 3 months (with a 7-day free trial for new subscribers) or C$99.99 for 12 months, paid only through the App Store or Google Play. The store shows the price for your country before you confirm.

Subscriptions are managed by Apple or Google. Cancel in your App Store or Google Play account settings. On a new phone, sign in with the same Apple ID or Google account and tap Settings > Restore purchases in the app.

It goes only when you ask for feedback and tick the consent box. It passes through the NCLC Ready server (Google Cloud, Montréal) to Google’s Gemini models on Vertex AI, which may process it in the United States or other Google Cloud locations. Google does not use it to train its models, and we do not store it after the feedback comes back.

No. Speech is transcribed on your device, and the audio is never saved or uploaded. The app creates no voiceprint.

No. There is no sign-up. Progress, answers and settings are stored on your device, and you can export or delete them in Settings > Privacy Center.

NCLC stands for Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens, the 12-level scale Canada uses for French. It is the French name of the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB). IRCC converts each of your four TCF Canada or TEF Canada scores to an NCLC level, and programs set their minimums in those levels.

IRCC accepts both for Express Entry and converts both to NCLC levels, so neither is worth more. They differ in format: TEF Canada reading, listening and writing are on computer, while TCF Canada can be on paper or computer depending on the centre. Most people choose by centre location and available dates.

Two years. For Express Entry, IRCC requires results less than 2 years old when you complete your profile and when you submit your permanent residence application.

Use the free NCLC converter on this site, which applies IRCC’s equivalency tables skill by skill. For TEF Canada, enter the “Équivalence ancien score”, not the Score / 699.