Understanding TEF results for Express Entry comes down to one column: IRCC reads only the "Équivalence ancien score" on your TEF Canada attestation. Never type the "Score / 699" numbers into your profile, because IRCC's system isn't compatible with them and wrong scores can get an application refused.
Take a breath. Checking your scores against IRCC's chart takes about five minutes, and once you've done it carefully, you'll know exactly where you stand.
What's on your TEF Canada attestation?
Your attestation de résultats (results certificate) gives you a score for each of the four sections you sat, plus a certificate number. Le français des affaires, the organisation behind the TEF, sends you to a correspondence table to turn those scores into an NCLC level.
The four sections of TEF Canada for immigration are:
- Compréhension orale (listening): 40 minutes, 40 questions
- Compréhension écrite (reading): 60 minutes, 40 questions
- Expression orale (speaking): 15 minutes, 2 topics
- Expression écrite (writing): 60 minutes, 2 topics
On a recent attestation, you'll see two score columns for each section: a "Score / 699" and an "Équivalence ancien score" (previous score equivalency). The 699 scale applies to tests taken after December 10, 2023, and it's the one that trips most people up.
Look at the bottom left of your attestation for the number printed there. The part before the hyphen is your certificate number, and the part after it is your PIN. Your attestation arrives through an online digital vault, and the test owner's TEF Canada page lists the current delivery times.
Which TEF score goes in your Express Entry profile?
Enter only the Équivalence ancien score, one number for each ability. IRCC's Express Entry language test page (opens in a new tab) is clear: your level comes from that column alone, and if you enter the wrong scores, they may refuse your application.
Keep the Score / 699 column out of your profile completely. IRCC says those results "aren't compatible with our system at this time," and its equivalency chart tells you to use the ancien score column whatever the date you took your test.
| Column on your attestation | What it is | Goes in Express Entry? | NCLC 7 in reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Équivalence ancien score | The previous score equivalency | Yes | 207-232 |
| Score / 699 | The scale for tests taken after December 10, 2023 | No | 434-461 |
The two scales use different bands, so the mix-up is easy to make. Type a 699 number where IRCC expects an ancien number and, in IRCC's words, "it may produce an incorrect NCLC equivalency." Many websites show only the 699 numbers, so people copy them down without realising IRCC cannot read them.
Before you submit your profile
- Copy each ability's number from the ancien column, never the 699 column
- Check each number against the chart below
- Note your certificate number (before the hyphen) and your PIN (after it) separately
Understanding TEF results by ability: the ancien score chart
NCLC 7 on the ancien scale starts at 310 in speaking, 249 in listening, 207 in reading and 310 in writing. Those minimums come from IRCC's equivalency chart for 2026, so hold your attestation up against them.
| Ability (ancien score, IRCC, 2026) | NCLC 5 | NCLC 7 | NCLC 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speaking (expression orale) | 226-270 | 310-348 | 393-450 |
| Listening (compréhension orale) | 181-216 | 249-279 | 316-360 |
| Reading (compréhension écrite) | 151-180 | 207-232 | 263-300 |
| Writing (expression écrite) | 226-270 | 310-348 | 393-450 |
Don't compare one skill with another. Speaking and writing run on a bigger scale than reading, so a 250 in reading clears NCLC 7, while the same 250 in speaking sits at NCLC 5.
Levels 6, 8 and 9 fall between the rows above. You'll find every level in the TEF Canada score chart, with the CLB conversion for each one.
What your NCLC level means for Express Entry
NCLC 7 in all four abilities is the level that changes the most in your profile. Under IRCC's 2026 criteria, it opens the French-language proficiency category and the additional CRS points for French, worth 25 or 50 depending on your English results.
| Goal | French level needed (IRCC, 2026) |
|---|---|
| French-language proficiency category | NCLC 7 in all 4 abilities |
| 25 additional CRS points | NCLC 7+ in all four French skills, English at CLB 4 or lower or no English test |
| 50 additional CRS points | NCLC 7+ in all four French skills and CLB 5+ in all four English skills |
| Federal Skilled Worker, French as first official language | NCLC 7 in all four abilities |
| Canadian Experience Class, TEER 0 or 1 job | NCLC 7 in all four abilities |
| Canadian Experience Class, TEER 2 or 3 job | NCLC 5 |
| Federal Skilled Trades | NCLC 5 speaking and listening, NCLC 4 reading and writing |
Your core points count too. When French is your first official language, CLB 7 earns you 17 core CRS points per ability if you have no partner, or 16 with one. IRCC's CRS criteria page has the full grid for higher levels.
To see the math behind these numbers, check how the 50 Express Entry points for French add up. And if the level still feels abstract, read what CLB 7 in French means in everyday skills.
Worked example: one skill short of NCLC 7
One weak skill is enough to cost you both the French category and the bonus points. You can reach NCLC 9 in three skills, but if the fourth lands at NCLC 6, you miss both, because IRCC wants all four at NCLC 7 or higher.
Say your ancien column reads like this:
| Skill | Your ancien score | NCLC 7 minimum | Your NCLC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listening | 255 | 249 | NCLC 7 |
| Reading | 215 | 207 | NCLC 7 |
| Writing | 320 | 310 | NCLC 7 |
| Speaking | 300 | 310 | NCLC 6 |
Speaking at 300 sits above the NCLC 5 band but under the 310 minimum. You're 10 points short. That's frustrating, but it's also a very fixable gap.
A retake means the whole exam, though, not only speaking. The test owner's rule is that all sections must be taken on the same day for the attestation to be recognised by Canadian authorities, so you can't add a new speaking score to your old attestation.
What helps when one skill comes back short
Put most of your weekly study hours into the section that fell short, and give the other three just enough attention so they don't slide.
- If speaking slipped, record one practice topic every day and listen back for the small errors you repeat
- Small agreement and tense mistakes cost points in speaking, so fix those habits before you worry about fancy vocabulary
- Run full timed mock tests early, because on test day you sit all four sections again
- For listening and reading, always read the question prompts first so you know which exact detail to hunt for
Dates that can catch you out
Your TEF Canada results must be less than 2 years old when you complete your Express Entry profile, and again when you submit your PR application. IRCC refuses applications that use expired results, and the test owner gives the same two-year validity.
Did you test between December 11, 2023 and May 6, 2024? Then give your file a closer look. IRCC says people who tested in that window may need to take action in their Express Entry profile, because the NCLC mapping was changed for a while and then reverted. Read IRCC's instructions on its language test page before you edit anything.
How we help when your score is below NCLC 7
A one-band gap doesn't mean you have to rebuild your French from zero. You need targeted drills on that one weak section, plus occasional mock exams so your passing skills stay where they are. TEF Intermediate is built for this moment: you already have B1 French, you have an exam date booked, and you need to lift that one stubborn score.
Learn French Canada has coached more than 4,500 students since 2017, online across Canada from our base in Vancouver, and our native French teachers help people through both the TEF and TCF Canada every week. In our classes, you meet twice a week for 90 minutes, live, with at most 14 students, so you speak in every class. Your teacher corrects your homework.
"Bonjour! I would like to thank Noelie and the Learn French team for making it possible for me to get the sufficient result of TEF exam. The profound teaching of the clé grammar end mocking tests
If you're aiming for CLB 7, the 6-month plan gives you the full runway. The 3-month plan targets CLB 5, and the 1-month plan is an intensive tune-up right before your exam. Live classes aren't recorded, but every plan includes a year of our online platform, with pre-recorded lessons on the same material.
Not sure where you stand since your last exam? The free French level test checks all four skills and tells you which class fits your level.
