Scores & NCLCTEF Canada6 min read
TEF Canada Score Chart 2026: NCLC & CLB by Skill
The TEF Canada to NCLC chart IRCC uses for Express Entry (old-scale scores), the /699 tables by test date, and which one applies to you.
TEF Canada · Compréhension orale
TEF Canada listening practice
Train for 40 questions in 40 minutes where every audio plays once and starts on its own. Learn to use the few seconds before each recording, and to let go of a missed answer.
- questions
- 40
- total
- 40 min
- no going back
- 1 play
How the test works
What to expect on test day
Listening is the second test of the day, right after reading. There are 40 questions. Each audio starts automatically and is played only once. You choose one answer out of four.
The big difference from reading: you can’t go back. Once a question has passed, it’s gone. Wrong answers don’t cost points, so always pick something before the timer moves on.
- A few seconds before each audio to read the question, a few seconds after to answer.
- No notes, paper or documents allowed during the test.
- The parts move from short everyday conversations to radio interviews and reports.
The four parts
What you’ll hear, question by question
| Questions | Recordings | Time before / after the audio |
|---|---|---|
| 1–4 | Short conversations: pick the matching picture | 5 s / 10 s |
| 5–20 | Public announcements, voicemail messages, street interviews (micros-trottoirs) | 10 s / 10 s, or 5 s / 15 s for street interviews |
| 21–30 | Radio columns, interviews (2 questions each) and a radio report (2 questions) | 10 s / 15 s, or 20 s / 30 s for interviews |
| 31–40 | Various audio documents | 10 s / 15 s |
Source: Le français des affaires listening sample booklet (October 2024). Timings are those of the sample and can vary slightly.
Practice examples
Two question types, explained
These are our own practice examples in the official format, not official test items.
- Street interview
What is the speaker’s position?
A passer-by answers a reporter’s question. You choose between: totally for, for under certain conditions, totally against, or no opinion. Listen for conditions after si, à condition que or tant que.
« Le télétravail ? Moi je suis pour, mais seulement si l’entreprise paie l’équipement. »
- Voicemail
What must the listener do?
A message gives a change and an action. The question asks for the action, not the change. Note the verb in the imperative or after il faut.
« Votre rendez-vous de jeudi est annulé. Rappelez-nous avant vendredi pour en fixer un autre. »
Strategy
Six habits for one-play listening
Read before you listen
Use the seconds before each audio to read the question and the four options. Know what you’re listening for.
Answer in the window, then let go
You can’t come back, so choose before the next audio starts. A missed question is one point: don’t let it cost you the next one too.
Listen for intention
Many questions ask why someone speaks or what they want. You don’t need every word.
Watch contrast words
Mais, pourtant, sauf si and en revanche often carry the answer.
Distrust repeated words
Wrong options often reuse words from the audio. The right one usually says the same idea differently.
Never leave a blank
Wrong answers score zero, not minus one. Always choose.
Common mistakes
What costs points in TEF listening
Reading too late
Starting to read the options when the audio starts. Read during the silence before it.
Missing the nuance
In street interviews, “for” and “for under conditions” are different answers. One word decides.
Dwelling on a lost question
Thinking about the last answer while the next audio plays. Choose, then move on.
Target
Listening scores for NCLC 7
For Express Entry, NCLC 7 in listening is an ancien score of 249 out of 360. NCLC 9 starts at 298. Prefer the other test? Try TCF Canada listening practice, or see all TEF Canada practice.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Sources
Last verified Oct 5, 2026 against canada.ca and Le français des affaires (CCI Paris Île-de-France), the TEF Canada test owner. How we check facts
Scores & NCLCTEF Canada7 min read
NCLC 7 in TEF Canada: Exact Scores You Need
NCLC 7 on TEF Canada for Express Entry: listening 249, reading 207, writing 310, speaking 310 (old-scale). Why it matters and an 8-week plan.
Your next step
Try a timed listening section
In the TEF Canada format, scored, with an estimated NCLC level at the end. No account needed.