The TEF Canada test is a French-language skills test that is used for people interested in immigrating to Canada, for working or study permits, permanent residency applications, and/or Canadian citizenship applications.
Depending on the type of application, they evaluate how well you master oral and written French.
Before scheduling an exam, it is important that you make sure that the school is an official immigration test center, such as Alliance Francaise
Here’s what makes our DELF A1 preparation course stand out
If you are applying for Canadian immigration (work permit, study visa or other), these are the types of evaluations that will be present in the exam:
If you are applying for the Canadian citizenship, then you will only need to pass the following examinations:
All tests must be completed on the same day for your certificate to be recognized by Canadian authorities.
The evaluation is done considering a scale of 7 levels, from level 0 (most basic skills) to level 6 (good skills).
This scale refers to the 6 levels (A1 to C2) of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages of the Council of Europe and the 12 Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) .
Your results will be sent to you within about 2 to 4 weeks from the date of receipt of the session materials. Each statement is detailed and personalised (with your photograph and signature).
Your statement will tell you the number of points you obtained, the level achieved, and the description of your skills in general French.
The results are valid for two years. You can retake the test as many times as you wish allowing for a one-month waiting period between each examination.
Requirements
Duration
Yes, you can prepare for the TEF in 3 months, but it depends on your current French proficiency level and how intensively you study. If you’re starting from an intermediate or higher level, 3 months of focused preparation, including grammar, vocabulary, listening, speaking, and writing practice, can be sufficient. It’s important to:
If you are a beginner, though, it might take longer to reach the required proficiency for a good score.
Both the TEF and TCF are designed to assess your French proficiency, but the TEF is generally considered more challenging because:
Ultimately, the level of difficulty can depend on your comfort with different types of questions and test formats.
Yes, French can significantly help in gaining Canada PR. For immigration programs like Express Entry and the Quebec Skilled Worker Program, strong French language skills can:
Even basic French can give you a competitive edge in the immigration process!
