French test for Canada PR: which exams count and what level

The French test for Canada PR, also searched as the French exam for PR, is one of 2 exams, TEF Canada or TCF Canada, and this page shows what IRCC says about them for each permanent residence program: the level each one asks for, how long a result lasts, and how French as a first or second language fits in. To choose between the 2 exams, read TEF vs TCF Canada. For the exams themselves, see the TEF Canada guide and the TCF Canada guide. Every French exam, including the ones IRCC does not list, is in French exams: the full list, and French proficiency tests explains why a free level check is not a certificate. For government-funded classes and other ways to study, see Learn French in Canada. For the French needed for Canadian citizenship rather than PR, see French test for Canadian citizenship.

What is the French exam for PR in Canada?

The French test for PR is TEF Canada or TCF Canada, the 2 French tests IRCC accepts [1]. Its Express Entry page says you “must prove your language skills by taking an approved language test” [1]. The Atlantic Immigration Program, the Rural Community Immigration Pilot and the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot each have their own language page with an approved-test list and score tables [4][5][6].

IRCC reads your result as a level on the Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC). That is the French name for the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) [1]. You get a separate level for each of 4 abilities: speaking, listening, reading and writing [1].

Other French tests share similar names. TEFAQ, TCF Québec and the general TCF are not on IRCC’s Express Entry list [1]. If your goal is federal PR, book the version named TEF Canada or TCF Canada.

Which French level does each Canada PR program ask for?

Express Entry names TEF Canada and TCF Canada. What changes from program to program is the level. These are the minimums as each IRCC page states them.

Three things in this table catch people out. First, the level is per ability, so one weak skill can block a program [1]. Second, the Atlantic and rural levels depend on the TEER category of your job offer, so read the list on IRCC’s page for your job [4][5]. Third, the provincial page sends you to each province for its rules, so check your province’s own page [3].

To turn a score into a level, use IRCC’s tables. Our CLB 7 in French guide shows the NCLC 7 ranges for both tests.

Do you need a French exam for PR if French is your first language?

Yes, native speakers take a French language test for Canada too. IRCC’s help centre says every Express Entry candidate must take “a standard test by an objective third party” [7]. It says this applies to people who speak English or French as a first language too [7]. IRCC’s Express Entry page names no other way to prove your French [1].

The Canadian Experience Class has one more rule. IRCC says Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) centres are not approved testing agencies for that program [1].

How long is a French exam for PR valid?

For Express Entry, your results must be less than 2 years old when you complete your profile [1]. They must still be less than 2 years old when you submit your PR application [1]. IRCC says it will refuse an application made with expired results [1].

IRCC tells you to check that your results will still be valid when you plan to apply, and to make sure they last for the time you will be in the pool [1].

The Atlantic, rural and Francophone community pages each say results “must be less than 2 years old when you apply” [4][5][6].

Should French be your first or second official language?

IRCC’s advice is to “choose your strongest language as your first official language” [8]. If you speak both, you can give approved results for English and French [8]. Your first official language is the one that must meet the program minimum, such as NCLC 7 for the Federal Skilled Worker Program [1].

French can still count if it is your second language. IRCC says you can earn additional points for strong French skills “even if French is your second language” [8]. How many points, and at what levels, is covered in our Express Entry French points guide.

Which French exams does Québec accept for skilled workers?

Québec selects its own skilled workers. IRCC says Québec “has a special agreement on immigration” with Canada, so you apply to Québec before you apply for PR [10]. Québec’s list is longer than IRCC’s. The quebec.ca page for the Skilled Worker Selection Program names these French tests and diplomas [11]:

• TCF-Québec, TCF-Canada and TCF, all from France Éducation international
• DALF and DELF from France Éducation international
• TEFAQ, TEF Canada and TEF, all from the Chambre de commerce et d’industrie de Paris Île-de-France

Québec asks for this proof “even if French is your mother tongue” [11]. Results must be two years old or less from the date you apply for selection, and only results issued by the test providers are accepted [11]. Québec links results to its own scale, the Échelle québécoise, through its own correspondence tables [11]. This is Québec’s rule for its own program. IRCC’s Express Entry list is still TEF Canada and TCF Canada only [1]. For the Québec side, read our TEFAQ guide.

Common mistakes

• Booking the wrong version of the exam. IRCC’s Express Entry list names TEF Canada and TCF Canada only [1].
• Assuming a native speaker can skip the test. IRCC says every Express Entry candidate takes a third-party test [7].
• Reading one strong skill as enough. The minimums apply to each ability, and the French category needs 7 in all 4 [1][2].
• Letting results expire between profile and application. Express Entry needs them under 2 years old at both steps [1].
• Treating a Francophone Mobility work permit as PR. It is a work permit, not permanent residence [9].
• Using Québec rules for a federal program, or the reverse. Québec accepts tests IRCC’s Express Entry list does not, such as TEFAQ and TCF-Québec [1][11].
• Relying on a requirements table from a blog, including this one. IRCC updates its pages. Check each official page’s date against the date at the top of this one.

See also: the Francophone Mobility Program, French PR pathways side by side and the FMCSP student pilot.

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