Canadian permanent residence and citizenship
TEF Canada: format, timings and what it is for
The variant IRCC accepts for Express Entry, the French-language category, provincial programs and citizenship. If you are immigrating to Canada outside Quebec, this is almost certainly the one you need.
Components and timings
| Component | Time | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Reading | 60 min | 40 multiple-choice questions |
| Listening | 40 min | 40 multiple-choice questions |
| Writing | 60 min | 2 tasks (25 min + 35 min) |
| Speaking | 15 min | 2 role-plays with an examiner |
- Components: Reading, listening, writing, speaking
- Scheduling: All required components must be taken on the same day.
The four components in detail
How the score is built
For reading and listening, the number you get right is not your score. CCI counts correct responses and then transforms that raw result into a calibrated score, which compensates for difficulty differences between forms of the exam. Two people with the same raw count on different test days can end up with slightly different certificate scores, and that is by design.
Writing and speaking are not marked by counting grammar errors. CCI uses standardised assessment grids weighing communicative effectiveness, vocabulary, grammatical control, organisation and fluency. Written work is evaluated by two independent assessors; speaking is double-assessed too, with one of the assessments based on the recording of your test.
The practical consequence: a technically clean answer that fails to do the communicative job scores worse than a slightly rougher one that actually persuades or informs. Optimising purely for error-free French is a losing strategy on the productive skills.
Once you have a score, convert it to NCLC - the CEFR level printed on your certificate is not what IRCC reads.
Test-day rules worth knowing in advance
- Same day, all four. CCI is explicit that the four TEF Canada components must be taken on one day for Canadian recognition. Splitting them invalidates the result for immigration.
- No late entry. Candidates who arrive after a session has begun are not admitted.
- Nothing on the desk. Dictionaries, reference material and electronic devices are prohibited, and scrap-paper rules are restrictive, particularly for reading, listening and speaking.
- Minimum age 16. No prior French diploma is required. Accommodations can be requested but need medical documentation supplied to the centre before you register.
- 20-day retake gap. You can retake as often as you want, but not sooner than 20 days after the previous sitting.
Common questions
What is TEF Canada?
TEF Canada is the variant of the Test d'évaluation de français that IRCC accepts for Canadian immigration and citizenship. It is produced by CCI Paris Île-de-France and tests reading, listening, writing and speaking, all of which must be taken on the same day for Canadian recognition.
How is the TEF Canada scored?
Reading and listening are multiple choice. Your raw number of correct answers is converted into a calibrated score on a 0–699 scale, which evens out difficulty differences between test forms. Writing and speaking are each marked by two independent assessors against standardised grids covering communication, vocabulary, grammatical control and organisation.
Is there negative marking on the TEF?
No. A wrong answer and a blank answer both score zero, so there is never a reason to leave a multiple-choice question empty.
How many times can I take TEF Canada?
As many times as you like, but you must wait at least 20 days between sittings.
Before you book anything
Confirm the exact certificate your receiving authority wants before you register. A centre advertising “the TEF” may be offering a different variant than the one your program names, and the certificates are not interchangeable. Check fees and registration and results and validity too.
In development
TEF Canada practice is coming
Get early access when TEF practice with AI scoring opens. No spam, one email when it is ready.
- All four skills in real exam format
- Scored on CCI's assessment dimensions
- Results in NCLC, per skill