The TCF exam is the Test de connaissance du français (TCF, French for "test of knowledge of French"), the French Ministry of Education's French-level test designed by France Éducation international (FEI). It comes in four versions: TCF Canada, TCF Québec, TCF IRN and TCF tout public, the general-purpose version open to anyone. TCF Canada is the version for Canadian economic immigration and citizenship applications filed with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). This guide covers TCF Canada scores in the most detail, plus the TCF in India and related preparation.
What is the TCF exam?
The TCF (Test de connaissance du français, French for "test of knowledge of French") is the French Ministry of Education's language-level test. The TCF is for anyone aged sixteen or over whose first language is not French, taking it for study-related, work-related or personal reasons. Results place you on the six levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), from A1 to C2. TCF IRN is the exception: it assesses up to B2 only.
Every TCF certificate is valid for two years from the date the results are issued. The TCF is a different exam from the Test d'évaluation de français (TEF, French for "French assessment test"), which comes from Le français des affaires ("Business French"), part of the CCI Paris Île-de-France (Paris Île-de-France Chamber of Commerce and Industry).
Which TCF do you need?
The TCF version you need depends on where you are going and why: Canada for federal immigration or citizenship, Québec for immigration to that province, France for residence or citizenship, or any country for study, work or personal goals. Each version serves one goal, from Express Entry with IRCC to Québec's Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration (MIFI, Québec’s Ministry of Immigration, Francization and Integration).
| TCF version | Useful for | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| TCF Canada | Canadian economic immigration (Express Entry) and Canadian citizenship, with IRCC | 4, all compulsory |
| TCF Québec | Immigration to Québec with MIFI, for the certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ, the Québec selection certificate) | 1 to 4, chosen by you |
| TCF IRN (Intégration, Résidence et Nationalité, French for integration, residence and nationality) | French nationality, the long-term resident card, the multi-year residence permit, and A1 validation in the integration path of the Office français de l'immigration et de l'intégration (OFII, the French Office for Immigration and Integration) | 4, all compulsory; assesses up to B2 |
| TCF tout public | Study, work or personal reasons; with the Writing test made compulsory, it is the TCF used for the demande d'admission préalable (DAP, the prior admission application), first-year university admission in France | Three compulsory multiple-choice tests, plus optional Writing and Speaking |
For Express Entry, the version you need is TCF Canada, because the IRCC accepts only two French tests, TEF Canada and TCF Canada. France Éducation international lists exactly these four versions. The "TCF for the DAP" is TCF tout public, the general-purpose version, taken with a compulsory Writing section; it is not a separate test.
Taking the TCF in India
You can take the TCF in India through centres accredited by France Éducation international (FEI), the body that designs the TCF. Each centre sets its own dates, registration, computer or paper mode and price, so contact the centre directly.
TCF exam centres and dates in India
Yes, the TCF is offered in India at Alliance Française (AF) centres, with session dates and computer or paper mode set by each centre. The centres below are not a complete list.
- AF Delhi: a TCF Canada page.
- AF du Bengale, Kolkata: TCF tout public, TCF Canada, TCF Québec and TCF IRN, all on computer.
- AF Bangalore and AF Ahmedabad: TCF Canada pages.
TCF sessions run all year, and each centre publishes its own dates. There is no national calendar. You can check FEI's map of accredited TCF centres if your city isn't listed above.
TCF exam fees in India
TCF fees in India are set by each centre, not nationally. TCF Canada with all four tests costs ₹26,000 including GST at AF Delhi and AF du Bengale, which states that this fee applies from 1 January 2026. Please confirm the fee with your centre. For the other versions, AF du Bengale charges ₹6,500 per test for TCF Québec. Its TCF tout public fee is ₹13,000 for the compulsory tests, plus ₹6,500 for each optional test.
In Canada, TCF Canada costs CAD 390 to 400, depending on the centre: CAD 390 at AF Toronto and CAD 400 at AF Calgary.
How to register for the TCF
To register for the TCF, book with an accredited centre; anyone aged sixteen or over can register.
- Choose your version according to your goal: Canada, Québec, France residence or citizenship, or study and work.
