TCF Canada: format, scoring and how to prepare
The TCF Canada is the French test accepted by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada for permanent residence and citizenship. Here is what it contains, how it is scored, and how to build a preparation plan that fits your exam date.
The four tests
Compréhension orale (Listening)
39 questions, about 35 minutes. Recordings play once, so you must catch details live.
Compréhension écrite (Reading)
39 questions, 60 minutes. Notices, articles and administrative documents.
Expression écrite (Writing)
3 tasks, 60 minutes: a short message, a report from documents, and an argued opinion.
Expression orale (Speaking)
3 tasks, roughly 12 minutes with an examiner: guided interview, role play, and expressing a point of view.
How the results are read
Each test gives a score on the CEFR scale, which IRCC converts into an NCLC level. Your lowest test decides your usable level, so the smart strategy is to lift your weakest skill rather than polish your strongest.
| NCLC | CEFR | What it usually means |
|---|---|---|
| NCLC 4 | A2 | Basic — enough for some permanent-residence streams |
| NCLC 5 | B1 | Common minimum for Express Entry French points |
| NCLC 7 | B2 | Strong points for French-speaking candidates |
| NCLC 9+ | C1 | Top of the scoring band |
Requirements change by program — always confirm the current thresholds on the official IRCC website before booking your exam.
A four-week preparation plan
Diagnostic: a timed practice in each of the four tests to see your real starting level.
Listening and reading under exam timing, plus the vocabulary fields the TCF reuses.
Writing: task structures, connectors, and correction of your own drafts task by task.
Speaking rehearsals and full mock exams, so exam day feels like a repeat.
That is exactly the structure of the Full TCF Test Preparation package ($400 CAD per month). If you only need one skill fixed, single one-hour modules are $25 CAD each.
Ready to prepare for your TCF?
Book a one-hour module for $25 CAD, or the full monthly preparation for $400 CAD.
Book a session with Axelle