French levels explained: A1 to C2, and how they map to CLB and NCLC

French levels come in two systems, and most confusion comes from mixing them. Courses, apps and exam certificates use the CEFR letters A1 to C2. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) uses numbered NCLC levels, the French name for the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB), read from a TEF Canada or TCF Canada score [2]. This page explains what each letter means, what B1 and B2 French look like, and where the two scales do and do not line up. For the scores behind the numbers, see the TEF Canada score chart, the TCF Canada score chart and CLB 7 in French.

What are the French levels A1 to C2?

The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is the Council of Europe’s scale. Its global scale has six levels in three bands: basic user (A1, A2), independent user (B1, B2) and proficient user (C1, C2) [1]. It describes each level by what a person can do, not by a test score, and it applies to any language, not only French.

In plain words, this is what the Council of Europe’s descriptors say each level can do [1]:

Two things follow. The jump from A2 to B1 is the move from set phrases to coping on your own, and the jump from B1 to B2 is the move from familiar topics to almost any topic, including abstract ones [1]. That is why B2 is the level most adult learners aim for.

What is B2 level French?

B2 French is the upper independent level. The Council of Europe describes a B2 user as someone who can understand the main ideas of complex text on concrete and abstract topics, hold a conversation with native speakers with enough fluency that neither side strains, and produce clear, detailed writing that explains a viewpoint with its pros and cons [1].

In practice B2 is where French stops being a subject and starts being a tool: you can follow a meeting, read a news article, and argue a point in writing. Lingwell’s own baseline test estimates how many of the most frequent French words you know and sets 3,000 words as its B2 target, which is a study target, not an official threshold.

On a TEF Canada certificate, B2 appears directly: the exam body prints a CEFR level from A1 to C2 for each test, alongside a score and a CLB level from 1 to 12 [7].

What is B1 French?

B1 French is the lower independent level. The Council of Europe describes a B1 user as someone who can understand the main points of clear standard speech on familiar matters from work, school or leisure, deal with most situations while travelling, write simple connected text on familiar topics, and describe experiences, plans and opinions with brief reasons [1].

B1 is the first level with a rule attached to it in Canada: for citizenship, IRCC accepts TEF Canada results at “B1 or higher” in listening and speaking, and TCF Canada results at B1 or higher, with the skills not named on the page [6].

Is B2 the same as CLB 7? Is B1 CLB 5?

Not officially, and this is the part most pages get wrong. IRCC’s language test page for Express Entry sets every requirement in NCLC levels and does not mention the CEFR letters at all [2]. The NCLC level comes from a score table, one row per level and one column per skill, for TEF Canada and for TCF Canada [2].

The pairing “B2 is CLB 7, B1 is CLB 5” is an approximation used by language schools and prep sites. Here is what the official pages actually say:

• IRCC’s citizenship pages are the one place it sets a CEFR level and a CLB level side by side: applicants aged 18 to 54 need CLB 4 or higher in speaking and listening [5], and TEF Canada results count at B1 or higher in listening and speaking, TCF Canada results at B1 or higher with no skills named [6]. That is a rule for one purpose, not a conversion table, and it pairs B1 with CLB 4, not 5.
• The TEF exam body publishes a TEF to NCLC correspondence and a CEFR interpretation grid as two PDFs linked from its TEF Canada page [8]. Both are image-only files, so we could not read where B1 and B2 fall against the NCLC rows.
• Whether France Éducation international publishes a CEFR alignment for TCF Canada scores is not covered here, because its official page was not reachable when we looked [9].

So use the letters to choose a course or set a study goal. Use the NCLC score rows to know whether an application qualifies. If you are studying for Express Entry, the number that matters is NCLC 7 in all 4 skills, covered skill by skill in CLB 7 in French.

How does IRCC measure French levels?

IRCC accepts 2 French tests for Express Entry, TEF Canada and TCF Canada, and reads each result as an NCLC level for 4 abilities: speaking, listening, reading and writing [2]. There is no overall level; each skill is converted on its own [2]. The two tests use different score scales, so the same NCLC level looks like a different number on each.

For NCLC 7, IRCC’s ranges are [2]:

The full tables for NCLC 4 to 10 are on the TEF Canada score chart and the TCF Canada score chart. For TEF Canada, use the “Équivalence ancien score” column of your certificate, not the “Score / 699” column [2].

Results have a shelf life. For Express Entry, test results must be less than 2 years old when you complete your profile and when you apply for permanent residence [2]. The TEF exam body also states that its certificate is valid for 2 years from its issue date [8].

Which French level do you need?

That depends on what the level is for. These are the levels the official pages state.

For what NCLC 5 does and does not earn, read CLB 5 in French.

How do you find your French level?

• An official test. A TEF Canada certificate gives a score, a CEFR level and a CLB level for each of the 4 tests [7]. For immigration, only the NCLC level from an approved test counts [2].
• A placement test. Schools and apps give an estimate, usually as a CEFR letter. Treat it as a study level, not proof.
• Your own benchmarks. Read the B1 and B2 descriptions above and ask which one describes what you can already do in French [1]. Most adults find they sit at one level in listening and another in speaking.

Common mistakes

• Assuming a B2 course certificate proves CLB 7. IRCC accepts only results from an approved test, read as NCLC levels [2].
• Treating B1 as CLB 5 in an application. The pairing is an approximation. IRCC’s only side-by-side rule pairs B1 or higher with CLB 4 or higher, for citizenship [5][6].
• Reading one overall level. IRCC assesses 4 abilities separately [2]. A B2 speaker can be a B1 writer.
• Comparing TEF and TCF numbers directly. The scales differ. Compare NCLC levels [2].
• Letting a result expire. Express Entry results must be less than 2 years old at profile and at application [2].
• Trusting a level table from a blog, including this one. The official pages change. Go by them before you apply.

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