Both TEF Canada and TCF Canada are recognised by IRCC for Express Entry, PNP, and citizenship. TCF Canada is administered by France Éducation International (FEI). Both reach identical CLB levels and are valid for two years. The choice comes down to which format suits how you perform under pressure.
The core structural difference
TEF Canada uses a consistent scoring scale across comprehension and production sections — all mapped to a 0–699 calibrated score per skill.
TCF Canada uses two different scoring scales. Listening and Reading are scored out of 699. Writing and Speaking are scored out of 20. This is the detail most candidates discover too late. Many people prepare for TCF assuming everything is scored consistently, then find their writing is 12/20 and have no reference point.
CLB 7 thresholds for TCF Canada
Reading: 453 or above out of 699. Listening: 458 or above out of 699. Writing: 10 or above out of 20. Speaking: 10 or above out of 20. A score of 10/20 is 50 percent — the standard is strict. Examiners grade on task completion, coherence, vocabulary range, and grammatical accuracy.
CLB 7 thresholds for TEF Canada
Reading: 207 out of 300 minimum. Listening: 249 out of 360 minimum. Writing: 310 out of 450 minimum. Speaking: 310 out of 450 minimum.
How to choose
Choose TEF Canada if you prefer a consistent scoring scale, want more widely available preparation materials, and find it easier to track progress with one type of score. TEF has more prep resources globally and is the more commonly taken exam for Express Entry.
Choose TCF Canada if you are a strong speaker and writer who performs well in open-ended tasks and find the 20-point writing scale more intuitive than a 450-point one. Neither exam is easier — they test the same skills at the same CLB level. Choose whichever format your current strengths suit best.
