Français Prep
NCLC level

NCLC 7: the TCF Canada and TEF Canada scores you need

The level French-language immigration routes ask for in all four abilities, with the exact threshold for each exam and what to work on when one section is still short.

Book a placement assessmentJump to the thresholds
  • Thresholds taken from the published equivalency chart, never estimated
  • Every mock exam converted to an NCLC level the same day
  • Speaking and writing marked by Adèle herself
Adèle, the native French teacher who runs Français Prep
Adèle SasonNative French teacher - every class, every correction
The short answer

Upper-intermediate French, required in all four abilities

NCLC 7 is the seventh of the twelve Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens, the Canadian scale used to describe ability in French. It is the same twelve-level scale that English speakers know as CLB, so NCLC 7 and CLB 7 describe the same level of ability. In plain terms it means you can follow a work meeting, hold your side of an argument, and write a clear, structured piece of prose.

On the TCF Canada that means at least 458 in listening, 453 in reading, and 10 out of 20 in each of speaking and writing. On the TEF Canada it means at least 249 in listening, 207 in reading, 310 in speaking and 310 in writing.

Every ability is converted on its own, so your weakest section decides your level. Three abilities at NCLC 9 do not lift a listening result that stopped one point short of 458. That single rule is why NCLC 7 in all four abilities, not an average of 7, is what immigration programs ask for.

Thresholds by exam

What you have to score to reach NCLC 7

Both exams lead to the same NCLC levels, but their marking scales have nothing in common. A raw score never compares across exams; only the converted level does.

Minimum scores to reach NCLC 7, by ability and by exam
AbilityTCF CanadaTEF Canada
ListeningCompréhension orale458 minimum, on a band that runs 458 to 502249 minimum, on a band that runs 249 to 279
ReadingCompréhension écrite453 minimum, on a band that runs 453 to 498207 minimum, on a band that runs 207 to 232
SpeakingExpression orale10 out of 20 minimum, with NCLC 7 covering 10 and 11310 minimum, on a band that runs 310 to 348
WritingExpression écrite10 out of 20 minimum, with NCLC 7 covering 10 and 11310 minimum, on a band that runs 310 to 348
Verify: every threshold above must be checked against the current official equivalency table, and the date of that check recorded, before this page is published.

Scroll the table sideways to see both columns.

At a glance

Where NCLC 7 sits on the TCF Canada scale

Each bar is one ability, drawn to scale across the range the published chart covers. The width of a band is how much room you have inside that level.

  • Listening458 to 502
  • Reading453 to 498
  • Speaking10 to 11
  • Writing10 to 11
  • Below NCLC 7
  • NCLC 7 on the TCF Canada
  • Above NCLC 7

Speaking and writing are marked out of 20, and NCLC 7 covers only two marks, so one point separates it from NCLC 6 below and NCLC 8 above. Listening and reading give you a band about 45 points wide at the same level.

TCF Canada

TCF Canada score to NCLC level

Convert each of your four results the day you get them. While a score is still a raw number, you cannot tell how many levels you have left to climb.

TCF Canada score ranges and the NCLC level each range awards
NCLC / CLBCLBCEFRTCF Canada score
ListeningReadingSpeakingWriting
NCLC 10 and aboveThe French bonus does not grow past this point, and neither do core language points10C1549 to 699549 to 69916 to 2016 to 20
NCLC 9Where core language points reach their ceiling, which is why some candidates should not stop at 79B2523 to 548524 to 54814 to 1514 to 15
NCLC 88B2503 to 522499 to 52312 to 1312 to 13
NCLC 7 Level highlighted on this pageThe level asked for in all four abilities by the French-language routes7B2458 to 502453 to 49810 to 1110 to 11
NCLC 6One ability here pulls your whole file below NCLC 7, however strong the other three are6B1398 to 457406 to 4527 to 97 to 9
NCLC 55B1369 to 397375 to 40566
NCLC 4Lowest level the published equivalency chart covers for the TCF Canada4A2331 to 368342 to 3744 to 54 to 5
The full band-by-band chart is on our TCF Canada score chart. Verify: recheck every boundary against the current official equivalency table. The CEFR column is an approximate alignment offered for orientation only and is not what immigration decisions are based on.

