TEF Canada vs TCF Canada

TEF or TCF Canada: which exam should you take?

Both exams are accepted for federal Express Entry, and both are converted to NCLC levels before a single CRS point is calculated, so neither is worth more than the other. Book the one whose format protects your weakest skill and whose test centre can seat you before your deadline. The table below is the whole decision on one screen.

Get a straight recommendation Jump to the comparison

Both exams prepared by Adèle, a native French teacher
Writing and speaking marked by hand
Every practice result mapped to an NCLC level

Adèle, the native French teacher who runs Français Prep — Adèle SasonNative French teacher - every class, every correction

The short answer

Take the exam you can sit soonest, in the format that suits your weakest skill.

Neither exam is worth more CRS points. Both are converted to NCLC levels first, and the conversion is what your points are calculated from.
The exam you can actually sit inside your application timeline beats the exam that looks marginally friendlier on paper.
Your weakest skill decides your points in both exams, so pick the format that protects your weakest skill.

Before the differences

Six things that are true whichever one you book

CRS points: Neither exam is worth more. Both are converted to an NCLC level before a single point is calculated, and the points come from that level, not from the exam brand.
Your weakest skill: Sets your CRS points either way, because listening, reading, writing and speaking each convert to NCLC on their own.
Result validity: Under two years old at two moments: when you complete your Express Entry profile, and again when you submit your application for permanent residence.
A guaranteed score: Nobody honest offers one. Your result is decided by official examiners that neither exam owner nor Français Prep has any influence over.
Registration fees: Paid straight to your approved test centre, never to Français Prep, and never bundled into a course tier.
The commitment: One day, all four abilities in the same sitting, and roughly three hours of testing either way.

Side by side

TEF Canada and TCF Canada, line by line

Format, timing, scoring and who each exam tends to suit, for the four-skill version both exams run for Express Entry. Availability and cost matter just as much, and get their own section below rather than a row here, because neither one is a fixed number.

TEF Canada and TCF Canada, line by line: TEF Canada / TCF Canada
What you are comparing	TEF Canada	TCF Canada
Who runs the examTrademark holder	CCI Paris Île-de-France, through Le français des affaires.	France Éducation International.
ListeningCompréhension de l’oral	40 multiple-choice questions in 40 minutes, scored on a 0 to 360 scale.	39 multiple-choice questions in 35 minutes, scored on the 331 to 699 scale.
ReadingCompréhension de l’écrit	40 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes, scored on a 0 to 300 scale.	39 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes, scored on the 331 to 699 scale.
WritingExpression écrite	Two tasks (25 and 35 minutes) in 60 minutes total, scored on a 0 to 450 scale.	Three tasks in 60 minutes total, marked out of 20.
SpeakingExpression orale	Two tasks with an examiner, about 15 minutes total, scored on a 0 to 450 scale.	Three tasks with an examiner, about 12 minutes total including preparation, marked out of 20.
Total time in the chair	About 2 hours 55 minutes across all four sections.	About 2 hours 47 minutes across all four sections.
Score scales	Four separate scales, one per skill. The numbers are large, so a narrow NCLC band can look like a wide gap.	Two scales only: 331 to 699 for the two comprehension sections, out of 20 for writing and speaking.
What NCLC 7 needsFull table further down this page	249-279 listening, 207-232 reading, 310-348 writing, 310-348 speaking.	458-502 listening, 453-498 reading, 10-11 out of 20 writing, 10-11 out of 20 speaking.
Tends to suit you if	You read and scan quickly, you are comfortable with a high volume of short questions, and you would rather write two longer pieces than three short ones.	You prefer fewer questions per section, you want the shortest speaking test, and you would rather produce three short, tightly framed pieces of writing.
Tends to punish you if	You lose time on long multiple-choice sections, or your writing collapses when a single task carries a lot of the mark.	You need every mark you can find in writing and speaking, because a whole NCLC level can turn on one point out of twenty.

Section counts, timings and scoring scales reflect the four-skill Express Entry versions of both exams, administered by CCI Paris Île-de-France (TEF Canada) and France Éducation International (TCF Canada). Exam owners revise formats from time to time, so treat your official confirmation letter as the final word on exam day.

Scroll the table sideways to see both columns.

Before you book

One thing to rule out first: is this even your route?

Everything above compares TEF Canada and TCF Canada as IRCC reads them for federal Express Entry, where both convert onto the NCLC scale. Quebec selects its own economic immigrants and does not use the federal Express Entry system. That means a different ministry, a different French scale, and different accepted tests. A result prepared for Express Entry is read against NCLC levels by IRCC; a result prepared for Quebec is read against the échelle québécoise by the Quebec ministry. The French is the same French, but the paperwork is not interchangeable, and this is the single thing candidates most often get wrong.

If you are applying through one of Quebec’s own programmes, this comparison does not settle anything for you: your exam and your scale are different from the ones on this page.

