Your TCF Canada certificate gives you four numbers. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) doesn't use those numbers directly. It converts each one into a NCLC level (Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens, the French name for the Canadian Language Benchmarks). Every program threshold, from Express Entry to citizenship, is written in NCLC.
This guide gives you the current conversion chart, explains how the two scoring scales work, and shows which level each program asks for. If you just want your result, type your scores into the converter below. Not tested yet? Get an estimate first with our free TCF Canada practice test.
Quick TCF Canada → NCLC converter
Enter your scores (or practice estimates) to see your NCLC level in each skill.
Fill in all four scores to see your overall level.
The official TCF Canada to NCLC chart
This is IRCC's equivalency table for TCF Canada, as published on canada.ca. Listening and reading are scored out of 699. Writing and speaking are scored out of 20.
| NCLC | Listening /699 | Reading /699 | Writing /20 | Speaking /20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10+ | 549–699 | 549–699 | 16–20 | 16–20 |
| 9 | 523–548 | 524–548 | 14–15 | 14–15 |
| 8 | 503–522 | 499–523 | 12–13 | 12–13 |
| 7 | 458–502 | 453–498 | 10–11 | 10–11 |
| 6 | 398–457 | 406–452 | 7–9 | 7–9 |
| 5 | 369–397 | 375–405 | 6 | 6 |
| 4 | 331–368 | 342–374 | 4–5 | 4–5 |
TCF Canada: listening and reading out of 699, writing and speaking out of 20. Source: IRCC equivalency table.
Read it row by row. To be at NCLC 7 in listening, you need between 458 and 502. At 503 you move up to NCLC 8. Below 458 you drop to NCLC 6, all the way down to 398.
Two details catch people out:
- Listening and reading don't share the same cut-offs. NCLC 7 starts at 458 in listening but at 453 in reading. NCLC 9 starts at 523 in listening and 524 in reading. Any converter that uses one table for both skills will be wrong at the edges.
- Writing and speaking use the same bands as each other. On the 0–20 scale, 10 or 11 is NCLC 7, 12 or 13 is NCLC 8, and 16 or more is NCLC 10.
How the two TCF Canada scales work
Listening and reading: 0 to 699
The two comprehension sections, compréhension orale (listening) and compréhension écrite (reading), are multiple-choice. Each has 39 questions. Listening takes 35 minutes and reading takes 60 minutes. The questions get harder as you go, moving from everyday announcements at A1 to dense opinion pieces at C2.
France Éducation international says its scoring takes the difficulty of each question into account before converting your correct answers into a score from 100 to 699. So the score isn't a simple percentage, and the hard questions at the end matter. A wrong answer scores the same as a blank one (zero), so never leave a question empty. Stay focused until the last question rather than giving up when the documents get difficult.
Writing and speaking: 0 to 20
The production sections, expression écrite (writing) and expression orale (speaking), each have three tasks. Trained examiners grade them on a 0–20 scale. Writing lasts 60 minutes and speaking 12 minutes. You can see how each task works in our TCF Canada exam format guide.
Because the scale is short, every point matters. One extra point in speaking can be the difference between NCLC 6 (9/20) and NCLC 7 (10/20).
Your certificate also shows CEFR levels
Your results also show a CEFR level (A1 to C2) for each skill. IRCC uses the NCLC chart above for Express Entry. For citizenship, IRCC's page lists the TCF Canada requirement as CEFR B1 or higher in listening and speaking, so the CEFR line on your certificate matters there.
The lowest-skill rule
Here is the rule that shapes every preparation plan: IRCC looks at each skill separately, and thresholds apply to all four.
Say you score 560 in listening, 540 in reading, 12 in writing and 9 in speaking. That is NCLC 10, 9, 8 and 6. Three excellent skills don't make up for one weak one. For anything that requires "NCLC 7 in all four abilities", this profile doesn't qualify, because speaking is at NCLC 6.
Many converters, ours included, show an "overall" level that is simply your lowest skill. It's the most honest single number, because it tells you what you actually qualify for.
Which level does each program need?
