Scores and levels
TEF Canada: what the test looks like and how it is scored
The TEF Canada is the French test most Express Entry candidates sit. Here is each part, the clock you face, and what happens after the last task.
Express Entry language points
99
| First official language | 74 |
| Second official language | 0 |
| French bonus | 25 |
Level per skill
| TEF Canada (from Dec. 11, 2023) | Reading: NCLC 7Writing: NCLC 7Listening: NCLC 8Speaking: NCLC 7 |
Language minimum met?
- Federal Skilled Worker (CLB 7 all four)Met
- Canadian Experience Class, TEER 0 or 1 job (CLB 7)Met
- Canadian Experience Class, TEER 2 or 3 job (CLB 5)Met
- Federal Skilled Trades (5 speaking/listening, 4 reading/writing)Met
- Express Entry French-language category (NCLC 7 all four)Met
- Citizenship, ages 18 to 54 (CLB 4 listening and speaking)Met
Points from language only: age, education, work experience and the rest of the CRS are not counted here. Charts and points read on canada.ca.
The TEF Canada is the French test of the CCI Paris Île-de-France that IRCC accepts for Express Entry and for citizenship. A full sitting has four tests taken on the same day: reading (40 questions in 60 minutes), listening (40 questions in 40 minutes), writing (60 minutes, two tasks of at least 80 and 200 words) and speaking (15 minutes, two role plays). Citizenship applicants only need the listening and speaking tests. Candidates must be over 16, and about 500 centres in more than 110 countries run the test, each one setting its own fee. Results arrive in digital form within 1 to 10 working days and the score report stays valid for 2 years from the date it is issued. You cannot sit the same test again within 20 days, and a review request must be made within 30 days. Each score is then converted to an NCLC level per skill for IRCC.
Charts, converters and questions by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How charts and questions are built
The four tests at a glance
The TEF Canada follows a fixed format published by the CCI Paris Île-de-France. Reading and listening are multiple-choice; writing and speaking are tasks you produce and that people mark.
| Test | Content | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Reading (compréhension écrite) | 40 questions | 60 min |
| Listening (compréhension orale) | 40 questions | 40 min |
| Writing (expression écrite) | Task A: continue a news story, 80+ words (25 min). Task B: argue a point of view, 200+ words (35 min) | 60 min |
| Speaking (expression orale) | Section A: ask for information (5 min). Section B: convince someone (10 min) | 15 min |
The pacing matters more than people expect. In reading you have 90 seconds per question on average; in listening the recordings set the rhythm. The small timer next to this article shows what is left per question once you keep a few minutes to check, and the TEF Canada mock sections put you under the real clock.
Express Entry or citizenship: which tests you sit
For permanent residence through Express Entry, IRCC reads four levels, one per skill, and most programs set a minimum in each of them. That means a full sitting. For a citizenship application, IRCC only assesses listening and speaking, and the CCI offers a TEF Canada limited to those two tests. The citizenship language page gives the level IRCC accepts from each test.
Who can register, and where
The CCI registration conditions require candidates to be over 16. The test is run in about 500 approved centres in more than 110 countries, and each centre sets its own dates and price. As a dated example, the Alliance française d’Edmonton page listed $390 for the four tests and $195 for listening and speaking when we read it on October 26, 2026. This site is independent: registration is done with a centre, never here.
How the score is built
In the multiple-choice tests each right answer earns one point, then the raw total is converted to a score between 0 and 699. Writing and speaking are each judged by two markers. Since 11 December 2023, each of the four scores has its own conversion chart to the NCLC, which is why the TEF Canada score page shows four columns rather than one.
Results, validity and a second attempt
The CCI announces results within 1 to 10 working days, in digital form. The score report is valid for 2 years from its date of issue, and IRCC itself asks for results under 2 years old both when you create the profile and when you send the permanent residence application, so the date you sit the test is a planning decision. The CCI attestation page adds one constraint: the same test cannot be taken again within 20 days. The results and retake page turns those rules into dates.
Is the TEF Canada the right choice?
IRCC treats the TEF Canada and the TCF Canada the same way: both convert to an NCLC level per skill and both count for Express Entry and citizenship. The differences lie in the format, the marking of the expression tests and the waiting period between sittings, compared side by side on the TCF or TEF page.