--- title: "Free French level test online: CEFR level and NCLC estimate" description: "Twenty questions from A1 to C1, no sign-up. Get an estimated CEFR level, the NCLC range it usually matches, and a correction for every answer." canonical: https://francaisprep.com/tools/french-level-test last-updated: 2026-10-14 --- [Free French level test](/tools) # Free French level test: your CEFR level and an NCLC estimate A free online French placement test: 20 multiple-choice questions from A1 to C1, about ten minutes, no account. You get an estimated CEFR level, the approximate NCLC range it usually corresponds to, and a correction with a one-line explanation for every question. It is an estimate to plan your preparation, not an official score. By [Adèle Sason](/about), Français Prep · Updated 14 October 2026 ## How the test works 20 multiple-choice questions in French, from beginner (A1) to advanced (C1). They get harder as you go. Pick an answer, or choose "I don't know" rather than guessing: a guess that lands makes the estimate less accurate, not more. - Grammar, vocabulary and short reading texts. No audio, no timer. - About ten minutes. No account and no email needed to see your result. - At the end: an estimated CEFR level, the NCLC range it usually matches, and a correction for every question. Start the test ![Adèle, the native French teacher who runs Français Prep](/_next/image?url=%2Fadele.png&w=3840&q=75) Not sure which of this you actually need? A 15-minute video call works out which of your four abilities is furthest from the level your application needs. It is free, and some candidates leave with a plan and no purchase. Adèle Sason · Native French teacher - every class, every correction [Book the free call](/book) The CEFR to NCLC ranges come from Table 7 of [Aligning the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR)](https://www.language.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Aligning-the-CLB-and-CEFR.pdf) (Brian North and Enrica Piccardo, Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks, December 2018), checked on 14 October 2026. It is a research alignment, not an official conversion table: IRCC publishes none, and the NCLC level that counts is the one on your test attestation. To turn real TCF Canada or TEF Canada scores into NCLC, use the [score converter](/tools/score-converter), and read what each level means on the [NCLC 7 page](/nclc-7). The questions are original, written for this test. ## What this French level test measures Four questions at each level from A1 to C1, in order of difficulty: grammar, vocabulary and short texts to read. The early questions check the basics (être, articles, everyday words). The later ones test what separates an intermediate from an advanced speaker: the subjunctive after concessions, relative pronouns such as dont, idioms and implied meaning. ## From CEFR to NCLC The CEFR is the European scale from A1 to C2. Canadian immigration reads the NCLC, a twelve-level scale. The two were built separately, and there is no official one-to-one table. The ranges shown with your result follow a research alignment published by the Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks, which places NCLC 7, the usual target for French-language routes, at B1+: a strong B1 with elements of B2. Treat the range as a direction, not a number to put on a form. ## What it cannot tell you Twenty questions are enough to place you roughly, not to predict an exam result. The test has no listening, no speaking and no writing, which are the abilities that most often keep a file below NCLC 7. If your estimate is B1 or above, the next useful step is exam-style practice in all four. ## One test per level, in French If you are aiming at one level, there is a separate test for each, written and explained in French, that you can take online or print as a PDF with its answer key: [A2](/fr/outils/test-de-niveau-francais/a2), [B1](/fr/outils/test-de-niveau-francais/b1), [B2](/fr/outils/test-de-niveau-francais/b2), [C1](/fr/outils/test-de-niveau-francais/c1). Questions ## About the free french level test ### Is this French level test really free? Yes. All 20 questions, your estimated level and the full correction are free and need no account. An email address is only asked for if you want the result sent to you. ### How is my level worked out? With fixed rules, not a model. There are four questions at each level from A1 to C1. You pass a level with 3 correct answers out of four, and your estimate is the highest level you pass while the levels below it hold up: at least two right at each, and at least three quarters right across all of them. If you pass none, the result is below A1. ### Which NCLC level does my CEFR level correspond to? Roughly: A1 to NCLC 2, A2 to NCLC 3 to 4, B1 to NCLC 5 to 7, B2 to NCLC 8 to 9 and C1 to NCLC 10 to 11. These ranges come from a research report commissioned by the Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks. IRCC publishes no CEFR to NCLC table, so treat them as an approximation. ### Can I use this result for Express Entry or citizenship? No. Immigration reads the NCLC levels on a TCF Canada or TEF Canada attestation, ability by ability. This test is a quick estimate of your grammar, vocabulary and reading to help you plan your preparation. ### Why is there an "I don't know" button? Because a guess that happens to land makes the estimate less accurate. With four options, one blind guess in four is right. Skipping a question you do not know tells the test something true. ### Does the test cover listening, speaking and writing? No. It covers grammar, vocabulary and short reading texts. Listening, speaking and writing need audio or an examiner, and they are often where the gap with the target level is widest. ## Keep reading - [NCLC 7 on the TCF Canada: 458 listening, 453 reading, 10/20](/nclc-7) - [TCF and TEF Canada sample test: 158 questions, 8 series](/tcf-tef-sample-test) - [TCF Canada: NCLC 7 needs 453 reading and 458 listening](/tcf-canada) - [TEF Canada: 4 tests for PR, 2 for citizenship](/tef-canada) 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](/pricing) --- 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).