The short answer
Pick by format and date, not by difficulty. IRCC accepts both TCF Canada and TEF Canada as proof of French for Express Entry, and its equivalency charts map each to the same NCLC levels on purpose: NCLC 7 is NCLC 7 whichever paper you sit. What differs is the experience. TCF Canada is 39 listening and 39 reading questions, three short writing tasks and a twelve-minute speaking test of three tasks with an examiner. TEF Canada is 40 and 40 questions, two writing tasks with minimum word counts, and a fifteen-minute speaking test of two role-plays — including one where you are the one asking the questions. TCF results take about four weeks, TEF about two. Both are valid for two years.
If you think well in short bursts and want three chances to show your speaking, TCF Canada suits you. If you would rather hold one role-play for ten minutes and argue a point, TEF Canada does. If you need the certificate fast, TEF. Everything else is the same: all four skills, in one sitting, scored to the levels in the charts below.
The two tests side by side
One line deserves a note. TEF Canada's listening and reading moved to 40 questions each with the format introduced in December 2023; older guides still quote 60 and 50. The durations did not change.
| TCF Canada | TEF Canada | |
|---|---|---|
| Run by | France Éducation international | CCI Paris Île-de-France (Le français des affaires) |
| Listening | 39 multiple-choice questions, 35 minutes | 40 multiple-choice questions, 40 minutes |
| Reading | 39 multiple-choice questions, 60 minutes | 40 multiple-choice questions, 60 minutes |
| Writing | 3 tasks, 60 minutes | 2 tasks, 60 minutes: continue a news item (80+ words, 25 min), then argue a point of view (200+ words, 35 min) |
| Speaking | 3 tasks with an examiner, 12 minutes | 2 role-plays, 15 minutes: ask for information (5 min), then argue to convince (10 min) |
| Scoring | listening and reading on a 100–699 scale; speaking and writing out of 20 | each skill converts to an NCLC level on IRCC's chart (speaking and writing to 450, listening to 360, reading to 300) |
| Results | about 4 weeks | about 2 weeks |
| Valid for | 2 years | 2 years from the date of issue |
| All four parts? | yes — the four compulsory tests | yes — all four on the same day, or Canadian authorities do not recognise it |
TEF Canada scores by NCLC level
Your TEF Canada attestation reports more than one figure per skill. IRCC's chart is on the scale above — speaking and writing out of 450, listening out of 360, reading out of 300 — so match the column on your attestation that carries those maxima when you read your level.
| NCLC | Speaking | Listening | Reading | Writing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 393–450 | 316–360 | 263–300 | 393–450 |
| 9 | 371–392 | 298–315 | 248–262 | 371–392 |
| 8 | 349–370 | 280–297 | 233–247 | 349–370 |
| 7 | 310–348 | 249–279 | 207–232 | 310–348 |
| 6 | 271–309 | 217–248 | 181–206 | 271–309 |
| 5 | 226–270 | 181–216 | 151–180 | 226–270 |
| 4 | 181–225 | 145–180 | 121–150 | 181–225 |
TCF Canada scores by NCLC level
So NCLC 7 — the line that matters most, below — is 10 out of 20 in speaking and writing and roughly 455 to 500 in listening and reading on TCF Canada, and 310 in speaking and writing, 249 in listening and 207 in reading on TEF Canada.
| NCLC | Speaking | Listening | Reading | Writing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
How much French you need, program by program
The number that keeps coming back is NCLC 7 in all four skills. It opens the category-based draws for French speakers and it is worth 25 or 50 extra points on the ranking grid — which is why so many searches are for "French CLB 7". On TEF Canada that is 310 in speaking and writing, 249 in listening, 207 in reading; on TCF Canada it is 10 out of 20 in speaking and writing, 458 in listening and 453 in reading. On the CEFR scale, NCLC 7 sits around B2.
| Where it counts | French needed |
|---|---|
| Canadian Experience Class, a TEER 0 or 1 job | NCLC 7 in all four abilities |
| Canadian Experience Class, a TEER 2 or 3 job | NCLC 5 in all four abilities |
| Federal Skilled Worker Program | NCLC 7 in all four abilities (French as your first official language) |
| Federal Skilled Trades Program | NCLC 5 in speaking and listening, NCLC 4 in reading and writing |
| The French-language proficiency category draws | NCLC 7 in all four abilities |
| Extra CRS points for French | NCLC 7 in all four: 25 points with English at CLB 4 or lower (or no English test), 50 points with English at CLB 5 or higher in all four |
Which is easier?
Neither, by design: IRCC built the two charts so that a given NCLC level demands the same French on either test. What people mean by easier is which format suits them, and there the differences are real. TCF Canada's speaking is three short tasks in twelve minutes, which rewards people who can switch topics and recover from a bad start; TEF Canada's is two role-plays of five and ten minutes, and in the first one you have to ask the questions to get information, which some candidates find odd the first time. TCF Canada's writing is three tasks of rising length; TEF Canada's is two with minimum word counts and a strict clock per task. TCF Canada's listening and reading have one question fewer per section and a question bank that climbs in difficulty; TEF Canada's are forty each.
Two practical differences decide it for many people: results arrive in about two weeks from TEF Canada and about four from TCF Canada, and the test dates on offer near you are not the same. If you are close to an Express Entry deadline, the calendar is the whole answer.
Before you book
Your results must be less than two years old both when you complete your Express Entry profile and when you submit your application, so a test taken early in a long process can expire before the end. Take all four parts — a certificate missing a skill is not accepted, and TEF Canada's four parts have to be sat on the same day to be recognised. TCF Canada centres ask for thirty days between attempts. Fees are set by each centre; the Alliance Française de Manitoba, for example, lists CAD 400 for the full TCF Canada. At most centres the listening, reading and writing papers are on a computer and the speaking test is in person with an examiner.
Where your French is now
The vocabulary test at the top of this page estimates how many French words you know and the CEFR band that usually goes with that number — an estimate, not a certification, and the same bands Nivelo uses for English and Spanish. NCLC 7 sits around B2 on that scale, which on the vocabulary chart means roughly 3,000 to 5,000 words you recognise on sight. If the test puts you at B1, plan months rather than weeks before booking; if it puts you at B2 or above, book the test whose format suits you and spend the time on speaking and writing practice, which the vocabulary test cannot see. The French vocabulary test page has the full chart.