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TCF or TEF Canada: which one should you take for your application?
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Neither is easier. Both are accepted by IRCC, lead to the same CLB levels (NCLC in French) and cost the same. The only rational criterion is your score: take a practice test of each and keep the one where you score higher. This article gives you both official conversion tables, the format differences that favour one profile or another, and the data-entry trap that gets profiles rejected.
- For Express Entry, IRCC accepts only two French tests: the TCF Canada and the TEF Canada. Not the DELF, not the DALF.
- The scales differ: TCF = listening and reading out of 699, speaking and writing out of 20. TEF = all four tests out of 699, plus an “old score” column out of 300 / 360 / 450 / 450.
- ⚠️ With the TEF, enter the Équivalence ancien score column, not the 699 column — whatever the date of your test.
- Valid for 2 years — required twice: when you create your profile and when you submit your application.
- 20 days between two attempts, for both tests.
- Fees found: €220–245 in Europe, $400–440 in Canada — and many centres publish no fee at all.
Contents
The two CLB conversion tables
This is the only thing that counts for your application: your raw score means nothing in itself — only the CLB level it produces is used. And each skill is assessed separately: there is no compensation. An excellent listening or reading score won’t make up for weak speaking: your lowest skill caps your application.
| CLB | Listening /699 | Reading /699 | Speaking /20 | Writing /20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| CLB | Reading /300 | Listening /360 | Writing /450 | Speaking /450 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 263–300 | 316–360 | 393–450 | 393–450 |
| 9 | 248–262 | 298–315 | 371–392 | 371–392 |
| 8 | 233–247 | 280–297 | 349–370 | 349–370 |
| 7 | 207–232 | 249–279 | 310–348 | 310–348 |
| 6 | 181–206 | 217–248 | 271–309 | 271–309 |
| 5 | 151–180 | 181–216 | 226–270 | 226–270 |
| 4 | 121–150 | 145–180 | 181–225 | 181–225 |
Notice the difference in structure: in the TCF Canada, the four tests use only two scales (699 and 20), and the listening and reading thresholds are slightly offset from each other. The TEF Canada works differently. Since 1 October 2019, the TEF results certificate scores all four tests out of 699 — that’s the number you’ll see in large print on your results. But next to it, the certificate keeps a second column, headed “Équivalence ancien score” (old-score equivalent), which uses the scales in force before 30 September 2019: 300 in reading, 360 in listening, 450 for each of writing and speaking. It is this second column, and only this one, that IRCC uses — which is why the table above is not out of 699.
Hence the No. 1 source of error when reading a conversion table picked up online: a TEF score means nothing until you know which test and which column it comes from. A “350” can be excellent or mediocre depending on the box it comes from.
And a mirror-image trap on the TCF Canada side: C1 isn’t CLB 10. A results certificate showing “C1” in listening or reading means a score of 500 to 599 on the CEFR scale — but CLB 10 starts at 549. A C1 at 510 is therefore only CLB 8. IRCC counts the CLB level, never the letter.
The “old score” column trap
If you remember only one thing from this article, make it this. The TEF results certificate has two score columns: a “Score / 699” column and an “Équivalence ancien score” column. To fill in your Express Entry profile, IRCC expects the scores from the Équivalence ancien score column, not those from the 699 column, and says so bluntly: enter only the scores from that column, or your application may be refused. In other words, the most visible number on your certificate is precisely the one you must not copy.
A point about dates, because it’s wrong almost everywhere. These two columns don’t date from December 2023: the TEF has scored each test out of 699 since 1 October 2019. What the reform of 11 December 2023 changed was something else. It recalibrated the bands test by test — before, the four tests shared the same thresholds; since then, each has its own — and reduced the number of questions in reading and listening, without changing how long they last. The TEF IRN was not affected by this reform.
This double column also explains why you’ll find two TEF → CLB tables online that seem to contradict each other. Both are correct: the one out of 699 is published by Le français des affaires, the one out of 300/360/450 is the one IRCC uses. They describe the same reality in two different units. For your profile, only the second one counts.
Another subtlety, and a counter-intuitive one: the TEF has three IRCC charts depending on the test date (before 30 September 2019; from 1 October 2019 to 10 December 2023; from 11 December 2023), whereas the TCF Canada has only one. But for Express Entry, the oldest of the three applies — the one in the Équivalence ancien score column — whatever date you took the test. So don’t look for the chart that matches your test date: it’s other programs, such as the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot, that use the dated charts.
Format differences that matter: speaking, listening, writing
| Test | TCF Canada | TEF Canada |
|---|---|---|
| Listening | 39 multiple-choice questions · 35 min | 40 questions · 40 min |
| Reading | 39 multiple-choice questions · 60 min | 40 questions · 1 hour |
| Writing | 3 tasks · 60 min · ~300 to 450 words | 2 sections · 1 hour · ~280 words |
| Speaking | 3 tasks · 12 min, face to face | 2 sections · 15 min, face to face |
| Total time | 2 hours 47 minutes | 2 hours 55 minutes |
| Format | paper-based or computer-based, depending on the centre | computer-based (speaking face to face) |
| Speaking and writing scored | out of 20 | out of 699 (450 as “old score”) |
Four format points have real consequences.
