TEF Canada Preparation: Format, CLB Scores & Study Plan

Most people who search for TEF Canada have already done the math on their Express Entry profile and seen that French could be the fastest way up the ranking. Then they open the first prep site, find three different score charts, and lose a week trying to work out which one IRCC really uses.

This page clears that up. You get the TEF Canada format as described in the 2026 handbook from CCI Paris Île-de-France, the official NCLC chart from IRCC (as of October 2026), the score column you must enter in Express Entry, the CRS points French can add, and the way I prepare students for each test in my lessons.

What is the TEF Canada?

The TEF (Test d'évaluation de français) is the French test created by CCI Paris Île-de-France, under its Le français des affaires brand. TEF Canada is the version built for Canadian immigration. CCI Paris Île-de-France notes that Canada's immigration ministry made it the required French test for skilled-worker applications back in 2002, and IRCC still lists it today, alongside the TCF Canada, as one of the two French tests accepted for Express Entry.

Two words you will see everywhere:

• NCLC (Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens) is the French name for the CLB, the Canadian Language Benchmarks. NCLC 7 and CLB 7 mean the same level.
• Attestation de résultats is your statement of results, the document you upload to IRCC.

Be careful with the name when you book. The TEF has several versions (TEF, TEF IRN, TEFAQ for Québec, TEF Canada). Only the TEF Canada counts for Express Entry, so check that the session says "TEF Canada" in full.

TEF Canada format: the four tests

For an immigration application, the TEF Canada has four compulsory tests, each scored out of 699:

That adds up to 2 hours 55 minutes of testing. Reading and listening are corrected automatically. Writing and speaking are graded by two different evaluators, which is why vague, memorized answers rarely score well: two people listen for whether you actually did the task.

The speaking test has two sections:

• Section A: getting information. Starting from a short document, such as an ad, you ask the examiner questions to get the details you need.
• Section B: presenting and convincing. You present a document to the examiner and argue to convince them.

For Canadian citizenship, CCI Paris Île-de-France says only the oral tests are used: listening and speaking.

Tip from class: students prepare Section B for weeks and treat Section A as easy. Then on test day they run out of questions after ninety seconds. Asking a lot of polite, varied questions is a skill of its own, and our guide to asking questions in French with est-ce que and inversion is the exact grammar Section A rewards.

TEF Canada scores and the NCLC chart

This is where most of the confusion comes from, so here is what IRCC says, as of October 2026.

IRCC publishes this chart for TEF Canada tests taken after December 10, 2023 (scores out of 699):

Notice that speaking needs the highest score for the same level: 456 for NCLC 7, against 428 in writing.

Which score goes in your Express Entry profile?

Your attestation shows two columns. IRCC is explicit: your level is based on the column called Équivalence ancien score (previous score equivalency). Enter only the numbers from that column in Express Entry. Do not enter the numbers from the Score / 699 column.

One more case: if you took the TEF Canada between December 11, 2023 and May 6, 2024, IRCC says a temporary scoring change has since been reverted and you may need to update your profile. If you do not, and you are invited to apply, your application could be refused for incorrect language scores.

How many CRS points can French add?

The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) ranks Express Entry candidates. French can help in two ways, according to IRCC's criteria page (as of October 2026).

French as your first official language. Each of the four skills earns points on its own:

So CLB 7 in all four skills, without a spouse, is 4 × 17 = 68 points.

French as an extra language. Most of my students already have English and add French on top. Here the rule is short:

• NCLC 7 or higher in all four French skills + CLB 5 or higher in all four English skills: 50 additional points.
• NCLC 7 or higher in all four French skills + CLB 4 or lower in English: 25 additional points.

The word that matters is all. NCLC 7 in three skills and NCLC 6 in speaking earns zero of those bonus points. Also note that IRCC removed job-offer points from the CRS on March 25, 2025, which makes the French bonus count for more in many profiles.

How to prepare for each part of the TEF Canada

Reading (60 minutes, 40 questions)

You have a minute and a half per question, which sounds generous until the long opinion texts at the end. Read the question first, then hunt for the sentence that answers it. The answer is always in the text, not in your general knowledge. Practice with real everyday documents: rental listings, municipal notices, job ads from Québec or New Brunswick.

