In Ottawa, Alliance Française d’Ottawa runs both TEF Canada and TCF Canada and sells places online. Sessions can sell out in minutes and new ones are sometimes posted without warning, so it pays to be alerted. If Ottawa is full, McGill and UQAM in Montréal (about two hours away) both run TEF Canada.
Key takeaways
- AF Ottawa runs both TEF Canada and TCF Canada.
- Sessions can sell out in minutes; new ones appear without much notice.
- Montréal (McGill, UQAM) is about two hours away and runs TEF Canada.
- Budget roughly CA$380–475 for the full test; usually non-refundable.
- Only TEF Canada or TCF Canada count for IRCC, wherever you test.
Alliance Française d’Ottawa runs TEF Canada and TCF Canada. Places are sold online, and in our monitoring sessions have gone within minutes and new ones have appeared without much notice. Ottawa candidates have a big advantage, though: Montréal is about two hours away and has two TEF Canada centres.
- 2
- Exams at AF Ottawa: TEF + TCF
- ~2 h
- Drive or train to Montréal
- CA$380–475
- Typical full-test fee in Canada
How does AF Ottawa release seats?
#AF Ottawa sells places on its booking page. Because sessions can be added and filled quickly, checking once a week is not enough. Returned places also reappear on the page. See its centre page for the latest status we’ve read.
Ottawa is full. What are your backups?
#| Centre | Exams | Distance from Ottawa | How seats are released |
|---|---|---|---|
| McGill, Montréal | TEF Canada | ~2 h | Opens ~3 weeks before each date |
| UQAM, Montréal | TEF Canada | ~2 h | Live seats-left count |
| AF Toronto | TEF + TCF | ~4–5 h | Quarterly registration opening |
If you want TCF Canada specifically, Toronto is the nearest option in our directory. If you just need NCLC 7 for IRCC, TEF Canada in Montréal is worth exactly the same. More: TEF Canada in Montréal, Toronto.
How do you book?
#- 1Decide: TEF, TCF, or eitherEither widens your options. TEF vs TCF Canada explains the differences.
- 2Create accounts at Ottawa and one Montréal centreName exactly as on your passport.
- 3Book the first date that fitsPay immediately. The seat is yours only when payment completes.
- 4Check the retake rulesMost centres require a gap between attempts (20 days at AF Toronto and AF Delhi in 2026).
A realistic Ottawa timeline
- NowSet alerts for Ottawa + MontréalBoth exams, if you can.
- Seat appearsBook and pay the same minuteThen block your study calendar around the date.
- Exam dayBring your photo IDUsually your passport. Check your convocation.
- Myth
TEF Canada taken in Québec is only valid for Québec.
FactTEF Canada counts for IRCC wherever you take it, including in Montréal.
- Myth
Ottawa only posts dates once a year.
FactSessions and returned seats appear at different times. That’s why alerts help.
Questions people ask
Yes. Alliance Française d’Ottawa runs both TEF Canada and TCF Canada.
Canadian centres generally charge about CA$380–475 for all four modules. Check AF Ottawa’s site for the current fee.
Yes. Any candidate can book any centre, and a TEF Canada result from Montréal counts the same for IRCC.
Watch for returned places, add McGill and UQAM in Montréal, and consider Toronto. Book the first seat you can and keep looking for an earlier one.
Terms in this guide
- Alliance Française
- Unannounced drop
- Convocation
- Live seat count
- Registration window
- TCF Canada
- TEF Canada
- NCLC 7
Each one is defined in plain English in the TEF & TCF Canada glossary.
Sources
- IRCC: Language testing for Express Entry
- McGill Language Test Centre: TEF Canada
- Le français des affaires: TEF Canada
Rules and fees change. Always confirm with IRCC and your test centre before you pay.
Your next step
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