For permanent residence anywhere outside Québec, only two French tests count: the TCF Canada and the TEF Canada. The TCF Québec and TEFAQ are built for Québec's own selection programs, and diplomas like the DELF and DALF help with Québec and citizenship, but not with Express Entry.
So the short answer to "TCF Canada vs TCF Québec" is: if there's any chance you'll use federal programs, book the TCF Canada (or the TEF Canada). It's accepted everywhere on this page.
- French tests IRCC accepts for Express Entry
- 2
- French tests and diplomas Québec lists
- 8
- level IRCC asks for citizenship (listening + speaking)
- B1
- validity of TCF and TEF results
- 2 years
Find your test in one minute
Pick what you need the test for. The checker uses IRCC's, Québec's and the test owners' own pages.
Which French test do I need?
Pick your goal to see which tests count for it.
Choose a goal to see the accepted tests.
From IRCC, Québec and test-owner pages checked on 6 October 2026. Not legal advice: confirm on the official page before you book.
Not sure which goal applies? Our overview of Canada immigration language requirements lists the French level every program asks for.
The six French tests, side by side
They look alike because two organisations make almost all of them. France Éducation international (FEI) runs the TCF family and the DELF and DALF diplomas. Le français des affaires, part of CCI Paris Île-de-France, runs the TEF family.
| Test | Made for | Parts | How long it counts |
|---|---|---|---|
| TCF Canada | Canadian immigration and citizenship | All 4 compulsory | 2 years |
| TEF Canada | Canadian immigration and citizenship | 4 for immigration, 2 for citizenship | 2 years |
| TCF Québec | Québec immigration | 1 to 4, depending on your program | Québec: two years or less when you apply |
| TEFAQ (TEF Québec) | Québec immigration | 1 to 4, depending on your program | 2 years |
| TCF tout public | General certificate (study, work, personal) | Multiple-choice core, optional writing and speaking | Québec: two years or less when you apply |
| DELF / DALF | Diplomas at a single CEFR level (A1 to C2) | Four skills at the chosen level | Diploma, not a timed result |
TCF Canada vs TCF Québec
These two are siblings. FEI uses the same task formats for both, so preparing for one prepares you for the other. The differences are about who accepts them and how many parts you take.
What's the same
- The same four skills: listening (compréhension orale), reading (compréhension écrite), writing (expression écrite) and speaking (expression orale).
- The same scoring style: listening and reading on a 0–699 scale, writing and speaking out of 20, each with a CEFR level on the attestation.
- The same organiser, the same centres in many cities, and the same face-to-face speaking test.
What's different
- Parts. The TCF Canada has four compulsory tests, with no exemptions allowed by Canadian authorities. The TCF Québec is modular: you take one to four tests, depending on what your Québec program asks for.
- Who accepts it. IRCC accepts the TCF Canada for Express Entry, the Atlantic Immigration Program, the Rural and Francophone Community Immigration Pilots and citizenship. It doesn't accept the TCF Québec for any of those PR programs. Québec accepts both.
- Flexibility later. A TCF Canada attestation keeps the federal door open. A TCF Québec one doesn't.
If you're choosing between the two federal tests, that's a different question. Our comparison of TCF Canada vs TEF Canada covers format, scoring and booking, and which one is easier looks at where candidates usually score better.
TEF Canada vs TEFAQ
The same logic applies to the TEF family. Le français des affaires says plainly that the TEFAQ is not recognised by IRCC for immigration to Canada. It is recognised by Québec's immigration ministry, and for citizenship you take its listening and speaking tests. The TEF Canada, on the other hand, is accepted by Québec as long as the results are less than two years old.
One more trap: the TEF Canada certificate has two score columns. For Express Entry, IRCC uses only the "Équivalence ancien score". Our TEF Canada score chart shows which column to enter.
Where DELF and DALF fit
The DELF and DALF are diplomas, not tests with a score. You sit an exam at one CEFR level (say B2) and you either earn that diploma or you don't.
- Express Entry and federal pilots: not accepted. Even a DALF C2 earns no CRS points.
- Canadian citizenship: accepted. IRCC asks for a DELF at B1 or higher, and accepts any DALF.
- Québec permanent selection: accepted. Québec also says results must be two years old or less when you apply, so check how it treats an older diploma before you rely on one.
If you already hold a DELF B1 or B2 from school or university, it may save you a test for citizenship. For PR outside Québec, you'll still need the TCF Canada or TEF Canada.
And the TCF tout public?
The "tout public" TCF is FEI's general-purpose certificate, used for university admission, jobs and personal goals. Québec's list includes the general TCF, so it can work for Québec selection. It is not accepted for Express Entry, and it is not on IRCC's citizenship test list, so don't book it for either. Its attestation also looks different: it adds a "language structures" score that the Canada version doesn't have.