How finely speaking and writing are scored. In the TCF Canada, speaking and writing are scored out of 20: going from 11 to 12 moves you from CLB 7 to CLB 8. A single point changes everything. In the TEF, they are scored out of 699 — or 450 in the “old score” column — so on a much finer, less abrupt scale: there, you need to gain around twenty points to change CLB level. If you are a borderline candidate, this granularity can work in your favour — or cost you dearly.
How much you write. The TCF Canada asks for about 300 to 450 words spread over three tasks in one hour; the TEF Canada, about 280 words over two sections. If you write slowly, the TEF is less stressful. If you are more comfortable with short, varied formats, the TCF will suit you better.
How the speaking test is split. Both tests have you speak face to face with an examiner — no difference there. What differs is the structure: the TCF runs three short tasks in 12 minutes, with two minutes of preparation for the second task only; the TEF has two longer sections — getting information, then arguing to convince — each with its own preparation time. If you are stronger at building a developed argument than at quick back-and-forth, the TEF’s structure works for you.
You hear each recording once. In the TCF Canada, each recording is played only once, and the question is asked only after you’ve listened. It’s the test that surprises poorly prepared candidates the most, and a real argument for practising in real conditions before test day. The TEF works the same way: each audio is played only once and you answer as you go, with no going back — unlike the DELF, where documents at levels A1 to B1 are played twice.
Watch out for a “below A1” (A1 non atteint) result in TCF Canada writing. Your paper can be cancelled if your handwriting is illegible (paper-based test), if the required word count isn’t met on a task, if your answer is off topic, or if a task isn’t done. These aren’t point penalties: it’s a floor that sinks the whole writing test.
Fees, timelines and availability
Neither France Éducation international nor Le français des affaires publishes a national fee. Both explicitly refer you to the approved centre, which sets its own price. In France, among the centres checked in July 2026: TCF Canada at €220 (Alliance Française de Lyon) and €200 (Alliance Française de Montpellier); TEF Canada at €245 (ALIP, Paris). In Canada, published fees are rare and noticeably higher: the full TCF Canada costs $400 at the Alliance Française d’Edmonton and $440 at the École internationale de français at UQTR, as checked on 30 July 2026.
Many centres publish nothing at all — the Alliance Française de Montréal, for example, posts no TCF fee: registration is online, subject to availability, and the only amount shown is a $75 cancellation fee. Comparison sites that attribute precise fees to these centres cite no source, and often confuse the TCF Québec with the TCF Canada. We also found no verifiable Canadian fee for the TEF Canada: ask the centre.
In other words, price doesn’t decide between the two tests: at comparable centres, they cost about the same. Be wary of any website announcing an “official” fee.
As for networks, the TEF claims 500 centres in more than 110 countries, the TCF 768 centres worldwide. TCF Canada results are sent within 15 business days of the session materials being received; TEF results arrive in about 1 to 2 weeks. For the TEF, note that the registration conditions of Le français des affaires start the two-year validity from the date the results certificate is issued, not the test date — but its TEF presentation page speaks of two years “from the test date”. The gap can reach several weeks, which can matter if your application drags on: go by the less favourable date and have your centre confirm.
Finally, a constraint specific to the TEF: all the tests must be taken on the same day for the results certificate to be recognized by the Canadian authorities.
For the TCF Canada, our guides to where to take it in France (€195 to €285, one session a month per centre) and in Canada (48 centres, $390 to $440, sessions full within minutes) list the centres one by one — as do our guides for Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia; for the TEF Canada, the directory of Le français des affaires remains the reference.
The Quebec case
If your plans are aimed at Quebec rather than at the federal level, everything changes — in your favour. Quebec’s immigration ministry (MIFI) accepts eight tests and diplomas: TCF-Québec, TCF Canada, TCF, DALF and DELF from France Éducation international; TEFAQ, TEF Canada and TEF from the CCI Paris Île-de-France. Results must be two years old or less.
Above all, the TCF Québec and the TEFAQ are modular: you choose to take one, two, three or four tests. And stream 2 of the PSTQ (Quebec’s skilled worker selection program) and the requirement for an accompanying spouse only cover oral skills. So you can take just the two oral tests — less preparation, less risk, often cheaper. At UQTR, for example, the two oral tests of the TCF Québec cost $230, against $440 for a full TCF Canada at the same centre (checked on 30 July 2026).
PSTQ thresholds, on the Quebec scale (not to be confused with CLB): stream 1, oral French at level 7 or higher and written French at level 5 or higher. The Quebec table is much coarser than the CLB: in the TEF, TEFAQ and TEF Canada, as in TCF listening and reading, the 400–499 band corresponds to levels 7–8 (B2). There is also no English requirement in the PSTQ.
