fbpx

TEF Exam Information page

TEF Canada Exam 2025

If you are planning to immigrate to Canada or apply for Canadian citizenship, you may need to take the TEF Canada exam (Test d’Évaluation de Français). This French exam for canada PR is officially recognized by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to assess your French language skills.

tef canada, canada tef, test tef canada, tef canada test, tef exam, tef exam sample, tef exam canada

French exam for Canada PR

Who Needs to Take TEF Canada?

1. Express Entry programs (Federal Skilled Worker, Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Trades).

2. Canadian citizenship applications.

3. Quebec immigration programs (Certificat de sélection du Québec – CSQ).

As of January 2022, the Ministry of Immigration, Francisation and Integration (MIFI) also recognizes TEF Canada as part of the Quebec immigration process. 

No exemptions are granted for the TEF Canada exam, and all test-takers must be at least 16 years old.

🍁 Find a TEF Canada Exam Center Near You

TEF Canada Test: Format

The TEF Canada exam is a standardized French exam for PR, designed to assess your language proficiency in four key areas: listening, reading, writing, and speakingAll four sections must be taken in a single exam session, with a total test duration of approximately 2 hours and 55 minutes.

TEF Canada Exam Structure

Section

Duration

Number of Questions/Tasks

Format

Listening  

40 minutes

60 multiple-choice questions

Computer-based

Reading  

60 minutes

50 multiple-choice questions

Computer-based

Writing 

60 minutes

2 writing tasks

Computer-based

Speaking 

15 minutes

2 speaking tasks

Face-to-face with an examiner

What is assessed in the different tests?

Listening

Assessing the ability to understand spoken French in different contexts, including conversations, announcements, and interviews

Reading

Understanding written texts such as emails, articles, advertisements, and formal documents

Writing

Expressing ideas clearly, organizing arguments logically, and demonstrating grammatical accuracy.

Speaking

Face-to-face interaction with an examiner, including a structured discussion and role-play scenario

TEF Canada : Registration & Policies

The TEF exam fees usually range from $300 to $400. The exact amount will depend on the test center and location.

 

Important Information for Test Takers:

 

O No diploma or prior preparation is required to take the TEF Canada exam.

O TEF Canada test dates fill up quickly, so register at least 4-6 weeks in advance.

O You may retake the TEF Canada test as many times as needed. However, a 30-day waiting period is required between attempts.

How to Register for TEF Canada Exam?

 
  1. Locate a TEF Canada test center near you:
    Find a TEF Canada Exam Center

  2. Visit the official TEF Canada exam registration page:
    Register for the TEF Canada Exam

🍁 Select a test date and complete your registration.

tef

Test score Equivalency Chart

CLB Level

Reading

Writing

Listening

Speaking

10

263-277

393-415

316-333

393-415

9

248-262

371-392

298-315

371-392

8

233-247

349-370

280-297

349-370

7

207-232

310-348

249-279

310-348

6

181-206

271-309

217-248

271-309

5

151-180

226-270

181-216

226-270

4

121-150

181-225

145-180

181-225

TEF Scoring & CLB Equivalency

TEF Canada Score

CEFR Level

CLB Level

Express Entry CRS Points

0 – 100

A1 Not Achieved

Below CLB 4

Not eligible for points

101 – 199

A1

CLB 4

6 points

200 – 299

A2

CLB 5

12 points

300 – 399

B1

CLB 7

25 points

400 – 499

B2

CLB 9+

50 points

500 – 599

C1

CLB 10+

Maximum points awarded

600 – 699

C2

CLB 10+

Maximum points awarded

🍁 CLB 7+ (B2 level) is recommended for Express Entry to maximize CRS points.

🍁 Learn more about French Express Entry Draw and Francophone Immigration

TEF Exam
Understanding French Proficiency Levels (A1 to B2)

A1 – Beginner Level

At A1 level, you can:

  • Understand and use familiar and everyday expressions and very simple statements that
  • are intended to meet concrete needs
  • Knowing how to introduce yourself or someone
  • Being able to ask and answer questions about a person
  • Communicate simply if the caller speaks slowly and clearly and is cooperative
A2 – Elementary Level

At A2 level, you can:

  • Understand single phrases and frequently used expressions in relation to areas of the
  • everyday environment (e.g. simple personal and family information, shopping, work)
  • Ability to communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring only a simple and direct
  • exchange of information on familiar and routine subjects
  • Describe with simple means his training, his immediate environment and talk about
  • subjects that correspond to immediate needs
B1 – Low-Intermediate Level

At B1 level, you can:

  • Understand the essential points of a discussion when clear and standard language is used and if it is familiar things at work, school, leisure, etc.
  • Be autonomous in most situations encountered while traveling in an area where the target language is spoken
  • To be able to produce a simple and coherent discourse on familiar subjects and in its fields of interest
  • The ability to tell a story, an experience or a dream, describe a hope or a goal, and briefly explain the reasons or reasons for a project or idea
B2 – Upper-Intermediate Level

At B2 level, you can:

  • Understand the essential content of concrete or abstract subjects in a complex text, including technical discussion in its specialty
  • Communicating spontaneously and easily with a native speaker
  • Express a clear and detailed opinion on a wide range of topics, express an opinion on a topical issue and set out the advantages and disadvantages of different possibilities

Why Choose CCC College for Your TEF Canada Preparation?

Our French Certificate (FSL) program is tailored for non-native speakers who want to boost their immigration prospects and gain practical language skills. Whether your goal is to qualify for the Francophone Work Permit, meet immigration requirements, or simply communicate with confidence, we’ve got you covered.

Enroll in CCC College’s FSL Program and improve your TEF Canada test score today.