IRCC · equivalency tables · September 23, 2026
Convert TCF Canada and TEF Canada scores to NCLC
Enter the scores from your official results. The converter applies IRCC’s equivalency tables skill by skill. It runs in your browser: nothing is sent or saved.
Reading your results correctly
TCF Canada: use the listening and reading scores out of 699 and the writing and speaking marks out of 20, exactly as they appear on your results.
TEF Canada: your certificate shows two numbers per test. Enter the “Équivalence ancien score” (listening out of 360, reading out of 300, writing and speaking out of 450). IRCC asks you not to enter the “Score / 699” column in your Express Entry profile.
The chart IRCC applies to TEF Canada ancien scores is the one it first published for tests taken before September 30, 2019. It still applies whatever the date of your test.
If you took TEF Canada between December 11, 2023 and May 6, 2024, IRCC says CCI Paris Île-de-France temporarily changed how NCLC levels were shown and has since reverted it. Check IRCC’s page if that applies to you.
This tool converts official scores. For practice, the NCLC Ready app gives an estimated range, which is never an official result.
The full IRCC tables
These are the ranges IRCC uses for Express Entry: TCF Canada scores as reported on your results, and the TEF Canada “Équivalence ancien score”. We last checked them against IRCC’s pages on September 23, 2026.
| NCLC | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 549–699 | 549–699 | 16–20 | 16–20 |
| 9 | 523–548 | 524–548 | 14–15 | 14–15 |
| 8 | 503–522 | 499–523 | 12–13 | 12–13 |
| 7 | 458–502 | 453–498 | 10–11 | 10–11 |
| 6 | 398–457 | 406–452 | 7–9 | 7–9 |
| 5 | 369–397 | 375–405 | 6 | 6 |
| 4 | 331–368 | 342–374 | 4–5 | 4–5 |
| NCLC | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 316–360 | 263–300 | 393–450 | 393–450 |
| 9 | 298–315 | 248–262 | 371–392 | 371–392 |
| 8 | 280–297 | 233–247 | 349–370 | 349–370 |
| 7 | 249–279 | 207–232 | 310–348 | 310–348 |
| 6 | 217–248 | 181–206 | 271–309 | 271–309 |
| 5 | 181–216 | 151–180 | 226–270 | 226–270 |
| 4 | 145–180 | 121–150 | 181–225 | 181–225 |
Questions people ask
Which TEF Canada number do I use?
Use the “Équivalence ancien score” column of your TEF Canada certificate: listening out of 360, reading out of 300, and writing and speaking out of 450. IRCC tells candidates not to enter the “Score / 699” column in Express Entry.
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 ancien score, NCLC 7 starts at 249 in listening, 207 in reading, and 310 in writing and in speaking.
Why does one point change my level?
Each NCLC level covers a fixed score range. A TCF Canada listening score of 457 is NCLC 6 and 458 is NCLC 7, so a single point at a boundary matters.
Is NCLC the same as CLB?
They are the same 12-level scale. NCLC (Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens) is used for French and CLB (Canadian Language Benchmarks) for English. IRCC’s CRS tables list both.
The two NCLC Ready apps, TCF Canada Prep: NCLC Ready and TEF Canada Prep: NCLC Ready, are not in the stores yet. The free converter and practice questions on this site work now.