How to choose, in practice
- First, check your process. Federal economic immigration: TCF Canada or TEF Canada, full stop. Canadian citizenship: IRCC’s eligibility questionnaire, checked on 8 October 2026, names the TEF Canada and the TCF Canada among French tests (older guides listed more: DALF, DELF, TCFQ, TEFAQ, TEF IRN), and the level required is only CLB 4, in listening and speaking only, for applicants aged 18 to 54 — the TEF Canada can then be taken as those two tests alone. Quebec: eight tests accepted, and the modular versions open doors for you.
- Take a full practice test of each, timed, in real conditions. It’s the only decisive test.
- Compare the CLB levels you get, not the raw scores. They can’t be compared between the two tests.
- Look at your weakest skill in each simulation: it decides, not your average.
- Pick the one where your weak spot does best. That’s it.
To go further on thresholds and points, see our TCF Canada guide, our TEF Canada and TEFAQ page, and our practice tests. If your plans are in France rather than Canada, other tests apply: B2 for French citizenship, B1 for the resident card.
Take a practice test of each before paying $440
Timed mock exams in the exact TCF Canada and TEF Canada formats, an instant CLB conversion for each test, and AI feedback on writing and speaking — in the “TCF DELF TEF: Tests 2026” app.
Download on the App StoreFrequently asked questions
TCF or TEF Canada: which is easier?
Neither is inherently easier: no official source says one is, and no pass rates are published. Both lead to the same CLB scale. The differences that matter are in the format: the TCF Canada scores speaking and writing out of 20, so a single point can change your CLB level, whereas the TEF scores them out of 699 (450 in the “old score” column), which is much more granular. The TEF asks for about 280 words over 2 writing tasks, the TCF about 300 to 450 words over 3 tasks. Take a practice test of each and keep the one where you score higher.
Which French tests does IRCC accept for Express Entry and PR?
Only two: the TEF Canada and the TCF Canada. Neither the DELF, the DALF nor the TEF tout public is accepted for economic immigration. For a Canadian citizenship application, IRCC’s eligibility questionnaire, checked on 8 October 2026, names the TEF Canada and the TCF Canada; older guides listed more (DALF, DELF, TCFQ, TEFAQ, TEF IRN), so check IRCC’s list when you apply.
Which TEF scores do I enter in my Express Entry profile?
Only the scores in the “Équivalence ancien score” column of your results certificate, whatever the date of your test. The TEF certificate also has a column out of 699 — since 1 October 2019, not since the December 2023 reform as is often said — but those aren’t the scores IRCC expects. It is the leading cause of data-entry errors in Express Entry profiles.
How do the TCF and TEF speaking tests differ?
Both are face to face with an examiner. The TCF Canada runs three short tasks in 12 minutes, with two minutes of preparation for the second task only; the TEF Canada has two longer sections — getting information, then arguing to convince — each with its own preparation time. If you build a developed argument better than you handle quick exchanges, the TEF’s structure suits you.
How many times is the listening played in the TCF and the TEF?
Once, in both tests. France Éducation international states that each recording is played only once; Le français des affaires, that each audio is played only once and that you answer as you go, with no going back. It’s a major difference from the DELF, where documents at levels A1 to B1 are played twice.
How long are TCF and TEF Canada results valid?
Two years for both tests. But IRCC’s rule is stricter than it looks: your results must be less than two years old when you fill in your Express Entry profile AND when you submit your application for permanent residence. For the TEF, the registration conditions of Le français des affaires count validity from the date the certificate is issued, not the test date — though its presentation page says “from the test date”: go by the less favourable date.
How long do you have to wait to retake the TCF or TEF Canada?
Twenty days for both. The number of attempts is unlimited for the TCF Canada, with a compulsory 20-day wait between two sessions. The TEF imposes the same 20-day wait between two attempts at the same test, all versions combined. The rumour of a 30-day wait for the TEF is false.
How much do the TCF Canada and the TEF Canada cost?
There is no national fee: both organizations let each approved centre set its price. Among the centres checked in July 2026, we found about €220 to €245 in Europe, and $400 to $440 in Canada for a full TCF Canada. Beware: many centres — including the Alliance Française de Montréal — publish no fee, and the figures comparison sites attribute to them are unsourced. In any case, price shouldn’t be your criterion for choosing between the two tests.
Related pages
- TCF Canada CLB 7: the exact scores
458 in listening, 453 in reading — and why B2 isn’t always enough.
- TEF Canada
The other French test IRCC accepts for Express Entry.
- Free TCF Canada practice test
Check your level in the real format before you book.
Scoring rules change. This article is up to date as of 30 July 2026 and is not immigration advice. Conversion tables, thresholds and programs are changed regularly by IRCC and by MIFI. Always check the current chart on canada.ca and, for Quebec, on quebec.ca before you register for a test or create your profile.