In the language section of your Express Entry profile, pick TEF Canada or TCF Canada, copy the dates and the result or certificate number exactly as printed on your attestation, and enter one score per skill. For TEF Canada, use only the "Équivalence ancien score" column, never the /699 score. Then choose your stronger language as first official language. IRCC says it may refuse an application with incorrect scores.
Key takeaways
- Copy every number from one attestation. Never mix sittings or tests.
- TEF Canada: enter the ancien score (L /360, R /300, W /450, S /450), not /699.
- TCF Canada: listening and reading out of 699, writing and speaking out of 20.
- Choose your strongest language as first official language, as IRCC advises.
- The result must be under 2 years old at profile creation and at PR submission.
On this page
You have your attestation. Now it has to go into your Express Entry profile without a single wrong digit. IRCC is blunt about it: "If you don't enter the correct scores, we may refuse your application." This guide walks through each field and the mistakes we see most often.
- 4
- Scores you enter, one per skill
- 1
- Attestation all the numbers must come from
- < 2 yrs
- Age of the result at profile and at PR submission
What do you need before you start?
#Step by step: the language section
#- 1Pick the right testChoose TEF Canada or TCF Canada. Not TEF Québec (TEFAQ), not TCF Québec, not TCF tout public. Those aren't accepted for Express Entry (see is DELF or DALF accepted for the full list).
- 2Enter the test dateUse the date you sat the exam, as printed on the attestation. Your 2-year validity counts from this date, so it matters.
- 3Enter the result date, if askedThis is the date the results were issued, which is later than the test date. Copy it from the attestation, not from the day the email arrived.
- 4Enter the number IRCC asks forIf the system asks for a certificate, result form or registration number, copy it from the attestation character by character. Don't use your booking or payment reference.
- 5Enter the four scoresOne score per skill, exactly as printed: listening, reading, writing, speaking. Don't type NCLC levels or CEFR letters where a score is asked for.
- 6Set first and second official languageIf you have both French and English results, choose which counts first. IRCC: "Choose your strongest language as your first official language." More below.
- 7Check the result screenCompare the NCLC levels you expect (from the chart) with what your profile shows before you submit it.
Which score goes in each box?
#Your attestation shows two numbers per skill. IRCC: "Only enter the scores for each language ability from that column", meaning the Équivalence ancien score. About the /699 scores: "Don't enter these results in your Express Entry profile."
| Skill | Maximum | NCLC 7 starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Listening | 360 | 249 |
| Reading | 300 | 207 |
| Writing | 450 | 310 |
| Speaking | 450 | 310 |
Any reading number above 300 or listening above 360 means you are in the wrong column. Full walkthrough: TEF /699 vs ancien score.
TCF Canada has one score per skill. Listening and reading are out of 699, writing and speaking are out of 20. Here the /699 numbers are correct.
| Skill | Scale | NCLC 7 starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Listening | /699 | 458 |
| Reading | /699 | 453 |
| Writing | /20 | 10 |
| Speaking | /20 | 10 |
Listening and reading use different cut-offs, so don't swap them. The full table is in the TCF Canada score chart.
Not sure what your scores convert to? Move the sliders to your numbers and check each skill before you type anything:
French as first or second official language?
#Your first official language uses IRCC's big points table (up to 34 per skill for a single applicant). The second uses a small one (up to 6 per skill, capped at 24). The +25 or +50 French bonus is the same either way. So pick the language with the higher NCLC/CLB levels as first. If they are close, the full comparison is in French as first official language.
| Your levels | Put first | Why |
|---|---|---|
| English CLB 9, French NCLC 7 | English | 31 vs 17 points per skill as first language |
| French NCLC 9, English CLB 7 | French | Same logic in reverse |
| French NCLC 7, no English test | French | French is your only test, so it has to be first |
| Both at the same level | Either | Points come out equal |
Which mistakes cause problems?
#- The /699 TEF score. The most common TEF error. IRCC warns it "could cause your application to be refused based on incorrect language scores."
- Wrong test type. Choosing TEF Canada for a TCF result, or entering a TEFAQ or TCF Québec result at all.
- Test date vs result date swapped. It changes your validity window and won't match the attestation you upload later.
- Mixing sittings. One result per language. You can't take listening from March and writing from May (see retake rules).
- An expired result at PR stage. IRCC: "If you apply for permanent residence with language test results that have expired, we'll refuse your application."
- Rounding or guessing. Enter the number printed, not a level or a rounded value.
What happens after you submit the profile?
#Where your French result is checked
- ProfileScores set your CRSYour entries decide your CRS language points and whether you qualify for French-language draws.
- New resultUpdate the profileIf you retake and do better, replace the old result with the new one, using all four scores from the new attestation.
- InvitationCheck validity againThe result must still be under 2 years old when you submit your PR application. Count backwards from your test date.
- PR applicationUpload the same attestationYour uploaded attestation must match what you entered. An officer compares them.
What comes next? See the remaining steps in the French for Canada PR roadmap.
Check yourself
1 of 3.Your TEF Canada attestation shows reading 512/699 and an ancien score of 236. What do you enter?
2 of 3.You took TCF Canada. Is it right to enter listening out of 699?
3 of 3.Your validity window counts from which date?
Questions people ask
The "Équivalence ancien score" for each skill: listening out of 360, reading out of 300, writing and speaking out of 450. IRCC says not to enter the /699 scores.
The scores printed on your attestation. IRCC converts them to NCLC levels using its equivalency tables.
On your TEF or TCF Canada attestation. Copy it exactly. If the profile asks for a number your attestation doesn't show, contact your test centre before guessing.
Only if your French levels are higher than your English levels. IRCC advises choosing your strongest language as first. See French as first official language.
Yes. Update your profile when you get a new result. IRCC also asks affected TEF candidates from Dec 11, 2023 to May 6, 2024 to update their scores.
IRCC's guidance for the TEF scoring issue is to update your scores before you apply, and decline the invitation if you no longer meet the criteria. If you've already applied, IRCC may contact you.
Terms in this guide
Each one is defined in plain English in the TEF & TCF Canada glossary.
Sources
- IRCC: Express Entry language test results
- IRCC: Language requirements for Express Entry
- IRCC: Language testing, approved tests
- IRCC: Express Entry for French-speaking skilled workers
Rules and fees change. Always confirm with IRCC and your test centre before you pay.
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