TCF Québec: the French test for Quebec immigration, not Express EntryTCF Québec is read by the Quebec ministry against the échelle québécoise, not by IRCC against NCLC. What the test covers, how it differs from TCF Canada, and which one your application actually needs.TEFAQ: the oral French test for Quebec immigrationThe TEFAQ is the TEF adapted for Quebec, usually sat as the two oral sections alone. What it covers, why it is shorter than TEF Canada, and how Quebec reads the result.

The recommendation

So which one should you book?

Weigh it in this order: availability first, format second, and cost as the tiebreaker.

1. Availability decides more cases than format does

Both exams run at approved centres across Canada and internationally, but how soon you can actually get a seat depends on your city and the month, not on which format you prefer on paper. Check both exams’ current booking calendars for your nearest city before you commit to one. A seat you can sit in eight weeks beats a marginally better-fitting exam five months out, every time.

2. Format: pick the one that protects your weakest skill

Book the TEF Canada if

You read quickly and do not mind 110 multiple-choice questions across the two comprehension sections.
You write better at length, and you would rather put your marks into two longer pieces.
The nearest centre with a seat before your deadline runs the TEF Canada.

Book the TCF Canada if

You want fewer questions per comprehension section and the shorter speaking test.
You prefer three short, tightly framed writing tasks over two long ones.
You are already studying with TCF Canada material and changing exam would cost you weeks.

3. Cost, as the tiebreaker, not the decision

Registration is paid straight to the approved centre running your session, not to Français Prep, and the fee is set by the centre rather than by CCI Paris Île-de-France or France Éducation International, so it varies by country and changes over time. We are not going to publish a figure here that could be wrong by the time you read it. What we can tell you is that the fee gap between the two exams at a given centre is rarely the deciding factor: the cost of sitting an exam you were not ready for, and having to book it again, is almost always bigger.

Still torn? That is normal, and it is usually a sign that the real question is your level rather than the exam. A short diagnostic answers both at once.

Book a diagnostic with Adèle

Preparation tiers

Prepare for whichever exam you book.

Every tier covers listening, reading, writing and speaking in both the TEF Canada and the TCF Canada formats, and tracks you against a target NCLC level. Tell us your exam and your date, and the plan follows it.

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 self-paced course.
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.

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

On the live tiers, every writing and speaking task you submit is marked by Adèle herself, never by software. Self-paced includes a model answer for every task instead.
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.

Score targets

The numbers each exam needs for the same NCLC level

This is why a TEF score cannot be compared with a TCF score directly. The scales are different, the bands are different, and only the NCLC level on the right of your report card matters to IRCC.

TEF Canada scores and their NCLC level

TEF Canada: NCLC level
NCLC level	TEF Canada
NCLC level	Listening	Reading	Speaking	Writing
NCLC 10	316-360	263-300	393-450	393-450
NCLC 9	298-315	248-262	371-392	371-392
NCLC 8	280-297	233-247	349-370	349-370
NCLC 7 Level highlighted on this pageThe level most Express Entry candidates target	249-279	207-232	310-348	310-348
NCLC 6	217-248	181-206	271-309	271-309
NCLC 5	181-216	151-180	226-270	226-270
NCLC 4	145-180	121-150	181-225	181-225

Conversion bands follow the IRCC equivalency chart for French-language tests, and each skill converts on its own. Full table, every NCLC level from 4 to 10: TEF Canada score chart: results to NCLC levels. A TEF Canada attestation prints each ability twice, as a Score / 699 figure and as an equivalence under Equivalence ancien score, and the bands above are the second of the two. Express Entry reads that column, other programmes may not: which column to enter, and why.

Scroll the table sideways to see all four abilities.

TCF Canada scores and their NCLC level

TCF Canada: NCLC level
NCLC level	TCF Canada
NCLC level	Listening	Reading	Speaking	Writing
NCLC 10	549-699	549-699	16-20	16-20
NCLC 9	523-548	524-548	14-15	14-15
NCLC 8	503-522	499-523	12-13	12-13
NCLC 7 Level highlighted on this pageThe level most Express Entry candidates target	458-502	453-498	10-11	10-11
NCLC 6	398-457	406-452	7-9	7-9
NCLC 5	369-397	375-405	6	6
NCLC 4	331-368	342-374	4-5	4-5

Conversion bands follow the IRCC equivalency chart for French-language tests, and each skill converts on its own. Full table, every NCLC level from 4 to 10: TCF Canada score chart: results to NCLC levels.

Scroll the table sideways to see all four abilities.

Overhead view of hands arranging books and planners on a desk — The exam brand rarely decides readiness. The gap between your level and your target does.

What actually decides readiness

The variable that matters is your starting level, not the exam brand

Both exams are accepted, both convert onto NCLC, and both are prepared the same way in the weeks before the test: timed listening, timed reading, marked writing and marked speaking. What decides whether you are ready is not which exam you picked. It is the gap between where your four skills sit today and the NCLC level your application needs.