Scroll the table sideways to see all four abilities.

At a glance

Where NCLC 7 sits on the TEF Canada scale

Each bar is one ability, drawn to scale across the range the published chart covers. The four sections use four different maximums, so compare the shape of the bars rather than the numbers across them.

  • Listening249 to 279
  • Reading207 to 232
  • Speaking310 to 348
  • Writing310 to 348
  • Below NCLC 7
  • NCLC 7 on the TEF Canada
  • Above NCLC 7

The NCLC 7 band is wider than both NCLC 8 and NCLC 9 in all four abilities, and those two levels are the same width as each other. Clearing 7 with a margin is what protects you if a retake comes back lower.

TEF Canada

TEF Canada score to NCLC level

The four TEF Canada sections are marked on four different maximums. Listening runs to 360 and reading to 300, while speaking and writing each run to 450, so the same number means a different level depending on the ability.

TEF Canada score ranges and the NCLC level each range awards
NCLC / CLBCLBTEF Canada score
ListeningReadingSpeakingWriting
NCLC 10Highest level the published chart reports for the TEF Canada10316 to 360263 to 300393 to 450393 to 450
NCLC 9Where core language points reach their ceiling9298 to 315248 to 262371 to 392371 to 392
NCLC 88280 to 297233 to 247349 to 370349 to 370
NCLC 7 Level highlighted on this pageThe level most Express Entry candidates are aiming at7249 to 279207 to 232310 to 348310 to 348
NCLC 66217 to 248181 to 206271 to 309271 to 309
NCLC 55181 to 216151 to 180226 to 270226 to 270
NCLC 44145 to 180121 to 150181 to 225181 to 225
The full band-by-band chart is on our TEF Canada score chart. Verify: recheck every boundary against the current official equivalency table. The NCLC scale runs to 12; this chart stops where the published chart stops, which is another figure to confirm.

Scroll the table sideways to see all four abilities.

Small Canadian flags standing together against a white background
NCLC is the Canadian scale. The exams report their own numbers.
Whose scale this is

NCLC belongs to Canada, not to the exam

Neither the TCF Canada nor the TEF Canada prints an NCLC level on your result. Each reports its own numbers, and those numbers are read against a published equivalency chart to arrive at a level. Your NCLC is a Canadian reading of a French exam result, which is why the conversion step is not optional.

It is also why a raw score on its own is only half an answer. Until all four abilities are converted you cannot say whether you have cleared the bar for the program you are applying to, or by how much you have cleared it.

Why this level matters

What NCLC 7 unlocks in an Express Entry profile

  • The French-language proficiency category in Express Entry asks for NCLC 7 or higher in all four abilities. One ability at NCLC 6 keeps you out of those draws even if the other three are at NCLC 9. Verify: confirm the category name and its exact entry requirement against the current ministerial instructions before quoting it to a candidate.
  • French earns additional CRS points on top of the language points you already claim, and NCLC 7 in all four abilities is where those additional points start. NCLC 7 or higher in all four French abilities is worth 25 additional points if your English is CLB 4 or lower, or if you did not take an English test at all. The same French level is worth 50 if you also reach CLB 5 or higher in all four English abilities, and 50 is the maximum this factor pays.
  • The French bonus does not get bigger above NCLC 7. Core language points do. If you have time left before you submit, pushing an ability from NCLC 7 to NCLC 9 still adds points, so NCLC 7 is a floor to clear rather than automatically the level to stop at.
  • For the Federal Skilled Worker Program, NCLC 7 in all four abilities is the eligibility minimum when French is your first official language. Verify: the minimum differs by program, and the Federal Skilled Trades Program uses a lower and uneven threshold. Check the program you are actually applying under.
  • Several provincial nominee programs outside Quebec run francophone streams that start at NCLC 7. Verify: streams open and close, so link a candidate to their province rather than to a figure on this page.
  • Test results have a shelf life. A result has to be less than two years old when you complete your Express Entry profile, and again when you submit your application for permanent residence. Count backwards from your intended submission date rather than forwards from today.

