TEF and TCF Canada passing score: there isn't one, so here is what to aim for

You can't pass or fail [TEF Canada](/exams/tef-canada) or [TCF Canada](/exams/tcf-canada). You get a result for each skill, each result converts to an NCLC level, and each immigration program decides which levels it needs. The same result can be plenty for one goal and too low for another.

There isn't one, and the same goes for TCF Canada. The TEF operator's results page describes scores and levels, then sends you to IRCC for what each program requires. So when people ask for the passing score, what they usually need is the minimum score for their goal.

The program rows apply if you are using French to meet that program's language requirement. Many applicants meet it with English instead, in which case French is optional. Our guide on whether French is required for PR explains this. Citizenship has its own rule, set out in the citizenship guide. Québec uses its own scale, so see the PSTQ guide.

There is no single minimum, since French is optional on many routes. But if your plan relies on French in Express Entry, NCLC 7 in all four skills is the number to plan around. Below that you can still earn a few second-language points, but you get no French bonus and no French draw eligibility. Our NCLC 5 vs NCLC 7 guide compares the two.

Find your own number below. Pick the exam and goal, and the calculator gives you the minimum per skill.

An average wouldn't help you much anyway. IRCC never compares you with other test takers, and a level depends only on whether your score reaches a fixed line. Your personal average across skills doesn't count either, as the next section shows.

Each skill converts separately, and the French bonus and draws test every skill against NCLC 7. These two made-up candidates both look strong on paper:

Both fall short of NCLC 7 in speaking, so neither gets the bonus or French draw eligibility, in spite of three skills at NCLC 7 or above. The TEF candidate missed by 5 points and the TCF candidate by 1. Check your own scores with the NCLC calculator.

For more on reading these tables, see the full TEF Canada score chart and TCF Canada score chart. Two details are worth noting. TCF listening and reading differ slightly at NCLC 9, at 523 and 524. And on TCF's writing and speaking scale, a single point can change a level.

A good score is one that does the job you need. In Express Entry, that depends on the level you reach and on whether French is your first or second official language.

• English first, French second: NCLC 7 in all four is worth 12 language points plus the +50 bonus, if your English is CLB 5+ in all four. That's 62 CRS. NCLC 9 adds 12 more (10 with a spouse). See is NCLC 9 worth chasing.
• French first: higher levels pay off much more, since each step adds several points per skill. See choosing French as your first language.
• French only, no English test: NCLC 7 in all four earns the +25 bonus rather than +50.

Your score only earns points, and your total CRS decides whether you get invited. IRCC's rounds data shows French-language draws from April to October 2026 closing between 382 and 435. Those are past results on the old grid, not a promise, and our French draw cut-offs guide has more context. Estimate your own effect with the CRS language points calculator.

You get one number per skill on the day, and you can't combine skills from different sittings, so landing exactly on the line leaves no room for a bad session. It makes sense to practise above your target. How long it takes to reach NCLC 7 depends on your starting level, and you can test yourself on the TEF and TCF mock tests. Those give only a rough idea of your level, not an official score.

If you miss the line, you can resit after at least 20 days, but you take all four skills again. Our retake rules guide and missed NCLC 7 guide cover what to do next.