- Find an accredited centre offering that version.
- Check the date, mode and price with the centre.
- Register and pay. AF Delhi requires a valid passport for every TCF registration from January 2026.
Only the Speaking section is conducted face-to-face. Every other test, in every version, can be taken on a computer. You can report any problem to the centre the same day, right after the test. French Kaliké prepares candidates for the TCF and is not a test centre; you can register for the exam at a centre.
TCF results and validity
TCF results arrive within fifteen working days and stay valid for two years from the date they are issued. The fifteen working days run from the day France Éducation international receives the session material. Results appear in your TCF-Candidat account and reach your centre. If you take TCF tout public on a computer with only the multiple-choice tests, results come faster, in about ten working days.
The two-year validity starts on the issue date, which is printed on the certificate. Canada’s IRCC and Québec’s MIFI run their own checks on the age of results when you apply.
Retaking the TCF and the re-correction pause
You can retake the TCF as often as you like, with a twenty-day wait between two attempts at the same version. France Éducation international has suspended the re-correction of the Writing and Speaking tests for sessions from 1 September 2026, for about one year. FEI plans to restart re-correction in autumn 2027. Until re-correction restarts, a candidate who wishes to contest a Writing or Speaking grade cannot ask for a second evaluation. The remaining route is to book a new attempt, that is, take the test again, after twenty days.
TCF Canada for Express Entry and Canadian citizenship
TCF Canada is the French test that IRCC accepts for permanent residence through Express Entry. France Éducation international names it as the version for Canadian citizenship, with all four tests compulsory.
TCF exam format for Canada
TCF Canada has four compulsory tests, compréhension orale (Listening), compréhension écrite (Reading), expression écrite (Writing) and expression orale (Speaking), which take 2 hours 47 minutes in total.
| Test | Content | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Listening (compréhension orale) | 39 multiple-choice questions, 4 options, one correct | 35 min |
| Reading (compréhension écrite) | 39 multiple-choice questions | 60 min |
| Writing (expression écrite) | 3 tasks | 60 min |
| Speaking (expression orale) | 3 tasks, face to face with an examiner | 12 min including 2 min of preparation |
Listening, Reading and Writing can be taken on a computer. Speaking is always face to face with an examiner.
How the TCF is scored for Canada
TCF Canada is scored out of 699 in Listening and Reading, and out of 20 in Writing and Speaking. France Éducation international places the /699 multiple-choice scores on CEFR levels with the bands below.
| Score (out of 699) | CEFR level |
|---|---|
| 0–100 | A1 not reached |
| 101–199 | A1 |
| 200–299 | A2 |
| 300–399 | B1 |
| 400–499 | B2 |
| 500–599 | C1 |
| 600–699 | C2 |
Sources: France Éducation international's TCF score scale (its TCF for the DAP page), and MIFI's correspondence tables, which apply the same bands from 101 upwards to TCF Canada Listening and Reading.
These bands apply to the /699 multiple-choice scores only. France Éducation international gives no CEFR bands for the /20 Writing and Speaking marks on the pages checked for this guide.
TCF score chart for NCLC levels
The Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) are the French version of the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB), Canada's scale of twelve language levels, from basic to advanced. Canadian immigration rules set their minimum language requirements as NCLC levels, and IRCC converts each TCF Canada score into an NCLC level using the table below. Each of the four abilities gets its own NCLC level.
| NCLC | Speaking (/20) | Listening (/699) | Reading (/699) | Writing (/20) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 and above | 16–20 | 549–699 | 549–699 | 16–20 |
| 9 | 14–15 | 523–548 | 524–548 | 14–15 |
| 8 | 12–13 | 503–522 | 499–523 | 12–13 |
| 7 | 10–11 | 458–502 | 453–498 | 10–11 |
| 6 | 7–9 | 398–457 | 406–452 | 7–9 |
| 5 | 6 | 369–397 | 375–405 | 6 |
| 4 | 4–5 | 331–368 | 342–374 | 4–5 |
Source: IRCC, TCF Canada equivalency for Express Entry. IRCC publishes the chart on its Express Entry language test page.
