TCF Canada and TEF Canada Preparation: Study Plan and Practice Tests

Last updated: 11 October 2026 · By Zoya K

TCF Canada and TEF Canada are the two French tests Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) accepts for Express Entry. This guide puts both formats side by side, quotes the score-to-NCLC tables from canada.ca, maps the free official practice material, and lays out an 8-week plan with an NCLC 7 checkpoint for every skill. I learned French as an adult, so the plan below is built around how adults actually find study time.

This is exam-planning information, not immigration advice. Check every requirement on canada.ca and with the test provider before you book.

TCF Canada or TEF Canada: which should you take?

Both tests are accepted by IRCC for Express Entry, both test four skills, and IRCC converts both to the same NCLC levels. The choice comes down to format. TCF Canada has 39-question listening and reading sections and a 12-minute oral. TEF Canada has 40-question sections and a 15-minute oral in two parts.

Neither test is officially "easier." Ask which format suits you: TEF listening does not let you go back over answers, and the TCF oral is shorter but packs three tasks into 12 minutes. Pick one, then train for its format.

Sources: France Éducation international, TCF Canada page (checked 2 October 2026), Le français des affaires, TEF Canada format and presentation (checked 11 October 2026).

Fees are set by each test centre, so compare centres near you. The next available date is often a fair tiebreaker.

What is the TCF Canada format?

TCF Canada has four compulsory tests and a total duration of 2 hours 47 minutes: compréhension orale (listening, 39 questions, 35 minutes), compréhension écrite (reading, 39 questions, 60 minutes), expression écrite (writing, 3 tasks, 60 minutes) and expression orale (speaking, 3 tasks, 12 minutes face to face, including 2 minutes of preparation).

According to France Éducation international, you can retake TCF Canada as often as you want, but you have to wait 20 days between sittings. Results arrive within 15 working days, and they are valid for 2 years from the date they are issued.

One 2026 change matters for planning. FEI says that from the sessions of 1 September 2026, requests to have the writing and speaking sections re-marked are temporarily suspended, with the service expected to resume in autumn 2027. In practice, if your writing or speaking score falls just short of your target, a retake is now the only route. Leave room in your timeline for at least one 20-day gap.

What is the TEF Canada format?

TEF Canada has four tests taken on the same day: compréhension écrite (40 questions, 60 minutes, free navigation), compréhension orale (40 questions, 40 minutes, answered as you go with no going back), expression écrite (60 minutes in two sections) and expression orale (15 minutes face to face in two sections).

The details come from Le français des affaires, which runs the test:

• Compréhension écrite and orale: 40 multiple-choice questions each, four options, one point per correct answer. In listening you answer as you go and cannot go back.
• Expression écrite: Section A, 25 minutes, continue a news article (80 words minimum). Section B, 35 minutes, state and justify a point of view (200 words minimum).
• Expression orale: Section A, 5 minutes, ask questions to obtain information. Section B, 10 minutes, argue to convince the examiner. The speaking test is recorded so it can be marked twice.

TEF Canada has been recognised by IRCC since 2002, and the attestation de résultats (the official results certificate) is valid for 2 years from the date it is issued. All sections must be taken on the same day for the attestation to be recognised.

What TCF or TEF score do you need for Express Entry?

IRCC measures French with NCLC levels. The Federal Skilled Worker Program needs NCLC 7 in all four abilities. The Canadian Experience Class needs NCLC 7 for TEER 0 or 1 jobs and NCLC 5 for TEER 2 or 3 jobs. The Federal Skilled Trades Program needs NCLC 5 in speaking and listening and NCLC 4 in reading and writing.

NCLC (Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens) is the French-language counterpart of the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB). Your results must be less than 2 years old both when you create your Express Entry profile and when you submit your permanent residence application, according to IRCC.

TCF Canada scores and NCLC levels

TEF Canada scores and NCLC levels

Both tables are quoted from the IRCC language test page, checked on 11 October 2026.