What Québec actually requires
Québec doesn't use NCLC for its own selection. It uses the Échelle québécoise des niveaux de compétence en français, a 12-level scale. Under the Skilled Worker Selection Program (PSTQ), Québec's requirements page lists:
| PSTQ stream | Principal applicant | Accompanying spouse |
|---|---|---|
| 1: Highly qualified and specialised skills | Oral level 7+, written level 5+ | Oral level 4+ |
| 2: Intermediate and manual skills | Oral level 5+ | Oral level 4+ |
| 3: Regulated professions | FEER 0–2: oral 7+, written 5+. FEER 3–5: oral 5+ | Oral level 4+ |
| 4: Exceptional talent | No French requirement listed | No French requirement listed |
Because "written" level 5 is part of streams 1 and 3, a modular TCF Québec or TEFAQ must include the reading and writing tests for those streams. For the full picture, including the Québec scale, see our guide to Québec immigration French requirements.
What citizenship requires
If you're 18 to 54, IRCC asks for proof of speaking and listening at CLB/NCLC 4 or higher. For the TCF and TEF family, its accepted-tests page states the bar as B1 or higher in listening and speaking, as printed on your certificate. Two shortcuts are worth knowing:
- A test result you already submitted for permanent residence is accepted, even if it has expired.
- You don't need reading or writing at all.
The citizenship test guide and the French for Canadian citizenship page explain the B1 rule with score examples.
What the Mobilité francophone work permit requires
The Mobilité francophone work permit lets employers outside Québec hire French speakers without a labour market impact assessment. IRCC asks for speaking and listening at an intermediate level, equal to NCLC 5 or higher. IRCC also accepts proof of studies in French instead of a test. If you're taking a test for it, use the TCF Canada or TEF Canada: they're the ones with IRCC's official NCLC tables, and the same results can later support a PR application. Our Mobilité francophone guide walks through the whole application.
Already took the "wrong" test?
It happens often, and it's rarely wasted.
- You have a TCF Québec or TEFAQ and now want Express Entry. You'll need a new TCF Canada or TEF Canada. The good news: the formats are the same, so your preparation carries over, and your old attestation tells you exactly which skill to work on.
- You have a TCF tout public. It shows your level and can work for Québec selection, but for federal PR or citizenship book a Canada version.
- You have a DELF or DALF. Keep it for citizenship and Québec. For Express Entry, your diploma level is only a rough guide: CEFR levels and NCLC bands don't line up one to one, and the TCF Canada and TEF Canada tasks are timed and marked differently. Take a mock test before you book.
Before a retake, it's worth a full timed practice run. Our free mock test follows the official TCF Canada and TEF Canada formats, and the NCLC converter turns each section into a level.
Worked examples
These are illustrations, not real candidates.
Ravi, 29, Express Entry from Bangalore. He wants French-category draws. Only the TCF Canada or TEF Canada count, with NCLC 7 in all four skills. He books the TCF Canada and starts with TCF Canada practice tests.
Sofia, 33, working in Montréal. She's aiming at Québec's PSTQ stream 1, but her employer might move her to Ottawa. She takes the TCF Canada: Québec accepts it, and if she moves, the same attestation works for Express Entry while it's valid.
Mei, 47, permanent resident in Vancouver. She earned a DELF B2 at university. For citizenship, IRCC accepts a DELF at B1 or higher, so she doesn't need a new test.
Karim, 41, Québec selection only, stream 2. His stream asks for oral level 5. He takes a modular TEFAQ with the listening and speaking tests, after checking with the Québec ministry's list that those are the parts his program needs.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Booking the wrong version. At the centre, "TCF" and "TEF" come in several versions. For federal PR, the booking must say TCF Canada or TEF Canada.
- Assuming a diploma beats a test. A DALF C1 is a great achievement, but it earns nothing in Express Entry.
- Forgetting validity. TCF Canada and TEF Canada results count for 2 years. For Express Entry, they must be less than 2 years old both when you create your profile and when you apply for PR.
- Guessing the price. Fees are set by each test centre, not by FEI or Le français des affaires, so compare centres near you on our test centres page.
Your next step
Check your level in five minutes
Whatever test you pick, start with our free 10-question French level check to see roughly where you are.
Take a full mock in the real format
Try a free TCF Canada or TEF Canada mock test and convert each skill with the NCLC converter. The TCF Canada format also prepares you for the TCF Québec.
Practise the skill that holds you back
Train with skill-by-skill practice, and see our plans if you want detailed feedback on writing and speaking.