NCLC 7 in French: the TCF Canada and TEF Canada scores you need

1 The short answer

On IRCC’s charts, NCLC 7 starts at 458, 453, 10/20, 10/20 on TCF Canada and at 249, 207, 310, 310 on the TEF Canada ancien score (listening, reading, writing, speaking). You need NCLC 7 in each of the four skills separately; IRCC does not average them.

Check your own scores in the NCLC converter

2 NCLC 7 scores, skill by skill

The full NCLC 7 range for each skill, from IRCC’s equivalency charts. A score above the range is NCLC 8 or higher.

Skill	TCF Canada	TEF Canada (ancien score)
Listening	458–502	249–279
Reading	453–498	207–232
Writing	10–11 / 20	310–348
Speaking	10–11 / 20	310–348

TEF Canada certificates show two numbers per test. IRCC uses the “Équivalence ancien score” column and asks candidates not to enter the Score / 699 in their Express Entry profile.

3 What NCLC 7 unlocks in Express Entry

Federal Skilled Worker Program: NCLC 7 in all four abilities of your first official language is the minimum to be eligible.
Canadian Experience Class: NCLC 7 is the minimum for TEER 0 or 1 jobs. TEER 2 or 3 jobs need NCLC 5.
Additional points for French: NCLC 7 or higher in all four French skills adds 25 CRS points, or 50 points if you also have CLB 5 or higher in all four English skills.
French-language proficiency draws: IRCC’s French category requires NCLC 7 or higher in all four abilities, plus the requirements in each round’s instructions.
CRS points per ability: As your first official language, NCLC 7 earns 17 points per ability without a spouse or partner, against 9 at NCLC 6.

Citizenship asks for less: speaking and listening only, at CLB or NCLC 4. The citizenship guide on this site covers it. French test for Canadian citizenship

French and Express Entry points

4 NCLC 6 or NCLC 7: the boundary

The NCLC 6 range, for comparison. At the edge of a band, one point or one mark decides the level.

Skill	TCF Canada	TEF Canada (ancien score)
Listening	398–457	217–248
Reading	406–452	181–206
Writing	7–9 / 20	271–309
Speaking	7–9 / 20	271–309

Worked example

A TCF Canada candidate scores 470 in listening, 455 in reading, 11/20 in writing and 9/20 in speaking. On IRCC’s chart that is NCLC 7, 7, 7 and 6. The lowest skill is NCLC 6, so this result gets neither the additional French points nor eligibility for French draws. One more mark in speaking (10/20) would make all four NCLC 7.

Try 10 free TCF Canada questions Try 10 free TEF Canada questions

5 Is NCLC 7 the same as CLB 7?

Yes. NCLC (Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens) and CLB (Canadian Language Benchmarks) are the same 12-level scale. NCLC is used for French tests and CLB for English tests, and IRCC’s CRS tables list them side by side.

NCLC and CLB conversion tables

Questions people ask

What TCF Canada score is NCLC 7?

On IRCC’s chart, NCLC 7 starts at 458 in listening, 453 in reading, and 10 out of 20 in writing and in speaking.

What TEF Canada score is NCLC 7?

Using the Équivalence ancien score, NCLC 7 starts at 249 in listening, 207 in reading, and 310 in writing and in speaking.

Do I need NCLC 7 in every skill?

For the Federal Skilled Worker minimum, the additional French points and French-language draws, yes: all four skills must be at NCLC 7 or higher. IRCC converts each skill on its own.

Is NCLC 7 enough for Express Entry?

It meets the language minimum of the Federal Skilled Worker Program and of the Canadian Experience Class for TEER 0 or 1 jobs. Whether you get an invitation depends on your CRS score and on each round’s cut-off.

How do I check my own level?

Enter your official TCF Canada or TEF Canada scores in the free NCLC converter on this site. It applies IRCC’s charts to each skill.

Official sources

Checked against official sources on October 13, 2026.