PGWP Language Requirement in French: TCF or TEF Scores You Need

Yes, you can meet the PGWP language requirement in French. If you apply for a post-graduation work permit on or after 1 November 2024, IRCC asks for an approved language test, and in French that means TCF Canada or TEF Canada. University graduates (bachelor's, master's, doctoral or another university program) need NCLC 7 in all four abilities. College, polytechnic and other non-university graduates need NCLC 5 in all four.

Your result must be less than 2 years old when you submit the application, and IRCC says the test should be taken in person. On the TCF Canada, NCLC 7 starts at 458 in listening, 453 in reading and 10/20 in writing and speaking. The TEF Canada is converted differently for the PGWP than for Express Entry, which catches many students out. The tables, the right TEF column and the mistakes that cost permits are all below.

Who needs a language test for the PGWP

IRCC's rule is tied to the date you submit your PGWP application:

• Applied on or after 1 November 2024: you must include proof of English or French language skills.
• Applied before 1 November 2024: no language requirement, whatever your level of study.
• Graduated from a PGWP-eligible flight school: no language requirement.

Everyone else needs a test, including students who studied in French, in Quebec or at a bilingual institution. Your diploma doesn't count as language proof for the PGWP: IRCC lists only test results.

One detail on the document checklist trips people up. IRCC says your PGWP checklist will show language proof as an optional document, but that you must include it if your study program requires it. For almost every graduate, it does. Treat it as mandatory.

The level you need by program type

IRCC sets the level by the type of program you graduated from, not by your job or your field:

"All 4 abilities" means each skill on its own. There is no average. An NCLC 9 in reading won't make up for an NCLC 6 in speaking if you need NCLC 7.

The same page also sets field-of-study rules for college and non-university programs when the study permit application was submitted on or after 1 November 2024. That requirement is separate from language. Bachelor's, master's and doctoral graduates don't have one.

Accepted French tests

For French, IRCC accepts two tests for the PGWP:

• TCF Canada, run by France Éducation international.
• TEF Canada, run by Le français des affaires (CCI Paris Île-de-France).

Not on the list: the TCF Québec, the TEFAQ, the general "TCF tout public", the DELF and the DALF. A strong DELF B2 diploma is a real achievement, but it isn't proof for a PGWP. If you're unsure which French test fits your plans after the PGWP too, our TCF vs TEF comparison sets out the format differences side by side.

Two more rules from IRCC's documents page:

• "Language tests should be taken in person." Both French tests are taken at an approved centre, with the speaking test face to face with an examiner. There's no at-home version of either.
• All four abilities must be assessed. If you send incomplete results without an explanation, IRCC says the application may be refused. The TEF Canada's two-module version (listening and speaking only), sold for citizenship, is not enough for a PGWP.

TCF Canada scores for the PGWP

The PGWP page uses the same TCF Canada table as Express Entry. Listening and reading are scored out of 699, writing and speaking out of 20. Here it is with NCLC 7 highlighted (look one row up or down for NCLC 5):

What that means in practice:

• University graduates (NCLC 7): at least 458 listening, 453 reading, 10/20 writing and 10/20 speaking.
• College graduates (NCLC 5): at least 369 listening, 375 reading, 6/20 writing and 6/20 speaking.

Writing and speaking have narrow bands. A 9/20 in speaking is NCLC 6: one point short of a university graduate's permit. Type your own scores into the converter to see each level at once:

TEF Canada scores for the PGWP: the column that differs

This is where most mistakes happen. The TEF Canada certificate shows two kinds of score: a "Score / 699" for each skill and an "Équivalence ancien score" column (listening /360, reading /300, writing and speaking /450).

• Express Entry uses the ancien column, and IRCC warns that entering the /699 score in a profile can lead to refusal.
• The PGWP page publishes TEF tables on the /699 scale, split by test date: one for tests taken after 10 December 2023, with separate cut-offs per skill, and one for tests taken from 1 October 2019 to 10 December 2023, with one set of cut-offs for all four.

