TCF Canada Score Chart 2026: NCLC and CLB Conversion Table

The TCF Canada score chart is the table IRCC uses to turn your four TCF Canada results into NCLC levels: for NCLC 7 you need at least 458 in listening, 453 in reading, 10 out of 20 in writing and 10 out of 20 in speaking. Each ability is converted on its own and the four levels are never averaged, so one weak section sets your level for any program that asks for NCLC 7. This page gives you the full IRCC conversion table for NCLC 4 to 10, the exact minimums for NCLC 7 and NCLC 5, how the 699-point and 20-point scales work, what each level qualifies you for in Express Entry, and where TCF Canada candidates on Mocko actually land, section by section.

TCF Canada score chart: all four sections

Listening and reading are scored on a 699-point scale; writing and speaking are marks out of 20. The bands below are IRCC's own equivalency for TCF Canada, from its Express Entry language testing page, as of September 2026.

TCF levels are reported on two different scales, which is why the table looks lopsided. The two multiple-choice tests, listening and reading, produce a scaled score on the 699-point scale, and the bands for the two are close but not identical. Writing and speaking are each given a single mark out of 20, so a whole NCLC level can hang on one point. NCLC stands for Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens: it is the French-language version of the Canadian Language Benchmarks, so a TCF score to CLB conversion and a TCF to NCLC conversion are the same lookup, and NCLC 7 is CLB 7. If you are weighing the two French tests, note that IRCC converts the TEF on its old score scales rather than on 699; the bands are in our TEF score chart.

What you need for NCLC 7

The NCLC 7 TCF Canada thresholds matter more than any other row of the chart, because NCLC 7 in all four abilities is the entry point for the French-language proficiency category and for the 25 or 50 additional CRS points. IRCC assesses the four abilities separately and never averages them, so 520 in listening does not compensate for 440 in reading: that candidate is NCLC 6 for every requirement written as NCLC 7, however strong the other three results are. In practice one section decides, and on the 20-point scale the margin is narrow: a 9 instead of a 10 in writing or speaking is the difference between NCLC 6 and NCLC 7. Our guide to CLB 7 in French for Canadian PR walks through what that level changes in each program.

What you need for NCLC 5

Three groups of candidates care about NCLC 5. The first is anyone whose first official language is English and who wants the 4 second-official-language points under the Federal Skilled Worker grid; those points require NCLC 5 or higher in all four French abilities. The second is workers applying under Francophone Mobility, the International Mobility Program stream with LMIA exemption code C16: as of September 2026, IRCC asks for NCLC 5 or higher in speaking and listening only, proven by TEF or TCF results or by proof of education completed in French, for a job in TEER 0 to 5 located outside Quebec. The third is candidates in some provincial streams that set NCLC 5 as their French threshold; check the stream's own page, because the requirements vary. Notice how narrow the band is for the marked tests: NCLC 5 is exactly 6 out of 20, so a 5 is NCLC 4 and a 7 is already NCLC 6.

TCF listening score chart and reading score chart

Listening and reading are the two multiple-choice tests, and both are reported on the 699-point scale. The chart above is the whole conversion; what follows explains what the bands mean for each test and why you cannot work them out from a percentage.

TCF listening score chart (compréhension orale)

Compréhension orale has 39 multiple-choice questions in 35 minutes, one correct answer out of four, with the questions getting harder as the test goes on. Your count of correct answers is converted into a scaled score out of 699, and it is that scaled score, not a percentage, that IRCC reads: 331 to 368 is NCLC 4, 369 to 397 is NCLC 5, 398 to 457 is NCLC 6, 458 to 502 is NCLC 7, 503 to 522 is NCLC 8, 523 to 548 is NCLC 9 and 549 or more is NCLC 10. A scaled score is not the share of questions you got right, so there is no honest way to say that 30 out of 39 equals NCLC 7. The reliable way to know where you stand is to sit a full timed listening section and look at the level it produces, which is what TCF listening practice on Mocko is built for: each section is scored instantly with a CEFR level and an NCLC estimate, and those are AI estimates rather than official results.

TCF reading score chart (compréhension écrite)

Compréhension écrite has 39 questions in 60 minutes and uses the same 699-point scale, but with its own cut-offs: 342 to 374 is NCLC 4, 375 to 405 is NCLC 5, 406 to 452 is NCLC 6, 453 to 498 is NCLC 7, 499 to 523 is NCLC 8, 524 to 548 is NCLC 9 and 549 or more is NCLC 10. The two receptive tests do not share one chart, and the five-point gap at NCLC 7 (458 for listening, 453 for reading) is the kind of detail that decides an application. Sixty minutes for 39 questions sounds generous until the longer texts arrive in the second half, so practise TCF reading on Mocko under the real clock and treat the NCLC estimate you get as a planning figure, not a promise.

TCF writing and speaking scores out of 20

Writing and speaking are marked out of 20, and the same conversion applies to both: 4 to 5 is NCLC 4, 6 is NCLC 5, 7 to 9 is NCLC 6, 10 to 11 is NCLC 7, 12 to 13 is NCLC 8, 14 to 15 is NCLC 9 and 16 to 20 is NCLC 10. Each test has three tasks and produces one mark, so the mark reflects the whole performance rather than your best task.