Listening and Reading bands are not identical at the same NCLC level. NCLC 7 starts at 458 in Listening and at 453 in Reading, so read each column separately. The NCLC 7 row is in bold because IRCC asks for NCLC 7 in all four abilities for Express Entry with French as the first official language.
TCF scores needed for Express Entry
To qualify for Express Entry with French as your first official language, you need NCLC 7 in all four abilities. The minimum depends on the programme and, in the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), on the job's training, education, experience and responsibilities (TEER) category.
| Express Entry situation | Minimum on TCF Canada | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW), French as first official language | NCLC 7 in all four abilities | IRCC |
| Canadian Experience Class (CEC), TEER 0 or 1 job | NCLC 7 in all four abilities | IRCC |
| CEC, TEER 2 or 3 job | NCLC 5 in all four abilities | IRCC |
| French as second official language | NCLC 5 in all four abilities earns extra points | IRCC |
Your results must be less than two years old when you create the Express Entry profile and again when you apply for permanent residence.
Taking the TCF for Canadian citizenship
There is no separate citizenship TCF: France Éducation international states that TCF Canada is the version for Canadian citizenship, and all four of its tests are compulsory. Citizenship applicants aged eighteen to fifty-four must prove CLB/NCLC 4 or higher in Speaking and Listening. IRCC's list of accepted citizenship tests names the "Test de connaissance du français (TCF) Canada" and the "Test de connaissance du français pour le Québec (TCFQ)". For these tests, IRCC asks for "B1 or higher in listening and speaking".
TCF Québec for immigration to Québec
TCF Québec is the TCF for anyone filing an immigration application with MIFI (Québec’s immigration ministry), leading to the CSQ (Québec selection certificate) and then a permanent visa. TCF Québec applies to French nationals and other French speakers too.
How TCF Québec differs from TCF Canada
TCF Québec and TCF Canada differ in three ways. TCF Québec lets you choose one to four tests, has shorter Listening and Reading tests, and is not accepted for Express Entry. TCF Canada always has four compulsory tests.
| Point | TCF Canada | TCF Québec |
|---|---|---|
| Tests | 4, all compulsory | 1 to 4, chosen by you |
| Listening | 39 questions, 35 min | 29 questions, 25 min |
| Reading | 39 questions, 60 min | 29 questions, 45 min |
| Writing and Speaking | 3 tasks, 60 min; 3 tasks, 12 min | Same |
| Accepted for Express Entry | Yes | No |
On a computer, TCF Québec Listening and Reading each have thirty-four items, and five of them are not scored because FEI uses them to trial new questions. A TCF Québec session takes from 12 minutes to 2 hours 22 minutes, depending on the tests chosen. IRCC's citizenship list names the TCFQ, and citizenship applicants aged eighteen to fifty-four need CLB 4 or higher in Speaking and Listening.
Does Québec accept TCF Canada?
Yes, Québec's Programme de sélection des travailleurs qualifiés (PSTQ, Québec's Skilled Worker Selection Program) accepts TCF Canada, so one test keeps both routes open. The PSTQ list names TCF Québec, the TCF, the Diplôme d'études en langue française (DELF, the diploma in French language studies), the Diplôme approfondi de langue française (DALF, the advanced diploma in French language) and the TEF tests. Results must be two years old or less on the application date.
FEI adds TCF tout public with Speaking, and the DELF or DALF with minimum Listening and Speaking scores. Each PSTQ stream's French level is on Québec's PSTQ French requirements page.
TCF IRN for French residence and citizenship
TCF IRN (TCF Intégration, Résidence et Nationalité, French for integration, residence and nationality) proves the French level of foreigners over sixteen who need it for residence or nationality in France. TCF IRN assesses everyday French up to B2 only, and its four uses each carry a level.
- multi-year residence permit (carte de séjour pluriannuelle): A2
- long-term resident card: B1
- French nationality: B2
- OFII integration path: A1 validation
Since 1 January 2026, the residence cards require a civic exam as well. The TCF IRN tests language only, not French history, culture or society. Only the préfecture grants exemptions.
