NCLC Ready

Guide · TEF Canada · Last checked

TEF Canada: format, scoring and NCLC levels

TEF Canada is CCI Paris Île-de-France’s French test for Canadian immigration and citizenship. This guide explains each test, the two scores printed on your certificate and which one IRCC uses, and what NCLC levels mean in Express Entry.

By Certloom Learning, publisher of NCLC Ready. Checked against the official sources listed at the end.

At a glance

Total time
About 2 hours 55 minutes of test time (sum of the four sections)
Scores
Each test is scored 0–699, and the certificate also gives an “Équivalence ancien score” (listening /360, reading /300, writing and speaking /450). IRCC uses the ancien score.
How it is taken
Reading, listening and writing on computer. Speaking is face to face with an examiner and recorded.
Results
Within 1 to 10 working days of the test day, as a digital certificate only.
Retakes
A 20-day waiting period before you take the same test (épreuve) again, in any version of the TEF.
Valid for
2 years from the date the certificate is issued.

1Format and timing

SectionContentTime
Listening40 multiple-choice questions40 min
Reading40 multiple-choice questions60 min
Writing2 sections60 min
Speaking2 sections15 min

Listening and reading

Reading and listening are multiple-choice, taken on computer: 40 questions each, in 60 and 40 minutes. For immigration, all four tests must be taken on the same day for the certificate to be recognised by the Canadian authorities.

Writing tasks

Writing lasts one hour, on computer, in two sections.

  • Section A · 25 minutes · at least 80 words. Write the continuation of an article: you pick up a short news item and carry the story on.
  • Section B · 35 minutes · at least 200 words. Give your point of view on a statement and justify it with arguments and examples.

Both sections set a minimum, not a maximum. Plan a few minutes at the end of each to check agreement, tenses and connectors.

Speaking tasks

Speaking lasts 15 minutes, face to face with an examiner, and is recorded.

  • Section A · 5 minutes. Obtain information: you ask the examiner questions to find out what you need about a situation or document.
  • Section B · 10 minutes. Argue to convince: you present a point of view and try to win the examiner over to it.

In section A, ask many different questions and vary how you form them. In section B, when the examiner is not convinced, answer that point directly with a new reason or example instead of repeating your first argument.

2How scores convert to NCLC

Your TEF Canada certificate gives each test a score from 0 to 699 and, next to it, an “Équivalence ancien score”: listening out of 360, reading out of 300, and writing and speaking out of 450. It also prints a CEFR level and an NCLC level for each test.

For Express Entry, IRCC bases your level on the Équivalence ancien score and asks you not to enter the Score / 699 in your profile. The rulers below use the ancien score ranges from IRCC’s chart.

TEF Canada · Listening

score 0–360

  1. NCLC 4145–180
  2. NCLC 5181–216
  3. NCLC 6217–248
  4. NCLC 7249–279
  5. NCLC 8280–297
  6. NCLC 9298–315
  7. NCLC 10316–360
TEF Canada · Reading

score 0–300

  1. NCLC 4121–150
  2. NCLC 5151–180
  3. NCLC 6181–206
  4. NCLC 7207–232
  5. NCLC 8233–247
  6. NCLC 9248–262
  7. NCLC 10263–300
TEF Canada · Writing

score 0–450

  1. NCLC 4181–225
  2. NCLC 5226–270
  3. NCLC 6271–309
  4. NCLC 7310–348
  5. NCLC 8349–370
  6. NCLC 9371–392
  7. NCLC 10393–450
TEF Canada · Speaking

score 0–450

  1. NCLC 4181–225
  2. NCLC 5226–270
  3. NCLC 6271–309
  4. NCLC 7310–348
  5. NCLC 8349–370
  6. NCLC 9371–392
  7. NCLC 10393–450

Convert your own scoresNCLC and CLB conversion tables

3What your level means for Express Entry

IRCC accepts TEF Canada as proof of French in Express Entry. Your four NCLC levels count in three separate ways.