These are the French-language thresholds as IRCC states them. Your level is always checked skill by skill.
| Goal | Level needed | What it means on the TCF Canada |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Skilled Worker (first official language) | CLB/NCLC 7 in all four | 458+ listening, 453+ reading, 10+ writing, 10+ speaking |
| Canadian Experience Class, TEER 0 or 1 job | CLB/NCLC 7 in all four | Same as above |
| Canadian Experience Class, TEER 2 or 3 job | CLB/NCLC 5 in all four | 369+ listening, 375+ reading, 6+ writing, 6+ speaking |
| Federal Skilled Trades | CLB/NCLC 5 speaking and listening, 4 reading and writing | 369+ listening, 6+ speaking, 342+ reading, 4+ writing |
| French-language Express Entry category | NCLC 7 in all four | 458+ listening, 453+ reading, 10+ writing, 10+ speaking |
| French bonus CRS points (25 or 50) | NCLC 7 in all four | Same as above |
| Citizenship (ages 18 to 54) | CLB 4 speaking and listening | IRCC lists CEFR B1 or higher in listening and speaking for TCF Canada |
Why NCLC 7 is the number to aim for
NCLC 7 in all four skills unlocks three things at once:
- It meets the language minimum for the Federal Skilled Worker program.
- It makes you eligible for French-language proficiency draws. This is a category-based selection category, and it's the first category IRCC lists for 2026.
- It earns additional CRS points: 25, or 50 if you also have CLB 5 or higher in all four English skills.
We explain each of these in detail in NCLC 7 in TCF Canada: the exact scores you need, and the points maths in how many CRS points French is worth.
A note on citizenship
For citizenship, only listening and speaking count. IRCC's citizenship page states the TCF Canada threshold as CEFR B1 or higher in both skills, rather than as NCLC test scores. So don't rely only on the NCLC 4 row of the chart above. Look at the CEFR level printed on your certificate as well. Our French for Canadian citizenship guide walks through the details.
Worked examples
Priya, aiming for the French category. Listening 471, reading 498, writing 11, speaking 10. That's NCLC 7, 7, 7 and 7. She qualifies, but only just: listening and speaking sit at the bottom of their bands. On a retake, a small dip in either could cost her NCLC 7. Banking a margin is worth it if she has time before her test results expire.
Daniel, strong reader, nervous speaker. Listening 512, reading 560, writing 12, speaking 8. That's NCLC 8, 10, 8 and 6. He's two points of speaking away from the French bonus. His study time should go almost entirely into speaking tasks 2 and 3.
Amina, applying for citizenship. Listening 352, speaking 5. On the NCLC chart that is NCLC 4 in both skills, which looks like enough. But for citizenship, IRCC asks for B1 on the TCF Canada certificate. On France Éducation international's grid, 352 in listening is B1, while 5/20 in speaking is only A2 (B1 starts at 6/20). She needs one more speaking point, or another accepted proof.
TCF vs TEF: the other chart
If you took, or are considering, the TEF Canada instead, its chart works differently: the certificate shows a /699 score and an "Équivalence ancien score", and Express Entry uses only the second. See the TEF Canada score chart for that table and a "which column do I enter?" checker.
How long your results last
For Express Entry, your results must be less than two years old when you create your profile, and still less than two years old when you submit your permanent residence application. If you're early in the process, plan your test date so it doesn't expire before you receive an invitation and apply.
How to move up a band
Moving up a band in listening or reading means about 20 to 60 more points, depending on where you start. In writing or speaking, it means one or two points. Some practical ways to get there:
- Practise in the real format, against the clock. Timing is a skill. Our free mock test follows the official structure.
- For writing, work on task 3 structure and word count. See our writing task 3 examples.
- For speaking, task 2 rewards a confident range of question forms. See our speaking task 2 examples.
- For listening, train on a range of accents and on the hard final third of the paper.
- Keep the numbers handy. The free TCF and TEF cheat sheet puts both formats and the NCLC tables on one page.
When you're ready for a full result, use the TCF Canada to NCLC converter to see what each practice score means, and repeat the test every few weeks to measure progress. Once you reach NCLC 7, the CRS calculator shows what the French points do to your Express Entry score.