For TEF Canada, IRCC is specific about which number to use. Your NCLC level is based on the "Équivalence ancien score" column of your results. The "Score / 699" column is not compatible with IRCC's system, so don't enter it in your Express Entry profile. IRCC also notes that CCI Paris changed its NCLC scoring for tests taken between 11 December 2023 and 6 May 2024, that the change was reverted, and that affected candidates need to update their profiles with the corrected scores.

Where can you practise TCF and TEF Canada for free?

Both test providers publish free official practice. For TCF Canada, France Éducation international links to sample papers (exemples d'épreuves), listening practice on RFI's "Le français facile" and training on TV5Monde. For TEF Canada, Le français des affaires offers sample papers for each skill as PDFs with audio, recorded preparation workshops and interactive tutorials.

The TEF page also lists paid options (a Hachette FLE book and PrepMyTEF); use them after the free papers.

Be careful with sites offering a "free PDF of the real TCF" or questions "taken from the real exam." The providers publish sample papers, not live questions. Use official samples to judge format and level.

What does an 8-week TCF or TEF Canada study plan look like?

An 8-week plan works if you already have a solid intermediate base. Spend week 1 on an official sample test and a self-diagnosis per skill. Use weeks 2 to 6 for skill blocks with daily listening, and weeks 7 and 8 for timed full simulations, with writing and speaking done under real exam timing.

The checkpoints use NCLC 7 because that is the Federal Skilled Worker minimum. If your program needs NCLC 5 or 4, swap in the ranges from the tables above. Scoring your own writing and speaking is approximate, so use the official task descriptions and, if you can, a teacher or tutor who knows the test.

Example: a candidate with 8 weeks and an hour on weekdays runs listening on the commute, does reading or writing in the evening, and saves weekends for speaking with a partner. If the diagnostic shows reading already at NCLC 7, weeks 2 to 5 shift that time to writing.

Starting below intermediate? Our guide on how long it takes to learn a language helps set a realistic runway. For listening, comprehensible input and language immersion at home help you pick audio at the right level. Keep exam vocabulary (connectors, opinion phrases, formal register) in a vocabulary notebook, and review grammar weak spots with spaced repetition. For the general method behind week-by-week planning, see the exam study plan guide.

How do you prepare for the writing and speaking tasks?

Prepare writing and speaking against the exact task format of your test, under the real clock. TCF Canada has three writing tasks in 60 minutes and three speaking tasks in 12 minutes. TEF Canada has two writing sections (80 and 200 words minimum) and two speaking sections (5 and 10 minutes). Record yourself and time everything.

TCF Canada: three tasks each

• Writing, 3 tasks in 60 minutes. Plan your time split before test day and practise it until it is automatic. Use the official example papers to see the length and type of each task.
• Speaking, 3 tasks in 12 minutes, including 2 minutes of preparation. Practise starting fast and keeping going. Record yourself and listen for hesitation.
• Re-marking is paused. With re-marking of writing and speaking suspended from 1 September 2026, a borderline score means a retake 20 days later at the earliest. Build that into your Express Entry timeline.

TEF Canada: sections A and B

• Writing Section A, 25 minutes, 80 words minimum. You continue a news article. Practise reading a short opening and continuing it in the same register.
• Writing Section B, 35 minutes, 200 words minimum. You state and justify a point of view. Prepare a reusable structure: position, two arguments with examples, a short conclusion.
• Speaking Section A, 5 minutes. You ask questions to obtain information. Drill question forms (est-ce que, inversion, question words) until they come fast.
• Speaking Section B, 10 minutes. You argue to convince the examiner. Practise answering counter-arguments, not only presenting your own.
• Watch the official workshop video for each skill on the TEF preparation page before your first timed attempt.

How should you track your TCF or TEF preparation?

Track three things: your test date, your current score per skill against the NCLC target, and your mock results each week. A calendar, a spreadsheet or Notion all work. What matters is that you record a score for every skill after each mock, so you can see which skill is still under the threshold.

One row per week with four score columns and the target next to each is enough. For TCF, also note the earliest retake date (test date plus 20 days).

If you are also considering the English route to Express Entry, our CELPIP preparation guide covers the English counterpart.

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