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TCF Canada: how to get the score you need to immigrate to Canada
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The TCF Canada is one of the only two French tests recognized by IRCC for permanent residence, Express Entry and citizenship. It lasts 2 hours 47 minutes, has four compulsory tests taken on the same day, and your results are converted into CLB levels (NCLC in French) — each level you gain can be worth dozens of CRS points.
- 4 compulsory tests, in a single 2 h 47 min session: listening, reading, writing, speaking.
- Listening and reading scored on the 100–699 scale, speaking and writing out of 20, then converted to CLB levels for your IRCC application.
- CLB 7 = 458 in listening, 453 in reading, 10/20 in speaking and in writing. It is the reference threshold of the Federal Skilled Worker Program.
- Results certificate valid for 2 years — and IRCC’s rule is stricter than it looks (see below).
- ⚠️ No partial retakes: you retake all four tests or nothing.
- For Canadian citizenship, only listening and speaking are required.
Contents
What is the TCF Canada?
The TCF Canada is a French test designed by France Éducation international and recognized by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) as proof of your French level for economic immigration — Express Entry, the skilled worker programs — or for citizenship. You take it in one session, at an approved test centre, and it has four compulsory tests: listening, reading, writing and speaking. Listening and reading are scored out of 699, speaking and writing out of 20, and each score is then converted into a CLB level, the scale IRCC uses to award points.
It is neither a diploma nor an exam you “pass”: everyone leaves with a level, from A1 to C2, and a results certificate valid for two years. Along with the TEF Canada, it is one of the only two tests IRCC accepts; the TCF tout public and the TCF Québec, which look similar, are not accepted for Express Entry.
Who it’s for
- Candidates for Express Entry and the federal programs, who must reach a set CLB level — CLB 7 is the most common threshold.
- Applicants for citizenship, for whom only the two oral tests count: listening and speaking.
- Candidates for Quebec’s programs, which have also accepted it since 2022 — but the modular TCF Québec is often cheaper there.
Your path in 5 steps
- Check which test you needExpress Entry, citizenship: the TCF Canada or the TEF Canada — never the TCF tout public or the TCF Québec. TCF or TEF Canada?
- Set your target scoreIRCC reads the CLB level, not the CEFR letter: 458 in listening and 453 in reading for CLB 7, 523 and 524 for CLB 9. The full table.
- Test yourself before you payA mock exam scored out of 699 and converted to CLB tells you whether next month’s session is the right one; work on the format traps beforehand.
- Book the centre and the dateIn France, one session a month per centre, €195 to €285; in Canada, $390 to $440, and seats gone within minutes. The centres and their contacts.
- Test day, then your applicationPassport and test-day notice; results certificate within 2 to 4 weeks, valid for two years — and IRCC counts those two years twice.
The guide, module by module
The format, test by test
39 + 39 questions, 3 writing tasks, 3 speaking tasks, and the format traps that cost points.
From the score out of 699 to CLB
The score bands, IRCC’s conversion table, and the B2 that isn’t always worth CLB 7.
Fees, centres, validity, retakes
€195 to €285 in France, $390 to $440 in Canada, fees in other countries, the double two-year rule.
Exercises with answers, test by test
Listening, reading, writing, speaking: exam-format items, explained.
The full test, timed and scored
In the app: the four tests in the official format, scored out of 699 and converted to CLB.
Where to take it, city by city
TCF Canada outside Canada, country by country
Know where you stand before paying $440
Timed mock exams in the exact TCF Canada format, an automatic CLB conversion for each test, and AI feedback on writing and speaking against the official criteria — in the “TCF DELF TEF: Tests 2026” app.
Download on the App StoreFrequently asked questions
What is the TCF Canada test?
A French test by France Éducation international, recognized by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada for economic immigration and citizenship. Four compulsory tests in one session — listening, reading, writing, speaking — a level from A1 to C2 for each, converted to CLB, and a results certificate valid for two years.
How is it different from the TCF tout public and the TCF Québec?
The TCF tout public is for studies and personal matters, the TCF Québec for the programs of Quebec’s immigration ministry; IRCC accepts neither for Express Entry. Only the TCF Canada and the TEF Canada are accepted. The TCF Canada, on the other hand, has also been recognized by Quebec since 2022.
Is the TCF Canada a pass-or-fail exam?
No: there is no pass mark. Each test gives you a level, from A1 to C2, converted to CLB; your immigration program sets the level you need — most often CLB 7. If your score falls short, you fix it by retaking all four tests after 20 to 30 days.
Related pages
- TCF Canada CLB 7: the exact scores
458 in listening, 453 in reading — and why a “B2” isn’t always worth CLB 7.
- TCF or TEF Canada: which one to choose?
The two CLB conversion tables, the format and fee comparison, and the “old score” column trap.
- Free TCF Canada practice test
The only two free resources officially recognized, their limits, and how to turn them into a real simulation.
Rules change. This page is up to date as of 7 August 2026 and is not immigration advice: thresholds, conversion tables and invitation rounds change regularly. Always check your situation on canada.ca and the exam format on france-education-international.fr before you register or apply.