TEF Canada and TCF Canada scores to NCLC: the conversion tables for Express Entry

If you took the TEF Canada or the TCF Canada for Express Entry, IRCC does not look at your raw scores the way the testing centre reports them: it converts each of your four results into a Niveau de compétence linguistique canadien (NCLC), the French equivalent of the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB). This guide gives IRCC’s conversion tables, explains the one column TEF candidates must not use, and shows how French can add points even when English is your first language. The tables come from IRCC’s “Language test results” page for Express Entry (modified October 16, 2026), consulted on October 25, 2026.

Key takeaways

• IRCC accepts two French tests for Express Entry: TEF Canada and TCF Canada.
• Each ability (speaking, listening, reading, writing) is converted separately. There is no overall level and no averaging.
• For the TEF Canada, enter only the “Équivalence ancien score” results. The “Score / 699” column is not compatible with IRCC’s system.
• Results must be less than 2 years old when you create your profile and when you submit your permanent residence application.
• With at least NCLC 7 in all four French abilities, the CRS grid adds 25 or 50 extra points depending on your English.

NCLC and CLB: the same scale in two languages

IRCC measures English with the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) and French with the Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC). The two scales run in parallel: NCLC 7 in French is treated like CLB 7 in English for program minimums and CRS points.

What differs is the test. Each approved test has its own conversion table, and a score on one test cannot be read using another test’s table. A TCF listening score of 460 and a TEF listening score of 260 both happen to fall at NCLC 7, but only because each was looked up in its own table.

TEF Canada: the conversion table

Before using the table, find the right numbers on your attestation de résultats. IRCC is explicit: your language level is based on the “Équivalence ancien score” column, and you should only enter the scores from that column. The attestation also shows results in a column marked “Score / 699”. IRCC says not to enter those in your Express Entry profile because they are not compatible with its system, and warns that entering the wrong scores may lead to a refused application.

NCLC	Speaking	Listening	Reading	Writing
10	393-450	316-360	263-300	393-450
9	371-392	298-315	248-262	371-392
8	349-370	280-297	233-247	349-370
7	310-348	249-279	207-232	310-348
6	271-309	217-248	181-206	271-309
5	226-270	181-216	151-180	226-270
4	181-225	145-180	121-150	181-225

A quick sanity check: no “Équivalence ancien score” result goes above 450 in speaking or writing, 360 in listening or 300 in reading. If you are looking at a number like 544, you are reading the wrong column.

IRCC also flags a past issue. For tests taken between December 11, 2023 and May 6, 2024, the organization that administers the TEF Canada temporarily changed its NCLC conversion, then reverted to IRCC’s grid. Affected candidates received an email with an updated score and must update their Express Entry profile; IRCC warns that leaving the old score could lead to a refusal.

TCF Canada: the conversion table

The TCF Canada reports speaking and writing on a scale of 20 and listening and reading on a scale of 699, so its table looks very different:

NCLC	Speaking	Listening	Reading	Writing
10 and above	16-20	549-699	549-699	16-20
9	14-15	523-548	524-548	14-15
8	12-13	503-522	499-523	12-13
7	10-11	458-502	453-498	10-11
6	7-9	398-457	406-452	7-9
5	6	369-397	375-405	6
4	4-5	331-368	342-374	4-5

Note that the listening and reading bands are not identical: 500 in listening is NCLC 7, while 500 in reading is NCLC 8. Read each ability in its own column.

Program minimums in Express Entry

Before points come eligibility. According to IRCC’s page, the minimums are:

Program	Minimum language level
Canadian Experience Class	CLB/NCLC 7 in all four abilities if your job is TEER 0 or 1; CLB/NCLC 5 if it is TEER 2 or 3
Federal Skilled Worker Program	CLB/NCLC 7 in all four abilities in your first official language
Federal Skilled Trades Program	CLB/NCLC 5 in speaking and listening, 4 in reading and writing

Because the minimum applies to every ability, one weak result decides eligibility. A candidate at NCLC 9 in three abilities and NCLC 6 in writing does not meet the Federal Skilled Worker minimum in French.

Why French matters even if your English is strong

Many Express Entry candidates in Montreal are comfortable in English and have some French from school or work. For them, a French test is worth considering for two reasons.

First, the second official language earns CRS points of its own, ability by ability. Second, the CRS grid gives additional points for French: with at least NCLC 7 in all four French abilities, a candidate gets 25 extra points if their English is CLB 4 or lower (or they have no English test), and 50 extra points if they also have CLB 5 or higher in all four English abilities. Our guide on what French changes in an Express Entry profile goes through those points and the French-language rounds in more detail.