A diagnostic answers that gap in about an hour: one writing task, one speaking task, one timed comprehension section, marked the way the real exam marks it. From there, the exam choice usually settles itself.

Before you book

TEF or TCF: the questions candidates actually ask

Straight answers, including the ones where the honest answer is that we cannot promise you anything.

Which exam is easier, the TEF Canada or the TCF Canada?

Neither is officially easier, and no honest preparation service can promise you that one will score you higher. The formats differ in ways that suit different candidates: the TEF Canada asks more comprehension questions and sets two longer writing tasks, while the TCF Canada asks fewer questions, gives you a shorter speaking test and sets three shorter writing tasks. Pick the format that protects your weakest skill.

Does one of them give me more CRS points than the other?

No. IRCC converts both exams to NCLC levels before any points are calculated, so the points come from your NCLC level, not from the exam brand. A candidate at NCLC 7 in all four skills earns the same French points whether that level came from the TEF Canada or the TCF Canada.

Can I sit both exams and use the better result?

Nothing stops you sitting both, and some candidates do exactly that when a first result lands one band short. You submit one language result per language in an application, so you would submit the stronger one. What you cannot do is mix results: all four abilities in the result you submit have to come from the same test, so you cannot combine, for example, your best TEF Canada speaking score with your best TCF Canada writing score.

I have already booked the TEF Canada. Can you still prepare me?

Yes. Most of the work is the same French either way: listening under pressure, reading fast enough to finish, structuring an argument in writing, and speaking for a set number of minutes without drying up. What changes is the drilling in the final weeks, where you practise the exact task types and timings of the exam you booked.

Which exam does your preparation cover?

Both. The lesson library covers all four skills for the TCF Canada and the TEF Canada, and the practice papers exist in both formats. When you book, you tell us your exam and your date, and the study plan is built around that sitting.

Do you guarantee that I will reach NCLC 7?

No, and you should be suspicious of anyone who does. Your result is decided by official examiners we have no contact with. What we commit to is the work: marked writing, marked speaking, timed practice papers and the teaching hours you paid for.

Is the exam fee included in your course tiers?

No. Registration is paid directly to the approved test centre that runs your session, and it is never part of a Français Prep tier. Centre fees differ by country and change over time, so book your seat before you plan your budget around any figure you read online.

Do you register me for the exam?

No. Français Prep is an independent preparation service. Registration, exam dates, seat availability and marking are all handled by the exam owners and their approved centres, and we have no influence over any of them.

How long should I prepare before I book the exam?

It depends on the distance between where you are now and the NCLC level your profile needs, which is why the first thing we do is a short diagnostic: one writing task, one speaking task and a timed comprehension section. From that we can tell you how far you have to travel, and whether your planned exam date is realistic.

How long is my result valid?

Under two years old at two separate moments: when you complete your Express Entry profile, and again when you submit your application for permanent residence. Validity is measured from your test date, not from either of those dates, so time your sitting so the result still has room to spare once the rest of your file is ready.

Does this comparison apply if I am applying through Quebec instead of Express Entry?

No. Quebec runs its own economic immigration programmes, reads results against the échelle québécoise rather than NCLC, and accepts a different set of tests, including the TEFAQ and the TCF Québec. If Quebec is your route, start from our TCF Québec or TEFAQ pages rather than this one.

WHY PREPARE HERE

What the preparation looks like, whichever exam you sit

The four things every tier includes, from the self-paced library to one-to-one work with Adèle.

Marked against the real criteria
Every writing and speaking task comes with a model answer and the marking grid, so you can see exactly what an examiner rewards. On the live tiers, Adèle marks your own work by hand and tells you which 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
Everything is online, for candidates in Morocco, Algeria, Cameroon, France and Canada. Self-paced runs entirely on your own clock. On the live tiers, if you miss a class the recording and the correction still reach you.

Next step

Pick the exam, then pick the plan.

Book a short assessment with Adèle: one writing task, one speaking task, and an honest answer on which exam to sit and whether your target date holds.

Book an assessment See the course tiers

Exam registration is paid to your test centre and is never included in a Français Prep tier.

Keep reading

TCF Canada: format, scoring and NCLC levels
What the TCF Canada is, how the four sections are timed and marked, how results convert to NCLC levels for Express Entry, plus fees, dates and test centres.
TEF Canada: format, scoring and NCLC levels
How the TEF Canada is structured, what each section tests, how results map to NCLC levels for Canadian immigration, and what registration costs.
CLB 7 in French (NCLC 7): the TCF and TEF Canada scores you need
CLB 7 in French is NCLC 7, the same scale under its Canadian name. The exact TCF Canada and TEF Canada results that reach it, how NCLC 5 and 9 compare, and the CRS points it unlocks.
TCF Canada course: live and self-paced preparation
Prepare for the TCF Canada with a native French teacher. Self-paced, small-group live and one-to-one options, each with marked writing and speaking practice.