CRS points for French
French earns CRS points in up to three ways. As your first official language it is worth up to 34 points per skill (136 total, or 128 with a spouse); as your second, up to 6 per skill, capped at 24 (22 with a spouse). NCLC 7+ in all four French skills adds +25, or +50 with English CLB 5+ in all four.
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In the TEF / TCF Canada exam
One TEF or TCF Canada skill below NCLC 7 cancels the whole bonus. Train your weakest skill first.
CRS points for French: the full chart as text
Points per skill, by CLB / NCLC level
| CLB / NCLC | 1st language, single | 1st language, with spouse | 2nd language |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10+ | 34 | 32 | 6 |
| 9 | 31 | 29 | 6 |
| 8 | 23 | 22 | 3 |
| 7 | 17 | 16 | 3 |
| 6 | 9 | 8 | 1 |
| 5 | 6 | 6 | 1 |
| 4 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| Below 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Points count per skill (listening, reading, writing, speaking). Max: 1st language 136 single / 128 with spouse; 2nd language capped at 24 / 22.
Additional French points
| French, all four | English | Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| NCLC 7+ | CLB ≤4 or none | +25 |
| NCLC 7+ | CLB 5+ in all four | +50 |
| Any skill below 7 | Any | 0 |
Same bonus whether French is your first or second language.
What French adds (single)
- +62
- English-first, NCLC 72nd language + bonus
- +58
- NCLC 6 → 7English-first gain
- 93
- French-first, NCLC 7no English test
- 122
- French-first, NCLC 7English CLB 5
The jump from 6 to 7
As a first language, a single applicant gets 9 points per skill at NCLC 6 and 17 at NCLC 7: 32 points across four skills, before any bonus.
French category draws
- Only invite candidates with NCLC 7+ in all four French skills.
- 2026 cut-offs reported around 380–420 CRS by third-party trackers. Not official, and they move.
Go deeper
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Questions
As a second language, up to 24 points (22 with a spouse), plus a +25 or +50 bonus at NCLC 7 in all four skills. As a first language, up to 136 points (128 with a spouse), plus the same bonus.
It is +50 if your English is CLB 5 or higher in all four skills, and +25 if your English is CLB 4 or lower or you have no English test. Both need NCLC 7+ in all four French skills.
For a single applicant with English CLB 5+ in all four skills, NCLC 7 in all four French skills adds 12 second-language points and a +50 bonus: 62 points in total.
