TEF Canada results: when they arrive and how to read them

TEF Canada results are the TEF results IRCC reads for Express Entry and citizenship, and this page covers what happens after the exam: when they arrive, how you receive them, how to read the certificate, how long they last, how to give them to IRCC, and what to do if something looks wrong. For the exam itself, read the TEF Canada guide. To turn your scores into levels, use the TEF Canada score chart. For what NCLC 7 is worth in Express Entry, see CLB 7 in French.

When do TEF Canada results come out?

The exam body’s own pages give 2 different timings, so plan for the longer one. Its “get your certificate” page says results arrive within 1 to 10 business days, counted from the day of the exam [2]. Its English TEF Canada overview says results are sent “within approximately 2 weeks” [3].

Neither page says which one wins. Your test centre is told first when results are ready, and the exam body names the centre as your main contact for getting them [2]. If the longer delay is over and nothing has come, ask your centre.

How do you get your TEF results?

You get your TEF results online, not by post. The exam body sends an email with a link to a secure online digital vault (coffre-fort numérique), and you download your certificate from there [2]. It states that no paper certificate is issued [2].

IRCC describes the same thing from its side: the testing organization “will issue you a copy of TEF Canada electronic test results” [6]. That electronic certificate is the document you use with IRCC.

What is on a TEF Canada certificate?

The certificate, called an attestation de résultats, shows a result for each section you sat. The exam body lists these parts [1][2]:

Reading and listening are multiple choice: each correct answer is 1 point, and the raw total is converted to a calibrated score that allows for question difficulty [1]. Writing is marked by 2 independent assessors, and speaking by the test leader and a second examiner working from a recording [1].

Which TEF Canada score does IRCC read?

IRCC reads the “Équivalence ancien score” column, not the “Score / 699” column. IRCC says your level “will be based on the ‘Équivalence ancien score’ (previous score equivalency)” and to “only enter the scores for each language ability from that column” [6]. Of the “Score / 699” figures it says: “Don’t enter these results in your Express Entry profile” [6]. The exam body’s results page gives the same instruction for the IRCC portal [1].

Each section converts to its own NCLC level, and IRCC warns it may refuse an application if the wrong scores are entered [6]. The TEF Canada score chart has IRCC’s full conversion table for levels 4 to 10, so it is not repeated here.

How long are TEF Canada results valid?

The exam body says the results certificate is valid for 2 years from its date of issue [4][2]. IRCC’s Express Entry rule is worded differently: your results must be less than 2 years old when you complete your profile and again when you submit your permanent residence application [6]. For an IRCC application, IRCC’s rule is the one that counts.

IRCC is direct about the risk. If you apply for permanent residence with expired results, it will refuse the application [6]. If your results will expire before you can apply, IRCC lists 3 options [6]:

• be tested again;
• apply before your test results expire;
• decline the invitation and go back into the pool.

If you have not been invited yet, IRCC asks you to make sure your results stay valid for the time you will be in the pool [6].

Citizenship is the exception. IRCC’s citizenship page tells you to include a copy of your results “even if they’re expired” [7].

How do you give your TEF Canada results to IRCC?

You do not send IRCC a paper. You type the results into your online profile or include a copy, depending on the application.

Express Entry. IRCC lists language test results among the documents you may need when you create a profile [8]. You enter the test results in your profile, plus the certificate number and test PIN if the system asks for them [6]. Both come from the attestation number at the bottom left of the certificate [1][2]:

1. The part before the dash is the certificate number IRCC asks for.
2. The part after the dash is the PIN, which the exam body calls the NIP.
3. The scores to type are the “Équivalence ancien score” figures, one per ability [6].

Citizenship. Applicants include a copy of their test results with the application [7]. For a TEF Canada taken on or after 1 July 2012, IRCC accepts B1 or higher in listening and speaking [7]. Those are CEFR levels, which the certificate shows for each section [1].

What if your TEF Canada result looks wrong?

The exam body accepts an appeal within 30 days of the certificate’s issue date, and only for an anomaly or serious malfunction during the test [1]. It asks you to report the problem to your supervisor on the day of the test [1]. The results page describes no review of a score for any other reason.

Marking is built to be anonymous. Assessors see only recordings and written work identified by candidate number [1], and the speaking test is recorded every time so it can be assessed twice [5].

Errors in your name or date of birth start on exam day. You confirm your surname, first name, date of birth and email on a tablet, and the exam body warns that this information will appear on your certificate [5]. Check it before you sign. The official pages opened for this guide do not describe how to correct details after the exam; your centre is the contact for results [2].

What if you lose your TEF Canada certificate?

Start with your email. The exam body tells candidates who have not received their results to check their junk folder, then to contact their test centre [2]. It keeps certificates for 10 years, and suggests you save your own copy for use after that [2]. The pages opened here describe no separate duplicate request.

If you plan to sit the exam again, the exam body’s certificate page sets the rule on how soon you may do so [2]. Read it there before you book.

Common mistakes

• Typing the “Score / 699” numbers into Express Entry. IRCC reads the “Équivalence ancien score” column and may refuse the application otherwise [6].
• Swapping the certificate number and the PIN. The certificate number is before the dash, the PIN after it [1][2].
• Counting on the shorter timing. The exam body’s pages give 1 to 10 business days and about 2 weeks [2][3].
• Waiting for a paper certificate. There is none; the certificate is in the digital vault [2].
• Letting results age in the pool. Express Entry needs them under 2 years old at profile and at application [6].
• Missing the 30-day appeal window. It runs from the certificate’s issue date, and only covers an anomaly or malfunction during the test [1].
• Relying on a guide for exam rules, including this one. The exam body and IRCC update their pages. Compare their dates with the date at the top of this page.

Sources