TCF writing (expression écrite)

Expression écrite gives you 60 minutes for three tasks. Tâche 1 is a short message that describes, tells or explains something, 60 to 120 words. Tâche 2 asks you to recount an experience and comment on it, as an article, blog post or letter, 120 to 150 words. Tâche 3 gives you two short documents to compare before you defend your own opinion, 120 to 180 words. Treat the three tasks as three separate chances to show your level: do all three, stay inside each word range, and do exactly what the instruction asks, whether that is describing, recounting and commenting, or comparing and arguing. Assume the human markers are checking three things: whether you did what each task asked at the length asked, whether the text is organised so a reader can follow it, and whether your French is accurate and varied enough for the level you are claiming. TCF writing practice on Mocko scores all three tasks with AI and returns a CEFR level, an NCLC estimate and written feedback on what to fix before the real marker sees your work.

TCF speaking (expression orale)

Expression orale is 12 minutes face to face with an examiner, in three tasks. Tâche 1 is a 2-minute guided interview about you, with no preparation. Tâche 2 is a role-play in which you ask questions to obtain information, 5 minutes 30 in total including 2 minutes of preparation. Tâche 3 asks you to express and defend a point of view for 4 minutes 30, again with no preparation. As with writing, you get one mark out of 20, and 10 is the line for NCLC 7. The tasks are short, so every silent stretch is a large share of your speaking time, and Tâche 3 in particular rewards candidates who can take a position in the first sentence and then support it. Mocko's TCF speaking practice scores your recorded answers to all three tasks with AI and gives you a CEFR level, an NCLC estimate and feedback on what to fix; it is an estimate to plan with, not an official result.

How to read your TCF Canada attestation

France Éducation international issues one attestation covering the four tests. Each test appears on its own line with its score, listening and reading on the 699-point scale and writing and speaking out of 20, so read each line against the chart above instead of looking for a single overall level. Where the attestation shows an NCLC level next to a test, that is the number to compare with the program requirement, and your level for any all-four-abilities requirement is simply the lowest of the four lines.

Two dates decide whether the document is usable. The attestation is valid for two years from the date the results are issued, and IRCC requires the results to be less than two years old on the day you submit your Express Entry profile and again on the day you submit your PR application; if the results would expire between the two, you need a new test. The attestation also carries a certificate number, which you enter in your Express Entry profile exactly as printed, alongside the four scores.

Results reach the test centre within 15 working days of France Éducation international receiving the session materials (10 working days for the computer-based multiple-choice tests), and centres usually tell candidates to allow two to four weeks. If you believe a writing or speaking mark is wrong, a re-marking request exists for those two tests only, through the centre; it is paid, never refunded, and the revised score can be lower. Canadian centres have announced that the route closes for exams taken on or after 1 September 2026 while the system is modernised, so check the current position on our TCF re-evaluation page before you count on it.

What your NCLC level qualifies you for

The 25 or 50 CRS points depend on your English: 25 points if you have NCLC 7 or higher in all four French abilities and CLB 4 or lower in English (or no English test), 50 points if you also have CLB 5 or higher in all four English abilities. The French-language proficiency category needs NCLC 7 or higher in all four abilities; in 2026 IRCC has run its draws roughly every three to four weeks, with published cut-offs sitting roughly between 380 and 420 and 4,000 to 5,500 invitations per draw, and the current figures are on our Express Entry draw history page. Under the Federal Skilled Worker grid, French as your first official language earns 4 points per ability at NCLC 7, 5 at NCLC 8 and 6 at NCLC 9 or higher, to a maximum of 24, while NCLC 5 in all four abilities earns 4 points when French is your second official language.

What Mocko's data shows

Mocko runs full-length, timed TCF Canada mock exams in the real format and scores every section with AI on the CEFR scale. Across completed sittings in the 180 days to 9 September 2026, with staff and test accounts excluded, this is the share of scored TCF Canada sections that reached B2 or above, and B1 or above. NCLC 7 sits roughly at the lower end of B2 and NCLC 5 sits roughly inside B1, so read the B2 column as a rough proxy for NCLC 7 and the B1 column as a rough proxy for NCLC 5. These are AI estimates, not official results, and the writing and speaking samples are small.

Speaking is the section where the fewest candidates reach B2: 6%, against 17% in listening, 19% in reading and 22% in writing. About half of all sections sit at B1 or above, which is roughly NCLC 5 territory, and only around one in five listening or reading sections reaches the B2 band where NCLC 7 begins. For a candidate targeting NCLC 7, the practical reading is this: the multiple-choice tests are where most people are closest to the line, and speaking is where the plan most often fails, so measure your speaking under the 12-minute format early rather than assuming it will follow the other three. Source: Mocko full-length mock exams, completed sittings, 180 days to 9 September 2026, staff and test accounts excluded; sections are graded by Mocko's AI scoring on the CEFR scale, so the NCLC bands are estimates, not official results.

TCF Canada score calculator

If you already have a score, or a practice score, and want the level without scanning the table, use our CLB converter. It converts TCF Canada scores to NCLC ability by ability, using the same IRCC bands as this page, and does the same for IELTS, CELPIP, PTE and TEF results, so you can put your English and French levels side by side and see whether you are in the 25-point or the 50-point CRS case. It is a lookup tool rather than a predictor: it tells you what a score is worth, not what you will get on the day.

Next step

Take a free TCF Canada practice section on Mocko before you book: sit it under the real timing, see the CEFR level and NCLC estimate for that section, then do the same for the other three so you know which one is holding your NCLC 7 back while there is still time to fix it. Start from the TCF Canada practice page or create a free account; no card is needed for the free practice tests, and every Mocko level is an AI estimate rather than an official score.