TCF Canada Results
Result publication timelines, how to read your official certificate, and the validity of your scores for IRCC and your Canadian immigration file.
Result Publication Timelines
TCF Canada results are not communicated on the day of the exam. They are processed by the exam centre and France Éducation International, then issued in the form of an official certificate. Timelines vary by centre and period; in practice, you should generally expect to wait between two and six weeks after the exam date to receive your certificate.
Some centres offer in-person collection or express delivery for an additional fee. When registering, ask about the usual timelines and receipt options (mail, in-person pickup, electronic delivery if offered). If you have a deadline for submitting your IRCC file, plan well ahead: take the exam early enough to receive the certificate before the deadline.
How to Read Your Certificate
The TCF Canada results certificate shows, for each test, the score obtained and the corresponding NCLC level (Canadian Language Benchmarks). The listening and reading comprehension tests are scored on a scale of 331 to 699; the speaking and writing tests are scored on a scale of 4 to 20. Each score is converted into an NCLC level (equivalent to CLB for French) according to the official grid recognised by IRCC.
This is the document you submit to IRCC in your immigration file (Express Entry, Skilled Worker Program, etc.): IRCC uses the NCLC levels shown on the certificate to calculate your language points. To understand the correspondence between TCF scores and NCLC levels, consult our TCF Canada – NCLC equivalency grid and the CLB/NCLC points calculator.
Validity of Results
The TCF Canada is valid for two years from the date the exam was taken. Beyond this period, IRCC and other organisations will no longer accept the certificate as proof of French language level: you must retake the TCF Canada to provide an up-to-date certificate.
If you plan to submit an immigration file in more than two years, or if your first certificate is approaching its expiry date, plan a new exam session to avoid your results becoming unusable. The two-year validity period is a rule common to several language tests recognised by IRCC (TCF Canada, TEF Canada, etc.).
Using Results for IRCC
For Canadian immigration (Express Entry, PTP, provincial programs, etc.), you must include a copy of your TCF Canada results certificate with your file, or the certificate number if IRCC allows online verification. The NCLC levels shown on the certificate determine the number of language points awarded to you in the CRS score calculation or the criteria of the targeted program.
Make sure your certificate is for the TCF Canada (and not the general TCF or another version of the test), as IRCC only accepts tests designated for immigration purposes. In case of loss or error on the certificate, contact the centre where you took the exam to obtain a duplicate or correction according to the procedures in place.