Scores and levels
TCF Canada or TEF Canada: which one suits you?
IRCC accepts both tests on equal terms. What separates them is how they feel on the day: the number of tasks, the clock, the marking and the rules for trying again.
Total budget
$390
| Test fees | $390 |
| Per sitting | $390 |
Default fee read on the page of Alliance française d’Edmonton, TEF Canada, four tests on October 26, 2026. Each centre sets its own fee: type yours. Taxes may apply depending on the centre.
IRCC gives the TEF Canada and the TCF Canada exactly the same standing: both are converted to an NCLC level per skill, both count for Express Entry, the French-language category, the French bonus and citizenship, and both reports are valid 2 years. The choice is practical. The TEF Canada asks 40 reading and 40 listening questions; the TCF Canada asks 39 of each, with 35 minutes of listening against 40. In writing, the TEF Canada sets two tasks with word minimums (80 and 200), the TCF Canada three tasks with word ranges, up to 180 words. Speaking lasts 15 minutes in two role plays at the TEF and 12 minutes in three tasks at the TCF. Marking differs too: every TEF score is out of 699, while the TCF reports writing and speaking out of 20. Results take 1 to 10 working days at the TEF and up to 10 or 15 at the TCF. To retake, the TEF bars the same test for 20 days, the TCF asks 30 days between sittings.
Charts, converters and questions by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How charts and questions are built
Side by side
| TEF Canada (CCI Paris Île-de-France) | TCF Canada (France Éducation international) | |
|---|---|---|
| Reading | 40 questions, 60 min | 39 questions, 60 min |
| Listening | 40 questions, 40 min | 39 questions, 35 min, each recording played once |
| Writing | 2 tasks, 60 min, at least 80 and 200 words | 3 tasks, 60 min, ranges from 60 to 180 words |
| Speaking | 2 sections, 15 min | 3 tasks, 12 min |
| Scale | 0 to 699 for all four | 100 to 699 (comprehension), out of 20 (expression) |
| Expression marking | two markers per performance | mark out of 20 |
| Results | 1 to 10 working days | up to 10 (computer) or 15 (paper) working days |
| Retake | not the same test within 20 days | 30 days between sittings |
| Citizenship-only format | listening + speaking offered | not confirmed |
| Validity | 2 years | 2 years |
Comprehension: more questions or more time per question
In reading, both tests give 60 minutes, but the TEF Canada fits 40 questions into them and the TCF Canada 39: 90 seconds per question against 92. Listening is shorter at the TCF (35 minutes) and every TCF recording is heard once, with questions getting harder as you go. The timer next to this article computes your own pace for each section; the TEF mock and TCF mock let you try both.
Writing: a floor, or a window
The TEF Canada sets minimums only: continue a news story in at least 80 words, then argue a position in at least 200. The TCF Canada sets windows for its three tasks (60–120, 120–150 and 120–180 words). Writers who tend to go long may find the TEF more comfortable; writers who like short, framed tasks may prefer the TCF.
Speaking: two role plays or three short tasks
The TEF Canada speaking test has two sections: 5 minutes to obtain information, then 10 minutes to convince someone. The TCF Canada has three: a 2-minute guided interview, an interaction of 3.5 minutes after 2 minutes of preparation, and 4.5 minutes on a point of view. The speaking practice offers both formats with a timer.
Price and dates
Each centre sets its own fee, and the two tests are not always offered at the same centre. As dated examples read on October 26, 2026: the Alliance française d’Edmonton listed $390 for the full TEF Canada, and the Université de Sherbrooke $415 for the TCF Canada. The calculator above adds up several sittings at the fee you enter. In practice, the date available near you often settles the question.
Our reading of the choice
If you expect to retake one skill, the TEF Canada waiting rule is shorter. If you only need citizenship, the TEF Canada listening and speaking format is the one confirmed by its organiser. Otherwise, sit a mock section of each and pick the format in which your weakest skill does best. The cost page and the results and retake page go further on money and timing.