So for the PGWP, read the /699 score and convert it with the right table. The table below opens on the /699 version for recent tests:

For a test taken after 10 December 2023, the minimums are:

Notice that speaking has the highest cut-off at both levels. A TEF candidate with 450 in speaking is NCLC 6, not 7.

Still unsure which number to read? The picker below names the column for your purpose and checks your result's validity date:

The full explanation of both TEF columns is in our TEF Canada score chart, and the TCF equivalent is in the TCF Canada score chart.

The 2-year rule and when to book

IRCC says your results must be less than 2 years old when you submit your PGWP application. Both test owners also say a certificate is valid for 2 years from the date results are issued. In practice:

• Booking too late is the bigger risk. Results arrive in up to 15 working days for the TCF Canada (after France Éducation international receives the session's material) and in 1 to 10 working days for the TEF Canada. Add the wait for a seat at a busy centre and a possible retake, which needs a 20-day gap for both tests.
• Booking too early is a hidden risk. A test taken in your first year of studies can expire before you graduate.

A good rule: sit the test in your final two terms, leaving time for one retake before your study permit expires. The planner below shows when results should arrive, your earliest retake date and when your result expires:

Two worked examples

Illustrative examples, converted with IRCC's tables.

Example 1: Aisha, 2-year college diploma, TCF Canada. Her scores: listening 410, reading 390, writing 7/20, speaking 6/20. That converts to NCLC 6, 5, 6 and 5. Her lowest skill is NCLC 5, so she meets the college requirement. Had she graduated from a bachelor's program instead, she would fall short in every skill.

Example 2: Lucas, master's degree, TEF Canada taken in March 2026. His /699 scores: listening 470, reading 440, writing 430, speaking 450. That converts to NCLC 8, 7, 7 and 6. Speaking (450) is 6 points under the NCLC 7 cut-off of 456, so he doesn't meet the university requirement. He needs to retake the test with all four skills, 20 days after his first sitting at the earliest. A month of daily speaking practice on the "convince a friend" task is the best use of the wait.

Mistakes that cost students their PGWP

• Using the TEF ancien column for the PGWP. IRCC's PGWP tables are on the /699 scale. Use the right table for your test date.
• Booking the citizenship version. A TEF with only listening and speaking can't prove all four abilities.
• Taking a test IRCC doesn't list. TCF Québec, TEFAQ, DELF and DALF results don't count for the PGWP, even at high levels.
• Leaving the result off because the checklist says "optional". If your program requires it, include it.
• Aiming exactly at the cut-off. One point less in speaking or writing drops a whole level. Aim one band higher in your weakest skill.
• Testing too early. A result from your first year can expire before you apply.
• Using an unofficial "online TCF". Neither test is offered at home, and fake results are treated as fraud by IRCC.

Plan one test for the PGWP and permanent residence

Most graduates use the PGWP to gain Canadian work experience for the Canadian Experience Class. If your French is strong, the same TCF or TEF result can serve both, but only while it's valid: for Express Entry, IRCC requires results less than 2 years old when you create your profile and again when you submit your PR application.

Worth knowing before you book:

• NCLC 7 in all four French skills is also the bar for Express Entry's French-language category draws and for 25 or 50 bonus CRS points. Our guide to how many CRS points French is worth shows what that adds.
• The TEF number changes between programs. For the PGWP you read the /699 score. For Express Entry you enter the ancien column from the same certificate.
• A one-year gap matters. If you test in your final term and then need 12 months of work, your result may be close to expiry when you're ready for permanent residence. Many graduates test again later, aiming higher.

To see what your French level opens beyond the PGWP, check the language requirements checker or read French for Express Entry.

How to prepare

1. Find your level for free

   Take the 10-question French level test to see roughly where you stand.

2. Sit a full timed mock test

   Try a free TCF Canada mock test or TEF Canada mock test under exam timing, then convert your scores with the NCLC score converter.

3. Train your weakest skill

   Speaking and writing usually decide the PGWP result. Practise them with TCF speaking practice and TEF speaking practice, or the writing pages for each test.

4. Book with a margin

   Find a session on the test centres page and compare TCF Canada fees with TEF Canada fees. Book early enough for one retake.