TEF vs IELTS for Express Entry: which earns more CRS points

People search “tef canada vs ielts” expecting to pick one. For Express Entry, that framing is usually wrong. The tests measure different languages for different point pools, and the system is built so that French can add up to 50 CRS points on top of your English score, not instead of it. If your goal is a permanent-residence file with the most points, the real question is rarely which test - it is whether you can reach a usable level in both.

So treat the TEF (or its sibling the TCF) and IELTS as complementary, and verify the current numbers against canada.ca before you build a plan on them, because the CRS rules are exactly the kind of thing IRCC adjusts.

Do I have to choose between TEF and IELTS?

No, and that is the key point most comparisons miss. English proficiency feeds the core language-skills factor. A qualifying French result feeds a separate additional points factor that exists specifically to reward French. They do not compete for the same slot, so a candidate who submits both a strong IELTS and a qualifying TEF collects from both. The only reason to sit just one is time or budget, not the scoring math.

How many CRS points is French actually worth?

Up to 50 additional points, and the amount hinges on your English. The rule, which you should confirm on canada.ca, works like this:

Read that middle row again, because it is counter-intuitive: you earn the larger French bonus by also having decent English. Letting your English slip to chase the French points backfires - you would trade away 25 additional points plus the core language points that English earns. The system rewards bilingual candidates, not candidates who abandon one language.

What level do I need, and on which scale?

French results convert to NCLC (Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens) and English to CLB (Canadian Language Benchmarks) - the same twelve-level scale under two names. The additional-points factor is built around NCLC 7 in all four abilities, and each ability converts separately, so your weakest section sets your level. Three abilities at NCLC 9 do not rescue a fourth that landed at NCLC 6.

Is French easier to score on than English?

Not inherently, and it depends entirely on where you start. But two things make the French points unusually good value. First, the target is a floor, not a peak: you need to clear NCLC 7, not maximise it, for this factor. Second, the format is learnable - a large share of dropped marks on the TEF and TCF come from mismanaging the tasks, not from missing French. A candidate with school French who drills the exam format can often reach NCLC 7 faster than they can push an IELTS band from 7 to 8.

To see what your projected French result would add to your own profile, put your numbers into our French CRS points tool. It shows the 25-versus-50 threshold in your specific case, which is the number that actually decides whether the second test is worth sitting.

How long does a French result stay valid?

Both the TEF Canada and TCF Canada results are treated as valid for less than two years, measured when you complete your Express Entry profile and again when you submit your application for permanent residence - not against the day a decision is finally made. In practice that means you can add the French points to your profile and, as long as the result is still under two years old on your submission date, it does not expire while your file is processed. This matters for sequencing: there is little point sitting the French test years early, and equally little point leaving it so late that a weak section gives you no time to retake. Confirm the current validity window on canada.ca, since it is exactly the kind of rule IRCC can revise.

What if I only have time or money for one test?

Then the decision is real, and it comes down to your starting point. If your English is already strong and your French is near NCLC 7, sitting the TEF or TCF is often the single highest-value exam you can take, because it unlocks up to 50 points a stronger English result cannot add on its own. If your English is weak and your French is nowhere near a pass, fixing English first is usually the better spend, since it feeds the larger core-points pool and is the prerequisite for the 50-point French tier anyway.

The trap is sitting a French test before you can clear NCLC 7 in all four abilities. Below that line this factor pays nothing - a single ability at NCLC 6 zeroes the bonus even if the other three are at NCLC 9. Do not book the exam until a realistic mock says all four abilities are over the line, and remember each ability converts separately.

TEF or TCF - does it matter for this?

Not for the points. IRCC accepts both the TEF Canada and the TCF Canada, and both convert to NCLC on their own scales, so the additional-points rule is identical either way. The choice between them comes down to format and centre availability, which we cover in our TEF vs TCF comparison. What matters here is the strategic point: for most Express Entry candidates, French is not an alternative to English. It is the second lever, and it is often the cheaper one to pull.