TEF Canada for Canadian Immigration

At a glance

The Test d'évaluation de français (TEF) is administered by the Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de Paris (CCI Paris Île-de-France). TEF Canada is the Express Entry variant and covers all four abilities required by IRCC — Compréhension de l'écrit, Compréhension de l'oral, Expression écrite, and Expression orale. For permanent residence programs, a valid TEF Canada result includes all four modules; partial results are not accepted.

Result turnaround

Approximately 4–6 weeks from the test date to the official attestation. Candidates can log in to check preliminary scores sooner at some centres.

Cost

Approximately CAD 400 or more depending on the centre and whether you pay for the full 4-module bundle. Always quote the chosen test centre for the exact fee.

Validity

2 years from the test date.

Test centres

Accredited centres across Canada (every major metropolitan area) and internationally in France, French-speaking Africa, and select Asian markets. The CCI Paris Île-de-France website lists current centres — availability is wider in Canada than for TCF.

Convert my TEF scores

How it is scored

Reading: 0–300. Listening: 0–360. Writing: 0–450. Speaking: 0–450. Each score band maps to an NCLC level (see the per-ability tables below). The NCLC level is what IRCC uses for CRS and bilingualism bonus eligibility.

Conversion table

Listening

Reading

Writing

Speaking