Free study planner
Your French study plan, week by week
From A2, reaching NCLC 7 usually takes 350–450 hours of classes: about 8 to 10 months at 10 hours a week. Enter your level, target and weekly hours to get a TCF or TEF Canada plan that fits your exam date.
Don't know your level? Take the 10-question check
Your situation
Change anything: the plan updates as you go.
Not sure of your level? Take the free 10-question check
Classes, homework and practice all count. Be honest: a pace you can keep beats an ambitious one.
Booked, or the date you're aiming for. See TCF Canada exam dates
Estimated study time · NCLC 7
350–450 hours
About 44–57 weeks at 8 h a week
No exam date yet
Book once a timed mock shows your target in all four skills. Seats take months in some cities, so check dates early.
- A2 → B1: 150–200 h
- B1 → B2: 200–250 h
NCLC 7 ≈ B2: we plan for B2, the CEFR level that matches NCLC 7 on the TCF Canada scale.
Estimates of guided class hours from French schools, not an official IRCC figure. Your pace will differ.
Your week-by-week plan
50 weeks in 4 phases. Each block has one focus, and your weakest skill gets extra time every week.
Foundations
Weeks 1–18
Grammar, everyday vocabulary and speaking aloud from week one, up to B1.
A typical week · 8 h
- Grammar & vocabulary 2.5 h
- Listening 1.5 h
- Reading 1.5 h
- Writing 1 h
- Speaking 1.5 h
Week 1 · Baseline test
Take the free mock test even if it feels hard: it shows which skill holds you back. Beginners can start with the 10-question check.
Weeks 1–2
Grammar & vocabulary. Present, past and future tenses, everyday vocabulary. Ten minutes of reading aloud a day.
Weeks 3–4
Listening. Short daily listening: slow news, podcasts for learners. Repeat what you hear.
Show the 7 blocks in this phase
Weeks 5–6
Grammar & vocabulary. Present, past and future tenses, everyday vocabulary. Ten minutes of reading aloud a day.
Weeks 7–8
Reading. Short texts: signs, emails, adverts. Note new words in context.
Weeks 9–10
Grammar & vocabulary. Present, past and future tenses, everyday vocabulary. Ten minutes of reading aloud a day.
Weeks 11–12
Writing. Messages of 60–120 words about your life, work and plans.
Weeks 13–14
Grammar & vocabulary. Present, past and future tenses, everyday vocabulary. Ten minutes of reading aloud a day.
Weeks 15–16
Speaking. Speak every day: introduce yourself, describe your job, your family, your plans.
Weeks 17–18
Grammar & vocabulary. Present, past and future tenses, everyday vocabulary. Ten minutes of reading aloud a day.
Skill blocks
Weeks 19–42
Two-week blocks per skill, at your target level. Your weakest skill gets every other block.
A typical week · 8 h
- Grammar & vocabulary 2 h
- Listening 1.5 h
- Reading 1.5 h
- Writing 1.5 h
- Speaking 1.5 h
Week 38 · Checkpoint mock
About three-quarters of the way. If one skill lags, move hours to it.
Weeks 19–20
Listening. Radio and podcasts at natural speed. Each recording once, then check the transcript.
Weeks 21–22
Reading. News and opinion articles. Time yourself and find the writer's point of view.
Show the 10 blocks in this phase
Weeks 23–24
Writing. Structured texts that give an opinion with reasons. Get feedback on each one.
Weeks 25–26
Speaking. Role-plays to get information, then two minutes defending an opinion.
Weeks 27–28
Listening. Radio and podcasts at natural speed. Each recording once, then check the transcript.
Weeks 29–30
Reading. News and opinion articles. Time yourself and find the writer's point of view.
Weeks 31–32
Writing. Structured texts that give an opinion with reasons. Get feedback on each one.
Weeks 33–34
Speaking. Role-plays to get information, then two minutes defending an opinion.
Weeks 35–36
Listening. Radio and podcasts at natural speed. Each recording once, then check the transcript.
Weeks 37–38
Reading. News and opinion articles. Time yourself and find the writer's point of view.
Weeks 39–40
Writing. Structured texts that give an opinion with reasons. Get feedback on each one.
Weeks 41–42
Speaking. Role-plays to get information, then two minutes defending an opinion.
Exam technique
Weeks 43–47
One section a week in TCF Canada format: timings, question types, word counts.
