French Test for Canadian Citizenship: TCF or TEF?

If you're applying for Canadian citizenship and you're between 18 and 54, you must prove you can speak and listen in English or French at CLB/NCLC 4 or higher. In French, that usually means a TCF Canada or TEF Canada result showing B1 or higher in listening and speaking. Reading and writing don't count.

The good news: if you already sent a TCF or TEF result for permanent residence, you can usually reuse it, even if it has expired. This guide explains which French tests count, the B1 detail most people miss, what the two-module versions cost, and how to prepare in four weeks. For the overview of every option (including English), see our French for Canadian citizenship guide.

Who needs language proof

IRCC's rule is short: "If you're 18 to 54 years of age, you must submit proof that you can speak and listen at the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) Level 4 or higher in English or French."

Three things follow from this:

• Outside the age range, you send nothing. Applicants under 18 or 55 and older don't submit language proof.
• Only listening and speaking matter. A weak written French score won't hold you back.
• Test results are one option among several. IRCC also accepts proof of education completed in English or French (diplomas, transcripts or certificates). This article focuses on French tests.

Can you reuse your Express Entry test?

Often, yes. If you already submitted a French test result to IRCC for permanent residence, you can include a copy of those results, even if they're expired. IRCC's step 2 page lists what it needs:

• TCF Canada: "B1 or higher (B2, C1 or C2)".
• TEF Canada taken on or after 1 July 2012: "B1 or higher (B2, C1 or C2) in listening and speaking".
• TEF Canada taken on or before 30 June 2012: level 3 or higher (4, 5 or 6) in listening and speaking.

IRCC's Help Centre also says results previously sent for the Federal Skilled Worker, Canadian Experience Class or Québec-selected skilled worker programs are accepted. So if you came through Express Entry with French, start by digging out your old attestation: you may not need a new test at all.

Which French tests IRCC accepts

IRCC's list of accepted French tests for citizenship is:

If you're choosing a test from scratch, the TCF Canada and TEF Canada are the usual picks because they're widely available and also work for Express Entry if you ever need them again. Our TCF vs TEF comparison explains how the speaking and listening sections differ.

The B1 rule vs NCLC 4: why the certificate level matters

Here's the detail that trips people up. IRCC's general rule says CLB/NCLC 4. But for the TCF and TEF families, IRCC's tables state the requirement as CEFR B1 or higher. On the TCF Canada, these two don't line up exactly:

• TCF listening: B1 starts at 300/699, while NCLC 4 starts at 331. B1 is the easier bar here.
• TCF speaking: B1 starts at 6/20, while NCLC 4 starts at 4. A speaking score of 4 or 5 out of 20 is NCLC 4 but only A2 on the certificate, so it doesn't match IRCC's "B1 or higher" wording.

Not sure what your scores mean? Enter them in the NCLC score converter to see the NCLC level for each skill, then check the CEFR level on your attestation. Or use the checker below.

The same checker lives in our citizenship language checker on the hub page.

Two-module versions: only listening and speaking

Because citizenship only needs listening and speaking, you don't have to sit the full four-part exam.

• TEF Canada: Le français des affaires lists Canadian citizenship as a goal for which you can take the TEF Canada, TEF Québec or TEF IRN, with only listening (compréhension orale) and speaking (expression orale). All parts must be taken on the same day.
• TCF Canada: France Éducation international describes the TCF Canada as a four-part test, and IRCC accepts the TCF Québec too. Ask your centre which format it offers for citizenship before you book.

What it costs. Fees are set by each test centre, so there's no single official price. Two examples, checked on 5 October 2026:

• Alliance Française de Chandigarh (India): TEF Canada, 2 modules (listening and speaking), ₹13,570 including GST, effective 1 January 2026.
• Alliance Française du Bengale (Kolkata, India): TEF, listening and speaking, ₹13,000 including GST, effective 1 January 2026.

Prices in Canada and elsewhere vary, so check your local centre's page before booking.

A 4-week listening and speaking plan

If you need a new result, four weeks of focused practice can make a real difference when you're already near B1. This is our suggested plan, not an official programme.

1. Week 1: get a baseline

   Take a timed listening section and record yourself answering three everyday questions (work, family, your city). Listen back and note where you hesitate. Use our TCF Canada listening practice for realistic questions.

2. Week 2: speaking on everyday topics

   Practise 2-minute answers about yourself and 3-minute role-plays where you ask for information (opening hours, prices, conditions). The TCF speaking practice and TEF speaking practice pages give you prompts in each test's format.

3. Week 3: listening at natural speed

   Listen to 20 minutes of French radio or news daily. After each clip, say out loud who spoke, about what, and what they wanted. On the TCF and TEF, each recording plays only once, so train yourself to catch the main idea first.

4. Week 4: full timed run and booking

   Do one full listening section and one speaking simulation under exam timing. If both feel comfortably B1, book. If speaking is shaky, keep practising the role-play format: see our TEF Canada speaking examples or TCF Canada speaking task 2 examples.

Speaking tips that matter at B1:

• Answer in full sentences and add one reason or example ("parce que…", "par exemple…").
• When you don't know a word, rephrase instead of stopping.
• Use simple connectors: d'abord, ensuite, mais, donc.
• In role-plays, ask polite, clear questions: « Est-ce que vous pourriez me dire… ? »

For the listening side, everyday details are where B1 candidates slip: a price, a time, a date. Two of our free French games drill those at natural speed, and the speaking cards give you timed role-play prompts for the speaking module.

Which test to choose if you're starting from scratch

If you don't have a usable result, pick the test that's easiest to book near you and whose speaking format suits you. Both are accepted, and IRCC asks for the same B1 level on either certificate.

The TCF Canada suits people who like shorter speaking turns: a two-minute introduction, a short role-play and a few minutes of opinion. The TEF Canada suits people who are comfortable in a longer conversation: the second section asks you to persuade an examiner who plays a friend and doesn't agree easily.

In practice, availability usually decides. Many centres have waiting lists, so check dates early and book the first realistic session.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Booking the wrong version. Make sure it's TCF Canada, TCF Québec, TEF Canada, TEFAQ or TEF IRN. A general TCF tout public isn't on IRCC's list.
• Sitting all four modules when two would do. Reading and writing aren't assessed for citizenship.
• Assuming NCLC 4 is always enough. Check that your certificate shows B1 in both skills.
• Throwing away old results. An expired TCF or TEF result already sent for PR can still be used.
• Testing when you're 55 or older. You don't need language proof at all.
• Confusing the language proof with the knowledge test. They're separate steps, explained below.

Our free Canadian citizenship document checklist helps you keep your language proof and other papers together.

The citizenship test can also be taken in French

Language proof and the citizenship knowledge test are two separate things. The knowledge test checks what you know about Canada, and IRCC says you can take it in either French or English:

• 20 questions, multiple choice or true or false
• 45 minutes
• You need at least 15 correct answers to pass
• You get 3 chances to pass

Applicants aged 18 to 54 take the test. If your French is stronger than your English, taking it in French is a perfectly valid choice. It doesn't replace the language proof, though: you still need B1 listening and speaking (or another accepted proof).

Our take

Before you spend money on a new exam, check two things: whether you already have a TCF or TEF result you sent for PR (expired is fine), and what CEFR level it shows for listening and speaking. If you need a new test, book the two-module listening and speaking version, aim for B1 or higher on the certificate, and spend your preparation time almost entirely on speaking and listening.