We are a preparation service, not a test centre and not an immigration adviser. Check your program requirements with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada before you build a timeline around any of this. For what the exams actually contain, see TCF Canada and TEF Canada.

Getting to the next level

What actually moves you up an NCLC level

A level is won by working your weakest ability in the exact format of the exam, not by revising all four evenly.

  • A level is not a point

    The gap between NCLC 6 and NCLC 7 is about sixty points of TCF Canada listening and about thirty of reading. That is weeks of steady work, not a good morning. Planning as though one more practice test will do it is the most common way candidates end up paying the exam fee twice.

  • Spend your week on one ability

    Convert all four results, find the ability furthest from NCLC 7, and give it the bulk of your study time. Points added to an ability that already clears the threshold change nothing about what you can claim.

  • Speaking and writing need a marker

    Unmarked production practice rehearses the errors you already have. Moving from 9 to 10 out of 20 takes someone naming the specific fault an examiner penalises, not a general sense that the piece reads well.

  • Practise listening and reading at real speed

    The audio plays once and the clock does not stop. Practice with pauses and replays improves you at an exam that does not exist on the day, and it hides exactly the timing problem that costs the level.

Where to start

Three steps before you book the exam

  1. Sit one complete mock exam in the real order and the real timings, then convert all four raw results into NCLC levels the same day. Until a score is a level, you do not know how far you have to go.
  2. Identify the ability furthest from NCLC 7 and give it most of each week, doing just enough on the other three to hold them where they are.
  3. Only book the sitting once all four practice results sit at or above your target level. A date booked on optimism gets paid for twice.

The full week-by-week preparation plan is on how to pass the TCF Canada, and the guided options are on the TCF Canada course.

NCLC 7 FAQ

NCLC 7, question by question

What candidates ask before they choose an exam and a date.

What is NCLC 7?

NCLC 7 is the seventh of the twelve Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens, the Canadian standard for describing ability in French. It sits in the upper-intermediate range, broadly comparable to CEFR B2, and it is the level most French-language immigration routes ask for in all four abilities: listening, reading, speaking and writing.

Is NCLC 7 the same as CLB 7?

Yes, for immigration purposes. NCLC is the French-language version of the same twelve-level framework that is published in English as the Canadian Language Benchmarks. The two are aligned level for level, so a French test result read as NCLC 7 counts as the equivalent of CLB 7 in English.

What TCF Canada score do I need for NCLC 7?

You need at least 458 in listening, 453 in reading, 10 out of 20 in speaking and 10 out of 20 in writing. All four have to be reached in the same sitting, because the TCF Canada is not retaken section by section. Verify: these four thresholds come from the conversion chart on this page, which still needs a line-by-line check against the official equivalency table.

What TEF Canada score do I need for NCLC 7?

You need at least 249 in listening, 207 in reading, 310 in speaking and 310 in writing. The four sections are marked on four different maximums, so a raw TEF Canada number means nothing until it is converted. Verify: check these four thresholds against the official equivalency table before relying on them.

Do I need NCLC 7 in all four abilities?

For the French-language proficiency category, yes: all four abilities have to reach NCLC 7. For the CRS score itself, each ability is counted separately, so one ability at NCLC 6 costs you points without automatically ruling you out. Either way it is your weakest ability that decides the outcome, which is where your study time should go.

How many CRS points does NCLC 7 give me?

NCLC 7 in all four abilities is the threshold for the additional French-language points, which sit on top of your ordinary language points. With English at CLB 4 or lower, or no English test at all, NCLC 7 or higher in all four French abilities is worth 25 additional points. Combined with CLB 5 or higher in all four English abilities it is worth 50, which is the maximum this factor pays. The award does not grow as your French rises above NCLC 7, so treat 7 as the gate and any level above it as core language points rather than more bonus.

Should I aim higher than NCLC 7?

