Recognizing TEF variants | TEF Foundations

The TEF (Test d'Évaluation de Français) comes in several distinct versions, and picking the wrong one is a costly mistake. Each version is recognised by a different institution for a different purpose: immigration to France, immigration to Canada, university admission, or Québec residency. This lesson gives you a clear map of the main TEF variants so you can identify which one applies to your situation before you spend a cent on registration.

What you’ll learn

Name the four main TEF variants and their full French titles
Match each variant to its specific administrative or academic purpose
Identify which skills are tested in each variant
Know which authority recognises each variant

The TEF family at a glance

All TEF versions are produced by CCI Paris Île-de-France (formerly the Paris Chamber of Commerce). They share the same question bank and the same CEFR-aligned scoring scale. What varies is the combination of components required, the score thresholds that matter, and the institution that accepts the result.

TEF IRN: Immigration, Résidence, Naturalisation (France)
TEF Canada: Canadian federal immigration (IRCC)
TEFAQ (TEF Québec): Immigration to Québec (MIFI)
TEF Études: University and grande école admission (France and Belgium)

These certificates are not interchangeable

A TEF Canada certificate is not accepted for French naturalisation.
A TEF IRN certificate is not accepted by IRCC for Canadian immigration.
Each version produces a separate certificate with a different name printed on it.

TEF IRN: for immigration in France

TEF IRN is required for non-EU nationals applying for a long-stay visa, a ten-year residence permit (carte de résident), or French citizenship by naturalisation. The test is administered in France and in certain French consulates abroad. It includes at minimum compréhension orale (listening) and compréhension écrite (reading). Some procedures also require the oral and written production components.

A sample registration confirmation for TEF IRN

Attestation d'inscription : TEF IRN, Compréhension orale et écrite, Centre CCI Paris, 10 septembre 2025
Registration confirmation: TEF IRN, listening and reading components, Paris CCI centre, 10 September 2025. The certificate name "TEF IRN" must appear explicitly.

TEF Canada: for Canadian federal immigration

TEF Canada is one of two French-language tests accepted by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for federal immigration programs such as Express Entry, the Federal Skilled Worker Program, and the Canadian Experience Class. The other accepted test is the TCF Canada. TEF Canada tests all four skills: listening, reading, speaking, and writing. Scores are converted to CLB (Canadian Language Benchmarks) levels, and the minimum required CLB depends on the immigration stream.

Compréhension orale: 60 questions, 40 minutes
Compréhension écrite: 50 questions, 60 minutes
Expression orale: two tasks, approximately 15 minutes
Expression écrite: two tasks, 45 minutes
Scores converted to CLB 1 to 12 for IRCC purposes

CLB equivalence for common Express Entry levels

CLB 7 (minimum for Federal Skilled Worker): roughly B2 on listening, reading, writing; B1 on speaking.
CLB 9 (common target for Comprehensive Ranking System points): approximately C1 level.
Check the official IRCC language requirements page for current thresholds.

TEFAQ (TEF Québec): for Québec immigration

The TEFAQ is required for immigration to Québec through the province's own selection process, managed by the Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration (MIFI). It tests oral comprehension and oral production only; reading and writing are covered separately by the TECFÉE or are not required depending on the stream. Scores are converted to the Niveaux de compétence en français pour les personnes immigrantes adultes scale.

Which skills does TEFAQ test?

Le TEFAQ comprend deux épreuves : la compréhension orale (écoute) et l'expression orale (production).
The TEFAQ has two components: oral comprehension (listening) and oral production (speaking). There is no reading or writing section in the TEFAQ itself.

Do not confuse TEFAQ and TEF Canada

TEFAQ results are not accepted by IRCC for federal immigration.
TEF Canada results are not accepted by MIFI for Québec's own immigration selection.
If you plan to live in Québec under a federal program, you need TEF Canada, not TEFAQ.

TEF Études: for academic admission

TEF Études is used by French and Belgian universities, grandes écoles, and other higher-education institutions as a language admission requirement for non-francophone applicants. It tests all four skills. The score thresholds vary by institution: a selective grande école may require B2 or C1, while many universities accept B2. TEF Études is not accepted for immigration purposes.

Used for university and grande école admission in France and Belgium
Tests all four skills: listening, reading, speaking, writing
Score requirements vary by institution, typically B2 to C1
Not valid for any immigration authority

How to choose the right variant

1Identify the exact administrative or academic procedure you are completing.
2Check the official authority's website for the accepted test name (IRCC, MIFI, prefecture, or university).
3Confirm the required components (all four skills, or only listening and reading).
4Find an approved test centre that offers your specific variant and check session dates.
5At registration, verify that the confirmation document shows the correct TEF version name.

Practising for any TEF variant

Since all variants share the same question bank, any TEF practice material is useful regardless of which version you are taking.
Focus your preparation on the specific skill components that your variant requires.
Use the official sample questions on the CCI Paris Île-de-France website as your primary practice source.

Key takeaways

There are four main TEF variants: TEF IRN (France immigration), TEF Canada (IRCC), TEFAQ (Québec MIFI), and TEF Études (universities).
The certificates are not interchangeable; each is accepted only by its designated authority.
TEF Canada tests all four skills; TEF IRN normally tests listening and reading; TEFAQ tests only listening and speaking.
All variants share the same question bank, so standard TEF practice applies to any version.
Always verify the exact variant name on your registration confirmation before the test day.