TCF (Test de connaissance du français) is a standardized French proficiency exam administered by France Éducation international (the same organisation behind DELF/DALF). Unlike DELF, the TCF has no pass/fail, it produces a score from 100 to 699 that places you on one of six CEFR levels (A1 to C2). Score validity: 2 years.

What are the different TCF variants?

Five main variants: TCF Tout Public (general purpose, university admission, employment); TCF Canada (Canadian immigration & citizenship, accepted by IRCC); TCF Québec (Quebec immigration); TCF IRN, also called TCF Naturalisation (French citizenship by naturalisation, requires B1+); TCF pour la DAP (Demande d'admission préalable, required for non-EU students applying to a first year of French undergraduate).

TCF or DELF, which should I take?

Different tools for different jobs. DELF is a lifelong diploma with a fixed pass mark, once you pass DELF B2, you have DELF B2 forever. TCF is a placement-style score valid for 2 years, useful when you need a current score for immigration or one-time university admission. For citizenship and immigration, TCF (Canada / IRN) is often the better choice because the score-based format gives you more granular evidence. For lifelong academic credentials, DELF is the standard.

How is the TCF scored?

Each section produces a score: oral comprehension 0–699, reading comprehension 0–699, language structures (grammar, only in some variants) 0–699, oral production 0–20 / converted to band, written production 0–20 / converted to band. The four mandatory sections for immigration variants are oral comprehension, written comprehension, oral production, written production. CEFR mapping: 100–199 = A1, 200–299 = A2, 300–399 = B1, 400–499 = B2, 500–599 = C1, 600–699 = C2.

Is TCF Canada accepted by IRCC?

Yes. TCF Canada is one of two French exams accepted by IRCC for Express Entry, Provincial Nominee Programs, Quebec Skilled Worker immigration, and citizenship. The other is TEF Canada. Both produce NCLC bands convertible to Express Entry points. Test centre availability differs by country, pick whichever is more accessible.

5 variants · Tout Public · Canada · Québec · IRN · DAP

TCF exam prep

The official France Éducation score-based exam, used for Canadian immigration, French citizenship, Quebec PR, and French university admission. Complete format breakdown, variant comparison, and a strict-accent typed-answer drill.

Which TCF variant do you need?

The TCF isn't one exam, it's a family. The core sections are the same across variants, but they're packaged differently for different use cases. Pick the one your destination requires:

Variant	Used for	Mandatory sections	Min level required
TCF Tout Public	General-purpose proof of level, employment, French university (post-bachelor), personal use.	3 mandatory (oral comp, reading, lang structures) + 2 optional (oral & written prod).	None, placement test.
TCF Canada	IRCC Express Entry, Quebec immigration, Canadian citizenship.	4 mandatory (oral comp, written comp, oral prod, written prod).	None, NCLC 7+ earns most points.
TCF Québec	Quebec selection programs (Arrima, Régulier).	Same 4 as TCF Canada.	None, but Quebec point grids reward Niveau 7+ in oral.
TCF IRN (Naturalisation)	French citizenship by naturalisation.	4 sections (oral comp, written comp, oral prod, written prod).	B1 minimum in all 4 skills (decree of 2020).
TCF DAP	Non-EU students applying for 1st-year French undergraduate (Demande d'admission préalable).	3 mandatory + a written production section specific to DAP.	B2 typically required by French universities.

The core TCF format

Section	Time	Items / score	What you do
Compréhension orale	25 min	29 MCQ / 0–699	Short audio prompts (10–60 seconds): announcements, voicemails, conversations, short interviews. Heard once.
Structures de la langue (Tout Public only)	15 min	18 MCQ / 0–699	Grammar and lexical MCQ: fill-in-the-blank, sentence-completion, word choice.
Compréhension écrite	45 min	29 MCQ / 0–699	Read short to medium-length texts: ads, articles, formal documents, opinion pieces. Identify factual details, main ideas, opinions, register.
Expression écrite	60 min	3 tasks / 0–20	Three escalating tasks: (1) ~60-word message, (2) ~120-word factual report, (3) ~180-word argued opinion.
Expression orale	12 min	3 tasks / 0–20	Three tasks recorded with examiner: (1) introduce yourself / ask questions, (2) describe / explain something from a prompt, (3) defend a viewpoint.