The threshold is strict: NCLC 7 in every ability. A candidate who reaches NCLC 7 in three abilities and NCLC 6 in the fourth gets the second-language points for each ability, but not the additional French points.

Two worked conversions

A TEF Canada candidate has these “Équivalence ancien score” results: speaking 386, listening 339, reading 263, writing 350. In IRCC’s TEF table, 386 in speaking falls in 371-392, so NCLC 9; 339 in listening falls in 316-360, NCLC 10; 263 in reading is the bottom of 263-300, NCLC 10; 350 in writing falls in 349-370, NCLC 8. Four levels: 9, 10, 10 and 8. The lowest, NCLC 8, is what program minimums look at; for points, each ability counts on its own.

A TCF Canada candidate scores 11 in speaking, 470 in listening, 450 in reading and 9 in writing. In the TCF table, 11 in speaking is NCLC 7; 470 in listening is NCLC 7; 450 in reading falls in 406-452, NCLC 6; 9 in writing is NCLC 6. Two abilities sit below NCLC 7, so this candidate meets neither the Federal Skilled Worker minimum in French nor the threshold for the additional French points, even though the listening result looks close.

In the second case the useful question is which abilities to work on. Moving reading and writing from NCLC 6 to 7 would change both eligibility and points, while improving speaking would not change the threshold result.

Planning a retake

A new test replaces nothing automatically: you enter the results of the test you choose to use, as a complete set, and they must still be valid when you apply. Before booking, note the two dates that matter, the expiry of your current results and the date you expect an invitation, and leave enough time to receive the new attestation. Do not combine the best abilities from different sessions into one set of results.

It also helps to look at the bands rather than the raw score. On the TEF Canada, a writing result of 345 is only 4 points under the NCLC 8 band, while a reading result of 210 is barely inside NCLC 7: the same effort does not move every ability by the same number of levels.

Validity and timing

IRCC requires language results to be less than 2 years old when you complete your Express Entry profile and when you submit your application for permanent residence. If you have been invited, check that your results will still be valid on the day you plan to apply. If they will expire first, IRCC lists three choices: take a new test, apply before the results expire, or decline the invitation and return to the pool. An application submitted with expired results is refused.

If you have not been invited yet, it is worth checking whether your results will remain valid for as long as you expect to be in the pool.

Entering the results correctly

1. Find the four results on your attestation, in the right column for the TEF Canada.
2. Convert each one with the table for your test and note four NCLC levels.
3. Enter the results in your profile, with the certificate number and test PIN if the system asks for them.
4. Check the levels the system shows against your own conversion.
5. Keep the attestation: you will upload it with your permanent residence application.

If a disability prevents you from completing one or more sections of the test, IRCC provides a language averaging tool for the abilities you could not complete, if the testing organization did not give averaged scores directly. IRCC verifies both the averaged scores and the test results.

Common mistakes

• Entering the “Score / 699” results from a TEF Canada attestation.
• Averaging the four abilities to describe a single level.
• Reading a TCF score in the TEF table, or the reverse.
• Assuming a Quebec version of a test works for Express Entry. IRCC’s list for Express Entry names TEF Canada and TCF Canada for French.
• Letting results expire between the invitation and the application.

For an overall look at your options, our Express Entry page, our assessment form and a consultation are good starting points. If you plan to settle in Quebec, the provincial programs have their own language rules: see the PSTQ and the PEQ.

Frequently asked questions

Which French tests does IRCC accept for Express Entry?

TEF Canada and TCF Canada. For English, IRCC accepts CELPIP-General, IELTS General Training and PTE Core.

My TEF attestation shows two sets of numbers. Which one do I use?

The “Équivalence ancien score” column. IRCC says the “Score / 699” results are not compatible with its system and should not be entered.

Is there an overall NCLC level?

No. Each of the four abilities has its own level, and program minimums apply to each of them.

Does the TEF Canada go up to NCLC 10?

Yes. IRCC’s full TEF Canada table, published with the Federal Skilled Trades rules, goes from NCLC 4 to NCLC 10: for example, 393 to 450 in speaking is NCLC 10. Some tables on the same page stop at “9 and above” because that program’s points stop there.

How long are TEF and TCF results valid for Express Entry?

They must be less than 2 years old when you create your profile and when you submit your permanent residence application.

In short

Convert each TEF Canada or TCF Canada result with IRCC’s own table, one ability at a time, and for the TEF use the “Équivalence ancien score” column only. Check the program minimums, keep the 2-year validity in mind, and remember that NCLC 7 in all four French abilities can add up to 50 CRS points.

Official sources

Official pages consulted on October 25, 2026:

• IRCC — Express Entry: language test results