Often, yes. The additional French points stop growing at NCLC 7, but core language points keep rising up to NCLC 9. If your submission date is still months away, another level is usually worth more than another month of holding steady at 7. If you are close to a deadline, clearing 7 in every ability is the priority.

Is NCLC 7 easier to reach on the TEF Canada than the TCF Canada?

Neither exam gives access to more NCLC levels or more CRS points than the other. They differ in section format, question counts and marking scales. Choose on the format that suits you and, just as importantly, on which exam actually has sittings available in your country before your submission date.

How long does it take to get from NCLC 6 to NCLC 7?

For a single ability one level short, plan on four to eight weeks of weekly marked practice, and longer if all four are short. If your mock results are already brushing the threshold, three weeks of full timed papers is often enough, because what is missing is time management rather than French.

How long does an NCLC 7 result stay valid?

Less than two years, measured when you complete your Express Entry profile and again when you submit your application for permanent residence. It is not measured against the assessment date, so a valid result does not expire during processing. What does catch candidates out is sitting the exam early and then waiting in the pool until the two years run out.
Preparation tiers

Three ways to reach your target level

Every tier starts the same way, with a mock exam converted into NCLC levels. What changes is how much of the work you do alone.

  • Self-paced

    The full lesson library plus timed practice tests for all four sections, worked on your own schedule.

    CA$149one-time

    One payment, no subscription. Lifetime access to the library.

    Start self-paced
    • Lesson library for all four exam sections
    • Timed full-length practice tests
    • Model answers for every writing and speaking task
    • NCLC score tracker
  • Most popular

    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

    Covers all eight weeks, about CA$56 a class.

    Join a small group
    • Everything in self-paced
    • Weekly live class with Adèle
    • Marked writing submissions every week
    • Marked speaking recordings every week

  • One-to-one tutoring

    Private sessions scheduled around your test date, with a study plan built from your diagnostic results.

    CA$950per 10 sessions

    CA$95 a session, booked around your test date.

    Book one-to-one
    • Everything in small-group live
    • Private sessions scheduled around your test date
    • Study plan built from your diagnostic test
    • Unlimited marked writing and speaking during your block

Not sure which tier fits? Book a free 15-minute video call.

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.

WHY PREPARE HERE

Preparation built around the exam you are actually sitting

Four things every tier includes, whether you study on your own or work with Adèle every week.

  • A native French teacher marks your work

    Adèle reads every writing task and listens to every recording, then tells you which specific mistakes are costing you the most points.

  • Timed practice in the real exam format

    You practise each section under the clock, in the order and the length you will meet on test day, so the paper itself is never the surprise.

  • Every result mapped to an NCLC level

    Practice results are converted to NCLC levels using the published conversion tables, so you always know how far you are from the level your profile needs.

  • Study from anywhere, in your timezone

    Lessons run online for candidates in Morocco, Algeria, Cameroon, Senegal, France and Canada. If you cannot attend live, the recording and the correction still reach you.

OUR COMMITMENT

What we promise, and what we will never claim

Your result is decided by official examiners we have no contact with, so no honest preparation service can promise you a score. What we can commit to is the work: the corrections, the practice papers and the teaching hours you paid for.

What we do not claim

  • We do not guarantee a TCF Canada or TEF Canada score, an NCLC level, or a number of CRS points.
  • We do not register you for the exam, and we have no influence over marking, exam dates or seat availability.
  • We are an independent preparation service, not an examiner and not an official test centre.

Our commitment, in writing

  • Every writing and speaking task you submit is marked by Adèle herself.
  • Prices are in Canadian dollars and include any tax that applies. Exam registration is never included: that fee goes to your test centre.
  • We will never invent a testimonial, a statistic or a pass rate.
NEXT STEP

Find out which ability is holding your level down

Book a short assessment with Adèle: one writing task, one speaking task, and an honest answer on how many weeks of work stand between you and NCLC 7.

Book an assessmentSee the course tiers

Français Prep prepares candidates for the TCF Canada and the TEF Canada. It does not register you, mark your exam, or influence your result.