TCF Canada guide: format, scoring, NCLC and how to prepare
The TCF Canada (Test de connaissance du français pour le Canada) is the French test from France Éducation international that IRCC accepts for Express Entry, other economic immigration programmes and citizenship. This guide covers the format, the scoring and how to prepare.
The four tests
- Listening comprehension (compréhension orale): 39 multiple-choice questions, 35 minutes.
- Reading comprehension (compréhension écrite): 39 multiple-choice questions, 60 minutes.
- Written expression (expression écrite): 3 tasks in 60 minutes: a message of 60–120 words, an article or letter of 120–150 words, and a text comparing two points of view of 120–180 words.
- Oral expression (expression orale): about 12 minutes with an examiner: a guided interview (2 min), an interaction exercise where you ask questions (3 min 30, after 2 min of preparation), and giving your point of view (4 min 30).
How it is scored
Listening and reading are scored out of 699. Questions get harder from A1 to C2 and are worth more as they go: 3 points for questions 1–4, 9 for 5–10, 15 for 11–19, 21 for 20–29, 26 for 30–35 and 33 for 36–39. There is no penalty for a wrong answer, so never leave a question blank.
Speaking and writing are marked out of 20 by trained examiners against official criteria: completing the task, coherence, vocabulary and grammar. Each test also gives a CEFR level from A1 to C2. There is no pass or fail.
What score you need
IRCC converts each ability to an NCLC level. NCLC 7, the key threshold for Express Entry, means listening 458, reading 453 and 10/20 in speaking and writing. With NCLC 7 in all four you get up to 50 additional CRS points and can be invited in the French-language category draws. Citizenship needs NCLC 4 in speaking and listening.
Practical information
- Book with an approved test centre; each centre sets its own dates and price.
- You must wait 30 days between two sittings.
- IRCC accepts results for two years from the test date.
- Results usually arrive a few weeks after the test.
How to prepare
- Practise by level: the hard questions (C1–C2) are worth 26–33 points each, so a few extra correct answers there move your score the most.
- Take full timed mock exams to get used to the pace: 39 questions in 35 minutes of listening leaves no time to replay.
- Prepare speaking and writing templates (introductions, connectors, ways to give an opinion) and adapt them to each prompt.
- Work on the prompts from recent months: candidates' recollections show which topics come up.
- Get feedback on your writing and speaking against the official criteria, and fix the same mistakes before test day.
FAQ
Is the TCF Canada the same as the TCF Tout public?
No. Only the TCF Canada (or the TEF Canada) is accepted by IRCC for immigration and citizenship. The TCF Canada always includes all four tests.
How long is the whole test?
About 2 hours 50 minutes of testing: 35 minutes of listening, 60 of reading, 60 of writing and about 12 of speaking, usually on the same day.
Can I take the test again?
Yes, as many times as you want, with at least 30 days between two sittings. IRCC uses the results you submit.
Is the TCF Canada harder than the TEF Canada?
They measure the same thing with different formats. The TCF has a single multiple-choice paper per comprehension test with increasing difficulty; choose the format you are more comfortable with.