TEF Canada /699 or "ancien score"? The number Express Entry actually wants

Put the "Équivalence ancien score" into Express Entry, never the /699 number. IRCC's conversion table for TEF Canada is built on the ancien score only: listening /360, reading /300, writing /450, speaking /450. For NCLC 7 in all four, you need at least 249 / 207 / 310 / 310 on that column.

It sounds simple. But the /699 number is printed right there, and it looks official. That is exactly why people type it in.

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Scores printed per skill on a TEF Canada attestation

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Score IRCC actually uses (the ancien score)

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Averaging: each skill converts on its own

TEF Canada now reports each skill on a /699 scale. Alongside it, the attestation prints an "Équivalence ancien score", which is your result on the older scale for each module.

IRCC's equivalency table for TEF Canada is written against the older scale. So the ancien score is the one that maps to NCLC levels. The /699 number is useful to the test maker, but not to your Express Entry profile.

1. 1Find the four modulesCompréhension de l'oral (listening), compréhension de l'écrit (reading), expression écrite (writing), expression orale (speaking).
2. 2Ignore the /699 column for Express EntryNote it if you like. It is not what IRCC converts.
3. 3Find "Équivalence ancien score"This gives one number per module. Check each one against its maximum: listening up to 360, reading up to 300, writing and speaking up to 450.
4. 4Sanity-check the maximumsIf a reading number you're about to enter is above 300, or listening above 360, you're looking at the wrong column.
5. 5Convert each skill separatelyUse the table below or our TEF Canada score converter. There is no averaging.

Here is IRCC's full table for TEF Canada, using the ancien score. Find your number in each skill separately. Your NCLC level for a skill is the highest row where you meet or beat the minimum.

Notice the gaps. Between NCLC 6 and NCLC 7 in writing, for example, the minimum jumps from 271 to 310. If you're close, the CLB calculator shows exactly how far each skill is from the next band. Why NCLC 7 is the magic line is covered in our CLB 7 guide.

When your profile asks for your French test results, you'll choose TEF Canada and enter a score for each skill. Use the ancien score every time.

CCI Paris Île-de-France temporarily changed TEF scoring for tests taken from December 11, 2023 to May 6, 2024, then reverted the change.

Candidates tested in that window were emailed updated scores. If that's you, the scores you originally entered may no longer match your official result.

1. 1Check your test dateOnly tests between Dec 11, 2023 and May 6, 2024 are affected.
2. 2Search your inbox and spamLook for an email about updated TEF Canada scores, sent to the address you registered with.
3. 3Update your Express Entry profileReplace the old numbers with the updated ancien scores. Affected candidates must do this.
4. 4Can't find the email?Contact the centre where you sat the test. They can tell you whether your session was affected.

Fix it now. If you haven't been invited yet, correct the numbers in your profile. Your CRS score may go up or down, and so may your eligibility for French category draws.

If you have already been invited or have applied, the stakes are higher: entering the wrong score can get your application refused. Get proper advice from a licensed representative, and read IRCC's own guidance on language results linked below.

If you're retaking and the two-column attestation worries you, TCF Canada gives one number per skill. It is worth the same points. The trade-off is that its writing and speaking are scored out of 20, so the bands are narrow. Compare them in TEF Canada vs TCF Canada.