French exams: the full list (TEF, TCF, DELF, DALF, TEFAQ)

French exams for Canada fall into 2 families, the TEF and the TCF, plus 2 diplomas, the DELF and the DALF, and this page lists all 8 with who issues each, what it gives you and what it is used for, from the official pages only. For which exam a given Canadian program accepts, read which French test for Canada PR. If you are weighing the 2 exams IRCC names for Express Entry, see TEF vs TCF Canada. For a free level check against an official exam, see French test: free level check or official exam?.

What are the French exams, and how do they differ?

The table gives one row per exam. “What it gives” is the form the official page says the result takes.

Two things set the TEF and TCF apart from the DELF and DALF. The TEF and TCF give a result for the tests you take, and the DELF and DALF are diplomas, each awarded separately at one CEFR level [3][6][10][11]. And IRCC’s Express Entry page names TEF Canada and TCF Canada as the French tests, and lists none of the others [1].

Which French exams does Express Entry accept?

Only 2 of the 8. IRCC’s Express Entry page lists TEF Canada and TCF Canada as the approved French tests [1]. It says CCI Paris Ile-de-France administers the TEF Canada [1]. TEFAQ, TCF Québec, the general TCF, the DELF and the DALF are not on that page [1].

That does not make the other exams useless. Québec’s skilled worker program names a wider set: TCF Québec, TCF Canada, the general TCF, the DALF and the DELF from France Éducation international, and TEFAQ, TEF Canada and the TEF from CCIP-IDF [8]. Québec adds that results must be 2 years old or less on the date you apply for permanent selection [8].

What is TEF Canada?

TEF Canada is the TEF version for people who wish to apply for immigration or citizenship in Canada [2][3]. The exam body says IRCC has recognised it since 2002, that immigration needs 4 tests and citizenship 2, and that all must be taken on the same day [3]. The TEF Canada guide covers the sections, timings and results.

What is the general TEF?

The general TEF is the base exam of the family, made up of 1 to 5 modular tests, and the exam body says the version you take depends on your objectives [2]. The other versions it lists are TEF Canada, TEF Québec (TEFAQ), TEF Études for study in France or in a French-speaking country, and TEF IRN for a 10-year resident card or naturalisation in France [2]. It is on Québec’s list of accepted tests [8]. The TEFAQ guide and the TEF Canada guide cover the 2 versions with Canadian pages.

What is TEFAQ (TEF Québec)?

TEFAQ is the TEF version for people planning to immigrate to Québec, recognised since 2006 by Québec’s immigration ministry, and the exam body also lists it for Canadian citizenship [2][4]. For Québec immigration you take 1 to 4 tests depending on your program, and each can be taken on its own [4]. The exam body states plainly that IRCC does not recognise it for an application to immigrate to Canada [4]. The TEFAQ guide has the modules and Québec’s levels.

What is TCF Canada?

TCF Canada is the TCF version for anyone who needs to certify their French for economic immigration to Canada or for Canadian citizenship, with the file going to IRCC [6]. France Éducation international says it has 4 compulsory tests: listening, reading, writing and speaking [6]. The TCF Canada guide covers it in full.

What is the general TCF?

The general TCF, “tout public”, is for anyone aged 16 or more whose first language is not French, for academic, professional or personal reasons [7]. It has 3 compulsory multiple-choice tests and 2 optional ones, writing and speaking [7]. The page names several recognisers, among them France’s higher education ministry, the interior ministry’s nationality directorate, the culture ministry and Québec’s MIFI [7]. The TCF Canada guide sets out which TCF each government names.

What is TCF Québec?

TCF Québec is for anyone who wants to file an immigration application with Québec’s MIFI [9]. It has 4 modular tests, and you choose 1, 2, 3 or 4 of them [9]. The TCF Québec guide has the details.

What are DELF and DALF?

DELF and DALF are official diplomas, delivered by France’s education ministry [10][11]. The DELF “tout public” has 4 independent diplomas, DELF A1, A2, B1 and B2, and the DALF has 2, DALF C1 and DALF C2 [10][11]. Québec’s skilled worker program lists both [8]. The DELF and DALF guide covers where they count in Canada.

Where can I do French exam practice?

French exam practice depends on the exam you are heading for, so start with the exam’s own practice material. Lingwell has 2 practice pages: the TCF Canada practice test and the TEF Canada sample test.

Common mistakes

• Booking an exam for the wrong government. IRCC names TEF Canada and TCF Canada for Express Entry, and TEFAQ is not recognised by IRCC for an immigration application [1][4].
• Treating a diploma like a test result. DELF and DALF are diplomas at set CEFR levels, while the TEF and TCF give results for each test taken [2][6][10][11].
• Mixing up the TEF and TCF names. Each family has a Canada version and a Québec version, and they are issued by different bodies [2][6][9].
• Forgetting Québec’s 2-year rule. Québec wants results 2 years old or less on the date you apply [8].
• Relying on a list, including this one. The IRCC page cited here is dated 22 June 2026 and the Québec page 28 November 2025 [1][8]. Compare each official page’s date with the date at the top of this one.

See also: the AP French exam.

Sources