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TCF Canada scoring

TCF Canada score chart: what each result is worth in NCLC

TCF Canada does not tell you whether you passed. It gives you four separate results, and Canadian immigration converts each one into an NCLC level. This page holds the conversion table for all four abilities, explains how to read the band your result falls into, and flags every figure that still needs checking against the official chart.

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  • Every ability converted, not just listening and reading
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In short

TCF Canada reports a separate result for each of the four abilities, and Canadian immigration converts each result into an NCLC level using a published equivalency chart. There is no pass mark and no overall score, so what matters is which NCLC band each of your four results falls into, and specifically your lowest band, because that is the one an Express Entry profile is read against. Most French-language routes are built around NCLC 7 in all four abilities.

What is actually on your attestation

Scores you receive
Four separate results, one for each ability. TCF Canada publishes no combined or average mark.
Comprehension scale
Compréhension orale and compréhension écrite are reported on a 0 to 699 point scale with a CEFR level attached.
Expression scale
Expression écrite and expression orale are marked by examiners. Check whether your session reports these out of 20 or on the 0 to 699 scale, because the reporting scale has changed at least once.
What decides your points
Your weakest ability. Express Entry reads all four NCLC levels and the lowest one sets what you can claim.
Exam format

How each of the four tests is scored

The two comprehension tests and the two expression tests are scored in different ways, and that is the single most common source of confusion about TCF Canada results. Read this before you read the conversion table.

How each of the four tests is scored: Format and length / What you are given back
TestFormat and lengthWhat you are given back
Compréhension oraleListening39 multiple-choice questions, four options each with one correct answer, in 35 minutes.One score on the 0 to 699 scale, plus the CEFR level that score falls into.
Compréhension écriteReading39 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes.One score on the 0 to 699 scale, plus the CEFR level that score falls into.
Expression écriteWritingThree written exercises in 60 minutes.One examiner-awarded result per candidate, covering all three tasks together. Check the scale in force for your session.
Expression oraleSpeakingThree spoken exercises one-to-one with an examiner, 12 minutes including 2 minutes of preparation.One examiner-awarded result covering all three tasks together. Check the scale in force for your session.
Check every question count and every duration in this table against the current official session description. The TCF family has several variants and the figures published for one variant are regularly quoted for another.

Scroll the table sideways to see both columns.

At a glance

The whole scale in four bars

Each bar is one ability, drawn to scale across the range the chart covers, with the NCLC 7 band picked out. Read the width of a band as the 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

Listening is the least even of the four: NCLC 6 spans 60 points while NCLC 8 spans 20. Two candidates both sitting at NCLC 6 in listening can be 59 points apart, one of them a single point short of NCLC 7 and the other most of a level away.

Score conversion

TCF Canada to NCLC, ability by ability

Find the row for the level you need, then read across. The four figures on that row are your four targets, and you have to reach all four, not the average of them. NCLC 7 is highlighted because it is the level most French-language immigration routes are built around.

TCF Canada result: NCLC level (same scale as CLB)
NCLC level (same scale as CLB)TCF Canada result
ListeningReadingSpeakingWriting
NCLC 10 and aboveExpress Entry stops awarding extra language points above this band.549 to 699549 to 69916 to 2016 to 20
NCLC 9523 to 548524 to 54814 to 1514 to 15
NCLC 8503 to 522499 to 52312 to 1312 to 13
NCLC 7 Level highlighted on this pageThe level the French-language routes into Express Entry are built around. Check the current requirement before you plan around it.458 to 502453 to 49810 to 1110 to 11
NCLC 6398 to 457406 to 4527 to 97 to 9
NCLC 5369 to 397375 to 40566
NCLC 4The lowest level the published conversion chart covers.331 to 368342 to 3744 to 54 to 5
Check every range in this table. These are the conversion figures we are working from, transcribed for a human to check cell by cell against the official language-test equivalency chart before this page is published. Two things in particular need confirming: the exact boundary values, which have been reissued more than once, and the scale used for expression écrite and expression orale, which this draft shows out of 20. If the official chart and this table disagree, the official chart is right and this table is wrong.

Scroll the table sideways to see all four abilities.

The other scale on your attestation

CEFR levels on the 0 to 699 scale

Your attestation also carries a CEFR level for each ability. It is useful for understanding your French in general terms, and it is not what an immigration officer converts into points.

CEFR levels on the 0 to 699 scale: Score on the 0 to 699 scale / How to read it
CEFR levelScore on the 0 to 699 scaleHow to read it
C2600 to 699Mastery. Well above anything Express Entry asks for.
C1500 to 599Advanced. This band spans the top NCLC levels, so a few points inside it can still move your level.
B2400 to 499Upper intermediate. Most candidates who reach NCLC 7 sit inside this band.
B1300 to 399Intermediate. Usually maps to the lower NCLC levels.
A2200 to 299Elementary. Below the range the immigration chart covers.
A1100 to 199Beginner. Below the range the immigration chart covers.
Check these band boundaries. The 0 to 699 scale carries a CEFR level, but CEFR is not the scale Canadian immigration reads, so use this table to interpret your attestation and use the NCLC table above to work out what your result is worth. A CEFR level is not an NCLC level and the two do not line up band for band.

Scroll the table sideways to see both columns.

Reading the chart correctly

What your NCLC level is actually worth

A conversion table on its own does not tell you whether to book the exam. These four points are what candidates most often get wrong once they have their practice results in hand.