  • Federal Skilled Worker Program: NCLC 7 in all four abilities of your first official language.
  • Canadian Experience Class: NCLC 7 for TEER 0 or 1 jobs; NCLC 5 for TEER 2 or 3 jobs.
  • Federal Skilled Trades Program: NCLC 5 in speaking and listening, NCLC 4 in reading and writing.

In every case the lowest of your four levels sets the limit. One skill at NCLC 6 is enough to miss the French bonus and the French category, even if the other three are at NCLC 9.

Minimums, CRS points and French draws, in detail

4Booking, results and retakes

  • CCI Paris Île-de-France lists about 500 test centres in more than 110 countries. Candidates must be over 16. Each centre sets its own fees.
  • Results come within 1 to 10 working days of the test day, as a digital certificate only.
  • There is a 20-day waiting period before you can take the same test (épreuve) again, in any version of the TEF. A request to review your result must be made within 30 days of the certificate date.
  • The certificate is valid for 2 years from the date it is issued. IRCC requires results less than 2 years old when you complete your Express Entry profile and again when you submit your permanent residence application.
  • IRCC also accepts TEF Canada as proof of French for citizenship. That application needs only listening and speaking, at level B1 or higher.

5A study plan

Seven steps, in order. Stretch or compress them to fit the weeks you have before your test date.

  1. Measure where you startTake a timed diagnostic in all four skills and convert each result to NCLC with the ancien score ranges. Put the most hours on the weakest skill.
  2. Get used to the computer formatReading, listening and writing are on screen. Practise typing French accents quickly, and reading long texts on a screen against the clock.
  3. Do comprehension every dayTwenty to thirty questions a day, then read why each wrong option is wrong. Review misses and lucky guesses a few days later.
  4. Write both sections every weekSection A: continue a news story in the past tenses with a clear sequence of events. Section B: an argued text of 200 words or more with a position, two or three reasons, examples and a conclusion.
  5. Practise speaking aloudFor section A, build a stock of question forms and practise asking ten or more varied questions in five minutes. For section B, practise answering objections: acknowledge, counter, give an example.
  6. Sit two full mocksTwo to three weeks before the test, take complete timed mocks in one day, as the real test requires. Convert the ancien scores and focus on the skill furthest below your target.
  7. Keep the last days lightShort review, no new material. Check your ID, the centre address and your arrival time.

Questions people ask

Which TEF Canada score do I enter in Express Entry?

The “Équivalence ancien score” column: listening out of 360, reading out of 300, and writing and speaking out of 450. IRCC asks you not to enter the Score / 699.

What TEF Canada score do I need for NCLC 7?

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

How long is a TEF Canada certificate valid?

Two years from the date it is issued. For Express Entry, IRCC also requires results less than 2 years old when you complete your profile and when you apply.

How soon can I retake TEF Canada?

CCI Paris Île-de-France sets a 20-day waiting period before you take the same test (épreuve) again, in any version of the TEF.

Is TEF Canada taken on computer?

Reading, listening and writing are on computer. Speaking is face to face with an examiner and recorded.

Do I have to take all four tests on the same day?

Yes, for immigration. CCI Paris Île-de-France says all tests must be taken on the same day for the certificate to be recognised by the Canadian authorities.

Practise with NCLC Ready

TEF Canada Prep: NCLC Ready follows this test’s format and timing for all four skills, with AI feedback on writing and speaking and an estimated NCLC level for each skill. Scores in the app are estimates, never official results.

Official sources

Checked against official sources on .

  • TCF Canada format and scoring

    The four sections and their timing, the writing and speaking tasks, how scores convert to NCLC, booking, results and a study plan.

    Checked

  • NCLC and CLB conversion tables

    IRCC’s charts for both tests, the scores that reach NCLC 7, 8 and 9, and how NCLC and CLB relate.

    Checked

  • TCF Canada or TEF Canada?

    The two tests side by side: format, speaking tasks, scoring, results, retakes, and how to decide which to book.

    Checked

  • French and Express Entry points

    Minimum levels by program, CRS points per ability, the 25 or 50 additional points for French and French-language draws.

    Checked