The TCF IRN has four compulsory tests, 1 hour 35 minutes in total: Listening, 25 questions in 20 minutes; Reading, 25 questions in 35 minutes; Writing, 3 tasks in 30 minutes; and Speaking, 3 tasks in 10 minutes, face to face.
Some centre pages still say "TCF ANF", but FEI lists no such version; the version for nationality is TCF IRN. On French Kaliké's Lys piste (track) for France, students prepare for the DELF, which is valid for life. The DELF exam guide covers its levels, format, fees and dates.
TCF tout public and the TCF for the DAP
TCF tout public serves anyone aged sixteen or over, for academic, professional or personal reasons; three French ministries, MIFI, universities and employers recognise it.
TCF tout public format
TCF tout public has three compulsory multiple-choice tests and two optional ones.
- Listening (compréhension orale): 29 questions, 25 min
- language structures (maîtrise des structures de la langue): 18 questions, 15 min
- Reading (compréhension écrite): 29 questions, 45 min
- optional Writing: 3 tasks, 60 min
- optional Speaking: 3 tasks, 12 min including 2 min of preparation, face to face
TCF tout public is the only TCF with a language-structures test. On a computer, its multiple-choice tests have ninety-one items, and fifteen of them are not scored.
TCF for the DAP (first-year university admission in France)
The TCF for the DAP is TCF tout public with the Writing test made compulsory. The DAP covers foreigners over sixteen applying for first-year bachelor's degrees (Licence 1) at a French university or a national school of architecture (ENSA). This TCF runs four tests in 2 hours 25 minutes. Certificates no longer say "Demande d'admission préalable" but stay valid for DAP files.
The certificate scores each multiple-choice test and gives an overall result, a weighted mean rather than a simple average. Writing is marked out of 20; all scores convert to CEFR levels.
For a September 2027 start, take the test by 12 February 2027. Candidates abroad apply through Campus France (Études en France) or the French embassy's cultural service (SCAC).
Exemptions include the DELF B2, the DALF C1 or C2, a passed TEF and the French baccalauréat, among others. A DELF B2 therefore exempts you from the DAP language test; French Kaliké's DELF B2 course prepares for it.
How to prepare for the TCF
I prepare students for TCF Canada in my TEF/TCF batches, and TCF Québec Writing and Speaking use the same tasks and times. I coach TCF IRN and TCF tout public only on request. Evaluation is continuous, with weekly Listening, Reading and Writing tasks, all material and a short recording of each class the following day.
How I prepare students for each test
To prepare students for TCF Canada, I train the four tests separately, because each test gets its own score and its own NCLC level.
| Test | What it asks | How I train it |
|---|---|---|
| Listening | 39 questions in 35 minutes | A Listening exercise every week, more than 80 across the course |
| Reading | 39 questions in 60 minutes | Articles from Le Monde, as for the TEF |
| Writing | 3 tasks in 60 minutes | A personal Writing plan for the TCF, built from each student's style |
| Speaking | 3 tasks in 12 minutes, including 2 minutes of preparation, face to face | A simulation of the exam situation in every class |
In Reading, B1 and B2 questions that ask you to infer the writer's stance are particularly difficult for most of my students. In Writing, I can usually gauge a student's style, strengths and weaknesses by B1 or B2, and I plan their personal TCF Writing from there.
French sounds for speakers of Indian languages
Pronunciation affects both TCF Listening and Speaking; Listening packs 39 questions into 35 minutes. I teach French sounds by contrasting them with your mother tongue, starting with the sounds it lacks. Most French vowels do not exist in Indian languages; two sounds show the gap.
- French /ɥ/ (voiced labial–palatal approximant), as in huit (‘eight’): absent from all twenty-two scheduled Indian languages.
- French /ʁ/ (voiced uvular fricative), as in rouge (‘red’): absent from all twenty-two scheduled Indian languages.
In Speaking, students read /œ/ as /e/ after a consonant, as in ne in negative sentences, most often at A1. They read the letter a as /eɪ/ or /ə/ at the start of a word or after a consonant, a habit from English. French /a/ needs a much more open mouth, as in pratique (‘practice’) and avis (‘opinion’).