  • Why the lowest ability is the only one that matters

    Express Entry does not average your four TCF Canada results. It reads each ability as its own NCLC level and then works from the weakest one. A candidate at NCLC 9 in listening, reading and speaking but NCLC 6 in writing is treated as a candidate below the NCLC 7 threshold.

  • French as an additional-points claim

    The Comprehensive Ranking System awards a separate block of points for strong French, up to a maximum of 50. NCLC 7 or higher in all four French abilities earns 25 points if your English is CLB 4 or lower, or if you did not take an English test at all. The same French level earns 50 points if you also score CLB 5 or higher in all four English abilities. NCLC 7 is the entry point for both, which is why it is the number this site is built around.

  • Category-based draws

    IRCC has run rounds of invitations reserved for candidates with strong French. Check the current category rules and the minimum level, because the categories are reviewed and republished each year and a category that existed last year may not exist now.

  • One band is not one point

    The bands are wide. Moving from 452 to 458 in listening can change your NCLC level, while moving from 460 to 500 changes nothing at all. Knowing where your practice results sit inside a band tells you whether more work will actually pay.

Sitting the exam

Registration, dates, fees and validity

Everything in this block is set by the test centre and by the immigration program, not by us. We have written the section and marked each figure that a human needs to confirm, rather than publishing numbers that would go stale without anyone noticing.

Registration and test centres
You register for TCF Canada directly with an approved test centre, not through a preparation service. Centres set their own session calendar, their own fee and their own registration deadline, and the list of approved centres changes. Check the centre nearest you and its current fee on the official test-centre list before you budget for the exam.
Session dates
Most centres run TCF Canada sessions on a regular cycle and many run at least one a month, but the calendar is the centre's, not a national one. Check the exact dates and the cut-off for registration with your centre.
Fees
Check the fee. It is set per centre and per country and we will not publish a figure we cannot stand behind. Ask your centre for the all-in price, including any fee for a paper copy of your attestation.
Results and validity
Your attestation shows a score and a level for each of the four abilities. Check the turnaround time with your centre. For an immigration application the result must be recent enough on the day you apply, and the window we know of is under two years, so Check that against the current IRCC requirement rather than assuming it.
Retakes
Check the waiting period between two TCF Canada attempts, and Check whether your centre lets you re-sit a single ability or requires the whole exam again. Both rules have varied, and the answer changes how you should spend the weeks before your next attempt.
FAQ

TCF Canada scoring, question by question

The questions candidates send us most often once they are staring at a score they do not know how to interpret.

What is a good TCF Canada score?

There is no single good score, because TCF Canada reports four separate results and immigration programs read them as NCLC levels rather than as raw numbers. Work backwards instead: decide the NCLC level your application needs, find that row in the conversion table above, and treat the four figures on that row as your four targets. For most French-language routes into Express Entry that row is NCLC 7.

Does TCF Canada give an overall score?

No. You receive a result for compréhension orale, compréhension écrite, expression écrite and expression orale, and nothing that combines them. Any overall number you see quoted is somebody else's arithmetic, not something on your attestation, and immigration officers do not use it.

What TCF Canada score do I need for NCLC 7?

On the conversion chart we are working from, NCLC 7 is 458 to 502 in listening, 453 to 498 in reading, and 10 to 11 in each of writing and speaking. Check these four ranges against the official equivalency chart before you rely on them, because the chart is periodically reissued.

Is NCLC the same thing as CLB?

They are the same scale under two names. NCLC, Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens, is the French-language version of the Canadian Language Benchmarks. NCLC 7 and CLB 7 describe the same benchmark, which is why a French test result and an English test result can be compared directly in an immigration profile.

How long is a TCF Canada result valid?

Long enough to plan around, but not indefinitely. Immigration applications require a recent result, and the limit we know of is under two years on the day you apply. Check the current validity period with IRCC, and note that a test centre's own idea of validity and an immigration program's requirement are not always the same thing.

Can I retake only expression écrite or expression orale?

Check this with your test centre. Whether a single ability can be re-sat, and how long you must wait between attempts, has changed and is not uniform across centres. Do not build a study plan around a partial retake until your centre has confirmed in writing that it is available to you.

Why do my writing and speaking results look like they are on a different scale?

Because they may be. The two comprehension tests are machine-scored on the 0 to 699 scale, while expression écrite and expression orale are marked by examiners against published criteria. Check which scale your session reports for the two expression tests, since a result out of 20 and a result out of 699 convert to NCLC levels through different columns of the chart.

Is a score above NCLC 10 worth more points?

Not for language points. The conversion chart's top row is NCLC 10 and above, and the ranking system treats everything in that band the same way. Once every ability is comfortably inside it, extra practice buys you confidence and a safety margin against a bad day, not extra points.
Get to the row you need

Preparation aimed at a specific NCLC level

Every tier starts from a diagnostic test, converts your result with the table above, and works on the ability holding your level down. Exam registration is paid to your test centre and is never included.

  • 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 band your French is actually in

Sit a timed practice paper, have Adèle mark the writing and speaking herself, and get your four results converted into NCLC levels so you know exactly which ability to work on.

Book an assessmentSee the course tiers

Practice results are an estimate produced by a preparation service. They are not an official TCF Canada result and carry no weight with any test centre or immigration authority.