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TEF and TCF Exams 

French Exams for Immigration

French is a truly global language of great importance

  • More than 300 million people speak French on FIVE continents

  • French is an official language in 29 countries.

  • A knowledge of French opens the doors to companies in France and other French-speaking parts of the world

  • French is the FIFTH most widely spoken language in the world

  • French is the SECOND most widely learned foreign language after English

  • French is also the only language, alongside English, that is taught in every country in the world

 

More importantly, French language proficiency can help you get permanent residency of Canada.

 

Canada has earned a reputation as an attractive destination for immigrants to start a new chapter of their lives. Additionally, the nation also offers a simple path to citizenship after the PR.

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Recently, Canadian government announced to welcome over 1.2 million new permanent residents according to the Immigration Level Plan for 2020-2023. Being a formally bilingual country, Canada has two official languages: French and English. Nearly 98% of the population speaks English, French, or both.

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In order to settle in Canada as a permanent resident, you need to apply for one of the immigration programs:

  • Express Entry Program (EEP)

  • Quebec Skilled worker Program (QSWP)

  • Ontario French-Speaking Skilled Worker Program (ONIP)

While the eligibility and requirements differ for these immigration programs, language proficiency in English and French is indispensable for all them.

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One can earn up to 74 extra CRS points for having intermediate French language abilities, i.e. by getting a CLB 7+ score in TEF or TCF Exams, with French as a second language. If you intend to move to Quebec’s province, you have two more choices of Exams — TEF Québec and TCF for Québec.

TEF Canada Exam

The TEF Exam (Test d’Evaluation de Français), introduced in 1998 by the Paris Île-de-France Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is an international benchmark test that assesses French language proficiency. It can be used to demonstrate competence in academic areas, as well as in professional and mobility contexts. It takes about three hours to finish the entire test. You’ll have to do it all in one day at one of the recognized exam centers in your area.

TEF Canada is currently available in two formats: paper-based and computer-based. Within 6-8 weeks, you’ll receive your results, which are valid for two years from the date of your exam.
 

From Canadian immigration point of view, there are two variations of TEF: 

  • TEF Canada is approved by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada for Canadian immigration and citizenship applications

  • TEF Quebec is approved by the Immigration, Francisation, and Integration for Quebec immigration applications.

 

TEF Canada Consists of FOUR modules:

  • Compréhension Écrite (Reading): 60 min – 40 questions

  • Compréhension Orale (Listening): 40 min – 40 questions

  • Expression Orale (Speaking): 15 min – 2 topics to cover

  • Expression Écrite (Writing):   60 min – 2 topics to cover

 

Compréhension Écrite (Reading)

The reading module will test the candidate’s ability to read, evaluate and understand French paragraphs and small advertisements. The questions are asked in multiple-choice formats. Only one answer is correct and there is no negative marking.
 

Compréhension Orale (Listening)

In the listening module, the candidate will have to listen to and understand the French audio clips. The questions will be in Multiple-Choice  format with only one correct answer. No negative marking.
 

Expression Orale (Speaking)

The speaking module gauges a candidate’s ability to communicate well in French. Section A consists of obtaining information about an advertisement by calling the ad owner, and section B consists of conversing with a friend in order to convince him/her to undertake a task.
 

Expression Écrite (Writing)

The writing module gauges the ability to express oneself in written format. Section A consists of writing a short news article, and section B will ask you to justify and express your point of view on an editorial statement.

 

TEF Canada Scoring System 

The TEF exam functions as a placement examination. According to the CEFRL, the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, you are given a proficiency level based on your exam results. You can be placed in any of these levels: 

  • Level A1 (CLB 0-1): Lower Beginner

  • Level A2 (CLB 2-3): Upper Beginner

  • Level B1 (CLB 4-5): Lower Intermediate

  • Level B2 (CLB 6-7): Upper Intermediate

  • Level C1 (CLB 8-10): Lower Advanced 

  • Level C2 (CLB 11-12): Upper Advanced

TCF Canada Exam

Test de connaissance du français pour le Canada (TCF Canada) is a test of general French, recognized as an official proof of language proficiency by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)  for permanent residency applications. The objective of the TCF Canada is to evaluate your French skills on a scale of 6 levels. This scale corresponds to the Council of Europe’s Common European Framework of Reference for Languages ​​(CEFR).

Candidates may take the test several times, allowing a minimum of 60 days between two exam sessions.

 

The TCF Canada consists of four modules designed to evaluate your level of proficiency in both oral and written skills. All are multiple-choice questions, and candidates have to pick one correct answer from four options. It also has four mandatory sections, including listening, reading, speaking, and writing.

  • Listening comprehension — (39 items — 35 minutes) — All MCQs

  • Reading comprehension (39 items — 60 minutes) — All MCQs

  • Written expression (60 minutes — 3 Tasks)

  • Oral expression (12 minutes — 3 Tasks)

 

TCF Canada Scoring System

Equivalencies between the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLBs), and the results of language test from designated testing organizations have been established and are summarized as below:

French Exams for Québec Immigration

Quebec Skilled Worker Immigration – French Language Requirements

Every applicant under the Quebec Skilled Worker Immigration Program is now required, with the submission of their initial application, to prove their language proficiency with official language test results. To demonstrate speaking and listening ability in French, the applicant must provide results from any one of the following:

• the TEF Québec (TEFAQ) 

• the TCF Québec (TCFQ) 

• DELF and DALF

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The TEFAQ has two sections:

• Listening comprehension (60 items – 40 minutes)

• Oral expression (35 minutes)

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The TCFQ has two sections:

• Listening comprehension (30 questions – 30 minutes)

• Oral expression (6 questions -15 minutes)

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Here is a table showing how French language test scores will correspond to points awarded by Immigration Quebec. Points are attributed for both Listening & Speaking proficiency. The maximum number of points for French language proficiency is 12 points.

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