In Listening, students hear an elided de or le as part of the next word, so d'Inde in Je viens d'Inde (‘I come from India’) becomes dinde (‘turkey’). Fast phone and street numbers cause trouble too. Canadian French pronunciation has two features my students get used to.
- Diphthongs: the ou of tour (‘tower’) is [uw], not the [u] of standard French.
- Assibilation: /t/ and /d/ become [t͡s] and [d͡z]: tigre (‘tiger’) sounds like "tsigre", dîner (‘dinner’) like "dziner".
Pronunciation gets its own course after B1.2. Students at that stage can join the Advanced Pronunciation and Speaking course.
How long it takes to reach NCLC 7
Reaching B2 from zero takes my students about a year and a half, and B2 is where they usually reach NCLC 7 or higher. Reaching B1.2 takes them at least a year. From B1.2, three months of focused TCF preparation is realistic; below B1.2, give yourself more time. This is my students' experience, not an official CEFR–NCLC link.
Each French Kaliké level or part takes three months. The Érable piste (track) runs A1 → A2 → TEF/TCF B1.1 → B1.2 → B2.1 → B2.2. This timeline only highlights the course duration and does not guarantee a pass. AF Toronto estimates, on its own scale, that NCLC 7 is about B2, around 576 hours of group classes from the start.
When to book the TCF, now that re-correction is paused
Writing and Speaking re-correction is paused for sessions from 1 September 2026 to about autumn 2027, and retakes need a twenty-day wait. I use the same rule for TCF and TEF students: book once you can do two things. Prepare each Speaking section in under two minutes and complete it while following all its instructions. Write two expressions écrites (EE, the Writing task) with minimal spelling and grammar mistakes in under 1 hour 20 minutes, without referring to any (online or offline) material. This is my class benchmark, not the exam format.
Preparing for the TCF with French Kaliké
I teach live group classes for TCF Canada on Google Meet, in small batches, with no one-to-one classes. TEF/TCF batches start at B1 after shared A1 and A2, with Québécois pronunciation from B2 and in C1. The free demo is a recording of a real lesson and gives you an idea of how classes usually go.
- French A1 course
- French A2 course
- TEF and TCF Canada B1 course
- TEF and TCF Canada B2 course
- DALF C1, TEF and TCF C1 course
TCF vs TEF for Canada
Both TCF Canada and TEF Canada are French tests accepted by IRCC and by Québec, so the choice comes down to format, your strengths and the dates at centres near you.
| Point | TCF Canada | TEF Canada |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | France Éducation international | Le français des affaires, CCI Paris Île-de-France |
| Speaking | 3 tasks, 12 min including 2 min of preparation | 2 tasks, 15 min |
| Accepted by IRCC and Québec | Yes | Yes |
I initially recommend that my students appear for both TEF Canada and TCF Canada; and then, as I get to know the student better from A1 through B1, depending on their strengths and weaknesses, I suggest one over the other. Both are covered in my TEF and TCF Canada B1 course. The TEF exam guide covers the TEF versions, scores and fees in detail.
TCF exam FAQs
Can you take the TCF on a computer?
Yes, candidates can take every TCF version on a computer, but the Speaking test is always face to face with an examiner. Each centre decides whether it offers computer or paper sessions. "SO" on centre pages means "sur ordinateur" (on computer).
Can you cancel or move a TCF booking?
Whether a TCF booking can be cancelled or moved depends on the centre, because each centre sets its own registration rules. Alliance Française du Bengale in Kolkata, for example, allows one postponement of up to three months for sessions from January 2027. The request must reach the centre at least fifteen working days before the exam, and the fee is 50% of the registration fee (₹13,000).
What should you do if something goes wrong on TCF exam day?
Report any problem on TCF exam day to the test centre the same day, right after the test. France Éducation international states this rule for every TCF version: TCF Canada, TCF Québec, TCF IRN and TCF tout public.
Where does FEI suggest practising for the TCF?
France Éducation international suggests practising for the TCF with RFI's "Le français facile" for Listening and with TV5Monde for the compulsory tests. FEI names these two resources on its TCF Canada page.