--- title: "TCF Canada by OPAL or Français Prep: honest comparison" description: "TCF Canada by OPAL is an online TCF Canada platform from Open Academic Learning with practice series, a simulator and evening live sessions." canonical: https://francaisprep.com/alternatives/opal last-updated: 2026-10-14 --- [Alternatives](/alternatives) # TCF Canada by OPAL or Français Prep? TCF Canada by OPAL is a preparation platform run by Open Academic Learning. Its site describes individual coaching, a bank of recent practice topics and an exam simulator for all four sections, with evening group sessions on weekdays and filmed speaking interviews with a trainer. OPAL sells a platform plus regular evening sessions, in packs from a week to three months. We sell a narrower thing: one native French teacher marking every task, against an NCLC target and your date. If you want frequent live group time on a small budget, OPAL's packs are built for that. Updated 14 October 2026 Side by side ## OPAL and Français Prep, compared honestly | What you are comparing | OPAL | Français Prep | | --- | --- | --- | | What it is built around | Practice series, a bank of recent topics and an exam simulator for the four TCF Canada sections. | One exam, one target NCLC level, and the date you have booked. | | Live time | A weekday evening group session, with Africa and Canada time slots on some packs, and filmed speaking interviews with a trainer. | Weekly small-group classes or one-to-one, depending on the tier. | | Writing and speaking feedback | Corrections and an estimated NCLC score after each module, plus trainer interviews for speaking. | Every task marked by Adèle, a native French teacher, in both live tiers. | | Exams covered on this site | TCF Canada. | TCF Canada and TEF Canada. | | Trying it first | A free placement test and a free practice option. | A free question bank and timed reading mock with a free account. | | Price | Published on its own site, in packs from one week to three months with no long-term commitment. | Published on this site in Canadian dollars, the same everywhere. | Français Prep is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or partnered with any organisation named on these pages. We describe them only in general terms that are publicly documented, and we do not quote their prices, because those are set independently and change. Verify anything that matters to your decision with the provider directly. ## Sources Everything said about this provider comes from its own public material, read on the date shown. - [TCF Canada by OPAL, Open Academic Learning (platform home page and packs)](https://tcfcanada.opal-ca.com/) · Checked 14 October 2026 ## Choose OPAL if - →You want a live group session most weekday evenings, in an Africa or Canada time slot. - →You want to start with a free placement test and pay week by week. - →You like an estimated NCLC score after each module to track progress. - →You are sitting the TCF Canada and want a large set of practice series in its format. ## Choose Français Prep if - →You want one native French teacher reading every text you write, not a rotating group session. - →You need the plan built backwards from your date and your NCLC target. - →You are sitting the TEF Canada, or still choosing between the two exams. - →You want to practise in a free question bank before paying anyone. If that points to us ## What preparation here costs Prices are in Canadian dollars and the same wherever you are sitting the exam. - ### Self-paced The full lesson library plus timed practice tests for all four sections, worked on your own schedule. CA$97one-time One payment, no subscription. Lifetime access to the self-paced course. [Start self-paced](https://buy.stripe.com/bJe28qh23bCS9Qz1P46Vq09) - Lesson library for all four exam sections - Timed full-length practice tests - Model answers for every writing and speaking task - NCLC score tracker - ### Small-group live Weekly live classes with Adèle, in groups small enough that everyone speaks, plus marked writing and speaking. CA$449per 8-week block Eight weekly classes of 60 minutes: 8 hours of live teaching, CA$56 an hour, with your writing and speaking marked every week. [Join a small group](https://buy.stripe.com/fZu4gyfXZ9uK5Aj1P46Vq01) - Everything in self-paced - One 60-minute live class with Adèle every week - Marked writing submissions every week - Marked speaking recordings every week - Most popular ### One-to-one tutoring Private sessions scheduled around your test date, with a study plan built from your diagnostic results. CA$800per 10 sessions CA$80 an hour, booked around your test date: ten 60-minute sessions. [Book one-to-one](https://buy.stripe.com/dRm8wOfXZdL07IralA6Vq0a) - Everything in small-group live - Private 60-minute sessions scheduled around your test date - Study plan built from your diagnostic test - Unlimited marked writing and speaking during your block Not ready to commit to a block? Try a trial class. One 40-minute class with Adèle, one to one. The CA$30 comes off any block you book within 30 days. [Try one class for CA$30](https://buy.stripe.com/6oU4gy3bd9uK4wf0L06Vq0c) Not sure which tier fits? [Book a free 15-minute video call.](/book) Prices are in Canadian dollars and include any tax that applies. Exam registration fees are paid directly to your test centre and are not included in any tier. Questions ## About OPAL ### What is TCF Canada by OPAL? An online TCF Canada preparation platform operated by Open Academic Learning. Its own site, checked on 14 October 2026, lists practice series and a simulator for the four sections, individual coaching, evening group sessions and filmed speaking interviews, sold in packs of different lengths. ### Is OPAL a TCF Canada exam centre? Its preparation site presents it as a platform specialising in TCF Canada preparation. Whether any organisation can register you for the exam is answered only by the exam owner's official list of centres, so check that list before you book a seat anywhere. ### How reliable is an estimated NCLC score? Useful as a progress signal, not as a prediction. Your writing and speaking are scored by trained examiners against the official criteria on the day, so treat any estimate, ours included, as a guide. ### Which one is cheaper? We do not publish other providers' prices. Ours are on this site. Compare against what you actually need: daily live time you will not attend is not a saving. ### Are you affiliated with OPAL? No. No relationship, no referral arrangement, and nothing here is endorsed by Open Academic Learning. ## The other options - [Alliance Française](/alternatives/alliance-francaise) - [italki, Preply and marketplace tutors](/alternatives/italki-and-preply) - [Pack Ayoub](/alternatives/pack-ayoub) - [PrepMyFuture](/alternatives/prepmyfuture) - [TCFCAD](/alternatives/tcfcad) - [Pack IMED](/alternatives/pack-imed) - [Packs Nabil](/alternatives/pack-nabil) - [TV5Monde Apprendre](/alternatives/tv5monde) - [Self-study and free resources](/alternatives/self-study) - [Work out where you stand first](/tools/score-converter) NEXT STEP ## Find out where your French actually stands Book a short assessment with Adèle: one writing task, one speaking task, and an honest plan for the weeks you have left before the exam. [Book an assessment](/book)[See the course tiers](#tiers) --- For agents: site index https://francaisprep.com/llms.txt, developer access https://francaisprep.com/developers, and TCF or TEF to NCLC conversion over a plain GET at https://api.francaisprep.com/v1/score/convert?exam=tcf_canada&listening=512&reading=470&writing=12&speaking=11 (exam is tcf_canada or tef_canada).