Listening (40 minutes, 40 questions)

Train your ear on natural speed, not slowed-down learner audio. Radio news, podcasts and phone messages are close to the test. Before each recording, read the answer choices and decide what you are listening for: a time, a place, a reason, an opinion.

Writing (60 minutes, 2 topics)

Learn the frame of a formal message once: greeting (Madame, Monsieur,), purpose, details, polite closing (Cordialement). For the argument task, three connectors already make your writing sound organized: d'abord (first), en revanche (on the other hand), par conséquent (therefore). Keep five minutes to check agreements and verb endings; the past tenses are where most points disappear, and our guide to passé composé vs imparfait fixes the most common one.

Speaking (15 minutes, 2 topics)

Here is a mini-dialogue in the style of Section A, the kind we rehearse in class:

• Vous : Bonjour, j'appelle au sujet de votre annonce pour le cours de cuisine. Est-ce qu'il reste des places ? (Hello, I'm calling about your ad for the cooking class. Are there any spots left?)
• Examinateur : Oui, il en reste deux. (Yes, there are two left.)
• Vous : Parfait. Le cours a lieu à quelle heure, et faut-il apporter son matériel ? (Great. What time is the class, and do we need to bring our own equipment?)

Short, polite, one new piece of information per question. For Section B, prepare reusable argument openers rather than scripts: Je comprends ton hésitation, mais… (I understand why you're hesitating, but…), Ce qui est vraiment intéressant, c'est que… (What's great is that…). Adjust tu or vous to the role the examiner gives you.

A realistic study plan

Register first, then study. A booked date turns "someday" into a plan, and the 20-day gap between attempts means you can retake fairly quickly if one skill falls short.

• Weeks 1–2: take a timed mock of all four tests and note your weakest skill. That skill gets half your study time from now on.
• Weeks 3–6: daily listening and reading in short blocks; two writing tasks per week, corrected by someone who explains your errors.
• Weeks 7–10: speaking practice two or three times a week, alternating Section A and Section B, always with a timer.
• Last two weeks: two full mocks in real conditions, then light review. No new grammar.

If you start below B1, stretch each block. Our step-by-step plan for how to learn French shows how to build the foundation before you switch to exam work.

Common mistakes English speakers make

• Mistake: entering the Score / 699 numbers in Express Entry → Do instead: enter the Équivalence ancien score column, as IRCC instructs.
• Mistake: aiming for a high average → Do instead: aim for NCLC 7 in each skill; the 50-point bonus needs all four.
• Mistake: booking the regular TEF or the TEFAQ → Do instead: book a session labeled TEF Canada.
• Mistake: memorizing a speaking script → Do instead: learn question patterns and argument openers, then improvise. Two evaluators notice a recited answer.
• Mistake: saying Je suis 30 ans in the speaking test → Say instead: J'ai 30 ans (I am 30 years old).

Practice

1. How long is the TEF Canada listening test, and how many questions does it have?
2. Using IRCC's chart, which NCLC level is a speaking score of 470?
3. You score NCLC 8, 8, 7 and 6 in French and CLB 9 in English. How many additional French points do you get?
4. Which column of your attestation do you enter in Express Entry?
5. Which TEF Canada tests are used for a citizenship application?

Answers: 1. 40 minutes, 40 questions. 2. NCLC 7 (456–493). 3. Zero: one skill is below NCLC 7. 4. Équivalence ancien score. 5. Listening and speaking.

In short

The TEF Canada has four tests scored out of 699, and IRCC judges each skill on its own. NCLC 7 in all four French skills is the target that unlocks up to 50 CRS points, and the speaking test needs the highest score to get there. If you are still choosing your test, compare it with our TCF Canada format and score chart, or with a permanent diploma in our DELF exam preparation plan. If you are applying for a work permit rather than permanent residence, the Francophone Mobility Program sets a lower bar: NCLC 5 in listening and speaking only.

Not sure which NCLC level you would score today, or which skill is holding you back? Book a free 30-minute assessment with Magali: she will run a short TEF-style speaking task with you and tell you exactly what to work on before your test date.