A typical week · 8 h
- Grammar & vocabulary 1 h
- Listening 2 h
- Reading 2 h
- Writing 1.5 h
- Speaking 1.5 h
Week 43
Listening. Timed listening section in TCF Canada format. Every recording plays once.
Week 44
Reading. Timed reading section. Practise moving on from a hard question.
Show the 3 blocks in this phase
Week 45
Writing. Every writing task under real time and word limits.
Week 46
Speaking. Every speaking task with its prep time, recorded and replayed.
Week 47
Listening. Timed listening section in TCF Canada format. Every recording plays once.
Mock tests
Weeks 48–50
Full timed mocks, then fix the skill that's still below target before exam day.
A typical week · 8 h
- Listening 2 h
- Reading 2 h
- Writing 2 h
- Speaking 2 h
Week 48 · Full mock test
Book the real exam when a mock shows your target in all four skills, with a small margin.
Week 50 · Full mock test
One more full mock to confirm. Keep the last days before the exam light.
Weeks 48–50
Full mocks + review. Full timed mocks. Spend the days between them on your lowest skill.
Last verified Oct 6, 2026Sources:Alliance Française de Lyon: hours per CEFR level (Apr 2026)(opens in a new tab)CIA Antibes: hours per CEFR level(opens in a new tab)IRCC: language test equivalency(opens in a new tab)IRCC: Francophone Mobility eligibility(opens in a new tab)IRCC: citizenship language proof(opens in a new tab)
Independent tool, not affiliated with IRCC. Confirm on canada.ca before you apply.
How it works
Hours first, then weeks, then a plan
There's no official figure for how long it takes to reach an NCLC level. IRCC only publishes the score tables. So the planner starts from published course-hour estimates for each CEFR step: Alliance Française de Lyon for A1 → A2 up to B2 → C1, and the CIA language school in Antibes for complete beginners (80–100 hours to reach A1).
Your target NCLC becomes a CEFR level to aim for: NCLC 5 ≈ B1, NCLC 7 ≈ B2, NCLC 9 ≈ C1, based on where IRCC's TCF Canada bands fall on France Éducation international's CEFR grid. It's a planning approximation, not an official equivalence. The exact scores are in the NCLC score converter.
Your weekly hours turn the estimate into weeks. The plan then ends with six to eight weeks of exam training and mock tests, and gives your weakest skill more time every week.
- These are guided class hours. Self-study alone usually takes longer.
- Prior French at school, or Spanish, Italian or Portuguese, usually speeds up the early levels.
- Only a timed mock test tells you you're ready. The plan is a budget, not a promise.
Worked examples
Three plans, three starting points
Illustrative examples using the same estimates as the planner. Not real candidates.
- A2 → NCLC 7
Priya, 29, aiming for Express Entry
A2 after evening classes, 8 hours a week. A2 → B2 is 350–450 hours: about 44–57 weeks. She aims for a TCF Canada date 14 months out, which leaves a small buffer.
Plan: foundations, then skill blocks with speaking (her weakest) every other fortnight, then 8 weeks of exam training.
Take a baseline mock - B1 → NCLC 7
Marc, 34, exam in 20 weeks
B1, 15 hours a week. B1 → B2 is 200–250 hours: 14–17 weeks. His date fits even the high estimate.
Plan: skill blocks focused on writing, a checkpoint mock, then exam technique and a final full mock.
TCF Canada writing practice - A1 → NCLC 5
Amina, 41, Francophone Mobility
A1, 10 hours a week, needs NCLC 5 in listening and speaking. A1 → B1 is 250–350 hours: about 25–35 weeks.
Plan: foundations with daily speaking, then listening and speaking blocks.
TCF Canada speaking practice
What to do next
Turn the plan into progress
Get a real baseline
Take the 10-question level check or, better, the full free mock test. It tells you which skill to put first.
Protect your weekly hours
Put them in your calendar like a work deadline. Little and often beats a long weekend session.
Check your timeline against the calendar
Look up seats on the TCF Canada exam dates or TEF Canada exam dates pages. In some cities, waitlists are months long.
Practise the weakest skill
Use the skill practice pages, then compare your writing and speaking with model answers like TCF Canada writing task 3 examples and TEF Canada speaking examples.
Book when a mock says yes
When a full timed mock shows your target in all four skills, with a margin, book the real exam.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Start your plan with a baseline
Ten questions, no account. Your result fills in this planner and shows which skill to put first.
Take the level checkFree. About 7 minutes. No account needed.