Score to CEFR: 100–199 = A1; 200–299 = A2; 300–399 = B1; 400–499 = B2; 500–599 = C1; 600–699 = C2.

The verb & tense scope by target band

For B1 (300–399), TCF IRN minimum / French citizenship

Active production: présent, passé composé, imparfait, futur simple, conditionnel présent, impératif. Periphrastic forms.
Recognition: plus-que-parfait, subjonctif présent (basic triggers).

For B2 (400–499), TCF DAP / French undergraduate university

Active production: all B1 + plus-que-parfait, futur antérieur, conditionnel passé, subjonctif présent (full triggers), gérondif. Si-clauses in all 3 patterns.
Recognition: subjonctif passé, passé simple (literary).

For C1 (500–599), TCF Canada NCLC 9

All of B2, fluently and error-free.
Active subjonctif passé and conditionnel passé.
Nuanced control of register, hypothetical structures, indirect speech, sequence of tenses.

Where most candidates leak points (across variants)

1. Expression écrite Section 3 (the argued opinion)

The 180-word argued opinion in TCF Tout Public, and the 200-word argued opinion in TCF Canada, is graded on coherence, lexical range, grammatical accuracy, and pragmatic effectiveness. Most B2-ceiling candidates lose points on grammatical accuracy alone: missing accents, wrong tense sequence in si-clauses, missing subjonctif after bien que / pour que. Drill these specifically before the exam.

2. Compréhension orale, heard once

Unlike DELF where audio is heard twice, TCF audio plays once. This is the single biggest format shock for candidates moving from DELF prep to TCF. Practice with the one-listen constraint from day one. Don't take notes in the first 5 seconds, listen for the gist, then jot during the natural pauses.

3. Expression orale Section 3 (defend a viewpoint)

You have very little prep time and must produce ~3 minutes of structured argumentation. Same advice as TEF Canada: practice the structure (thesis / 2 arguments with examples / counter-argument / conclusion) until it's automatic. Don't ad-lib, improvising in French at B2+ is a recipe for mid-sentence breakdowns.

4. Structures de la langue (Tout Public only)

This is a pure grammar / vocabulary MCQ section. Verb conjugation appears in maybe 8–10 of the 18 items. Drilling the standard tenses to instant recognition is the only way to nail this in 15 minutes flat.

Recommended timeline

Weeks 1–2, Diagnose your starting band. Take one official practice test (France Éducation publishes free practice items at france-education-international.fr).
Weeks 3–10, Targeted weakness work. Identify lowest-scoring section. 60% of prep time goes there. Daily verb drill (15 min) regardless.
Weeks 11–14, Section-specific mocks. Weekly expression écrite Section 3 marked by a tutor. Weekly oral mock.
Weeks 15–16, Full timed mocks. Pacing endurance.

Resources

Official: France Éducation international's TCF page, free practice items, exact score thresholds, format videos.
Books: Le TCF pour le Québec, Le TCF Canada (CLE International), variant-specific.
Listening: RFI Français Facile (B1), France Info (B2+), Radio-Canada news for Quebec-pitched listening.
Speaking: iTalki tutor weekly. Filter by your TCF variant.
Verb drill: Bonjour Verbs, 2,000+ verbs, all 15 tenses, strict accent checking. Critical for the Structures section (Tout Public) and Expression écrite.

Practice TCF verb scope right now

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Top 150 verbs · 6 tenses · B1–B2 TCF scope. For TCF Canada NCLC 9+ prep, also drill plus-que-parfait and conditionnel passé.