NCLC ↔ TCF ↔ TEF conversion tables
Transcribed cell for cell from IRCC's official chart (read 2026-08-07) · page updated 2026-08-07
What NCLC 7 actually takes
TCF Canada
- Speaking10-11
- Listening458-502
- Reading453-498
- Writing10-11
TEF Canada
- Speaking310-348
- Listening249-279
- Reading207-232
- Writing310-348
Every ability has to land inside its own band above to count as NCLC 7. Drop one and the French bonus goes from 50 or 25 points straight to zero, and eligibility for the French-category rounds goes with it.
The two tables below are IRCC's official conversion, covering NCLC 4 through 10. Two things to hold in mind before reading them: on the TCF, listening and reading are scored out of 699 while speaking and writing are 0–20; on the TEF, each ability has its own maximum (listening 360, reading 300, speaking and writing 450 each). Scores from the two tests cannot be compared with each other — each one only maps back to an NCLC level.
TCF Canada conversion
Test de connaissance du français
| NCLC | Speaking0–20 | Listeningout of 699 | Readingout of 699 | Writing0–20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 and above | 16-20 | 549-699 | 549-699 | 16-20 |
| 9 | 14-15 | 523-548 | 524-548 | 14-15 |
| 8 | 12-13 | 503-522 | 499-523 | 12-13 |
| 7 | 10-11 | 458-502 | 453-498 | 10-11 |
| 6 | 7-9 | 398-457 | 406-452 | 7-9 |
| 5 | 6 | 369-397 | 375-405 | 6 |
| 4 | 4-5 | 331-368 | 342-374 | 4-5 |
TEF Canada conversion
Test d’évaluation de français
| NCLC | Speaking0–450 | Listening0–360 | Reading0–300 | Writing0–450 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 393-450 | 316-360 | 263-300 | 393-450 |
| 9 | 371-392 | 298-315 | 248-262 | 371-392 |
| 8 | 349-370 | 280-297 | 233-247 | 349-370 |
| 7 | 310-348 | 249-279 | 207-232 | 310-348 |
| 6 | 271-309 | 217-248 | 181-206 | 271-309 |
| 5 | 226-270 | 181-216 | 151-180 | 226-270 |
| 4 | 181-225 | 145-180 | 121-150 | 181-225 |
FSW six selection factors: the French points table
This table is used for the 67-point Federal Skilled Worker eligibility test, and it awards points per ability: 4 points each at NCLC 7, 5 each at NCLC 8, 6 each at NCLC 9 and above. It is separate from the French bonus inside CRS (25/50 points) and the two cannot be added together. Anything below NCLC 7 scores nothing on this table.
TCF Canada
| NCLC | Speaking | Listening | Reading | Writing | Points per ability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 10-11 | 458-502 | 453-498 | 10-11 | 4 |
| 8 | 12-13 | 503-522 | 499-523 | 12-13 | 5 |
| 9 and above | 14+ | 523+ | 524+ | 14+ | 6 |
TEF Canada
| NCLC | Speaking | Listening | Reading | Writing | Points per ability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 310-348 | 249-279 | 207-232 | 310-348 | 4 |
| 8 | 349-370 | 280-297 | 233-247 | 349-370 | 5 |
| 9 and above | 371+ | 298+ | 248+ | 371+ | 6 |
This page does not answer “TCF or TEF”
IRCC treats the two tests as identical, and the same NCLC level is worth neither more nor less depending on which paper produced it — so no conversion table is “better value”. What is worth comparing is format, length, turnaround and seat supply, and that lives on the exams page.
TCF vs TEF: which one, and where to sit it →Questions
What scores do you actually need for NCLC 7?
TCF Canada: listening 458-502 and reading 453-498 (both out of 699), speaking 10-11 and writing 10-11 (0–20). TEF Canada: listening 249-279 (0–360), reading 207-232 (0–300), speaking 310-348 and writing 310-348 (both 0–450). Each ability has to clear its own band; anything below the band counts as NCLC 6 for that ability.
Are NCLC and CLB the same thing?
They are two faces of the same Canadian language standard: CLB (Canadian Language Benchmarks) is used for English, NCLC (Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens) for French, and the level numbers map one to one. IRCC labels every French table NCLC, which is what these pages use — when a guide says "French CLB 7", read it as NCLC 7.
Three abilities are high and one is just short. Any bonus?
No. The additional French points are awarded on "all four abilities at NCLC 7 or above", not on an average. Three abilities at NCLC 9 and one at NCLC 6 earns zero, and it also fails eligibility for the French-category rounds. The study time that pays is the time spent on your weakest ability, not on pushing your strongest one higher.
Is one test's conversion table more generous than the other's?
Both tables are set by IRCC, so there is no better deal: the same NCLC level counts exactly the same whichever test produced it. The real differences are question format, length and seat supply, which are covered on this site's exams page, not in the conversion tables.
Are FSW language points and the CRS French bonus the same points?
No, they are two separate systems. The FSW (Federal Skilled Worker) six-factor grid decides whether you clear the 67-point eligibility bar, and French counts there at 4/5/6 points per ability (see the FSW table on this page). CRS is the score used to rank you once you are in the pool, where four French abilities at NCLC 7+ add a separate 25 or 50 points. One does not substitute for the other.
Every value in these tables is transcribed cell by cell from IRCC's official language test equivalency page (read 2026-08-07); the FSW points rules are in the six selection factors, and the CRS French bonus rules are on IRCC's French-speaking applicants page. If IRCC revises the chart, the official page governs; lakebbs provides informational navigation only, not immigration legal advice.