TCF Québec: what it is, who accepts it and the level Québec asks for

TCF Québec is a French test, issued by France Éducation international, that Québec’s immigration ministry lists first among the tests it accepts as proof of French for its skilled-worker program [2]. It is for people applying to Québec, not to Express Entry, because IRCC’s Express Entry list names only TEF Canada and TCF Canada [6].

Source: Gouvernement du Québec, “Demonstrate your knowledge of French”, page dated 28 November 2025 [2]. Program levels: requirements page dated 25 June 2026 [1].

This guide covers who issues the test, who accepts it, what level Québec’s programs ask for, how Québec reads the scores and how it differs from TCF Canada. For the federal test, read the TCF Canada guide. Still choosing a federal test? See TEF vs TCF Canada. For IRCC’s own score table, use the TCF Canada score chart. For the French you will hear in Québec, see Québec French vs France French.

What is TCF Québec?

The TCF Québec test is the “Test de connaissance du français pour le Québec”, a French test issued by France Éducation international [2]. Québec’s ministry of immigration (the ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration) puts it first on its list of tests accepted as proof of French [2][3].

It is one of 3 TCF versions on that list. The others are TCF Canada and the general TCF, all from the same issuer [2]. For how the TCF family fits together, see the TCF Canada guide.

Who accepts TCF Québec?

Québec’s immigration ministry does. IRCC’s Express Entry list does not [6]. For citizenship, IRCC’s pages differ: the Help Centre answer on third-party tests and step 5 list TCF Québec (TCFQ), and step 2 does not [7][10][11].

You need a listed test only if the program you apply under asks you to prove your French. Québec asks for proof even if French is your mother tongue, and any one of the listed tests or diplomas counts, so TCF Québec is one choice, not the only one [2].

Québec’s full list has 8 entries: TCF Québec, TCF Canada, TCF, DALF and DELF from France Éducation international, and TEFAQ, TEF Canada and TEF from the CCI Paris Île-de-France [2]. Québec’s own TEF version is TEFAQ, the “Test d’évaluation du français adapté pour le Québec” [2], covered in the TEFAQ guide.

What French level do Québec programs ask for?

Québec measures French on its own scale, the Échelle québécoise des niveaux de compétence en français, which runs from level 1 to level 12 [3]. The level you need depends on the program and, in the skilled-worker program, on the stream. Here is what the current program pages say.

PSTQ stands for Programme de sélection des travailleurs qualifiés, Québec’s skilled-worker selection program. Its requirements page was last updated on 25 June 2026 [1].

Three rules on the proof itself apply to the skilled-worker program [2]:

• Results must be 2 years old or less on the date you apply for permanent selection.
• Only results issued by the test providers count, and the test must be taken at a centre approved by the provider.
• You send a complete scan of the results certificate, and the ministry may call you to an interview to check your level.

What TCF Québec score is level 7?

Québec publishes its own conversion table, linked from the skilled-worker program’s French page [2]. It puts TCF and TCF Québec in one row, with listening and reading on one scale and speaking and writing on another [3]. The levels come in bands, so level 7 shares a band with level 8.

The table is dated “Version du 29 novembre 2024” [3]. So on Québec’s table a TCF Québec listening score of 400 sits in the level 7–8 band, and a speaking score of 6 sits in the level 5–6 band [3]. Québec’s consultant page describes level 7 as “intermédiaire avancé”, the equivalent of B2 [5].

What does the TCF Québec exam look like?

The TCF Québec exam’s sections, number of questions, timings and booking rules are set by France Éducation international on its official TCF Québec page [9]. That page refused our access on 15 October 2026, so this guide does not repeat its figures. Open it before you book, and note its date.

What the Québec pages do fix is how a result is read: each skill’s score is converted on its own to a level on Québec’s scale [3].

How is TCF Québec different from TCF Canada?

The difference is who reads the result and on which scale.

A TCF Canada result can be read twice, on 2 different scales. IRCC converts it to an NCLC level with its own table [6]. Québec converts it to a level on its own scale, with bands identical to those for TCF Québec [3]. The 2 tables have different cut-offs, because they measure on different scales. Use IRCC’s table for a federal application and Québec’s for a Québec one.

Applying to both Québec and Canada: what to know

Moving to Québec as a skilled worker has 2 steps, and the French test sits in the first one. IRCC’s page for Québec-selected skilled workers says you can apply if you hold a Québec Selection Certificate (Certificat de sélection du Québec) and submit a complete permanent residence application [8]. That IRCC page does not itself mention a language test [8]. The French proof is part of Québec’s selection [1][2].

If you are keeping a federal route open as well, such as Express Entry, the choice of test matters. Only TEF Canada and TCF Canada are on IRCC’s Express Entry list [6], and both are also on Québec’s list [2]. A TCF Québec result appears on Québec’s list only [2][6].

Check one more thing before you book: validity. Québec wants results 2 years old or less on the date you apply [2]. For Express Entry, IRCC wants them less than 2 years old both when you complete your profile and when you submit your permanent residence application [6].

Five quick questions on Québec’s French levels, using only what this page has set out.

Common mistakes

• Booking TCF Québec for Express Entry. IRCC’s Express Entry list names TEF Canada and TCF Canada only [6].
• Reading a TCF Canada score on IRCC’s table for a Québec file. Québec uses its own scale and table [3].
• Assuming one level for every program. PSTQ Stream 1 asks for oral 7 and written 5, Stream 2 for oral 5 [1].
• Forgetting the spouse. In PSTQ Streams 1 to 3, an accompanying spouse or partner needs oral level 4 [1].
• Following an older guide’s program names. Québec’s programs and pages change. Go by the program page you apply under.
• Relying on a guide for exam facts, including this one. Compare the official page’s date with the date at the top of this one.

See also: Francisation Québec courses.

Sources