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The TCF (Test de Connaissance du Français) is the official certification from France Éducation international. Available in four versions, it attests to your level of French for studies, immigration or administrative procedures. Discover its tests, its scoring and our tips.

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TCF
01

What is the TCF?

The TCF is an official language certification managed by France Éducation international (a public body under the supervision of the Ministry of National Education). It is aimed at anyone over 16, non-French-speaking, who wishes to have their spoken and written French validated.

The certification is recognised by many institutions: the Ministry of Higher Education and Research, the directorate for integration and access to nationality, the Ministry of Culture, the MIFI (Québec), IRCC (Canada), universities, training centres and companies.

From the issue of results, the TCF is valid for 2 years.

02

The 4 versions of the TCF

The TCF comes in four versions, each aimed at distinct objectives and audiences:

General TCF (TP)

The most general version, to have your level of French certified for personal, academic or professional purposes.

TCF Canada (CA)

For an application for economic immigration to Canada or for Canadian citizenship.

TCF Québec (QC)

For an immigration application to Québec.

TCF IRN

For administrative procedures in France: resident card, French nationality, OFII citizen pathway (A1 level).

03

The TCF tests

The TCF assesses your general French skills through five tests. Depending on the version, not all of them are compulsory: the TCF TP combines listening, reading and command of language structures (with optional expression tests), while the TCF Canada, Québec and IRN focus mainly on listening and reading comprehension and oral and written expression.

Listening comprehension (CO)
multiple choice · 100 to 699 points

Listen to everyday recordings (conversations, radio programmes, etc.) and answer multiple-choice questions with 4 options, only one correct.

Reading comprehension (CE)
multiple choice · 100 to 699 points

Read different types of texts (articles, messages, menus, literary extracts, etc.) and answer questions about their content.

Command of language structures (MSL)
multiple choice · 100 to 699 points

Test your knowledge of grammar, conjugation and vocabulary in multiple-choice format.

Written expression (EE)
3 tasks · out of 20

Production tasks of increasing difficulty: describe, justify a point of view, argue and organise your ideas.

Oral expression (EO)
interview · out of 20

A face-to-face interview with an examiner assessing your ability to express your ideas clearly out loud.

04

Understanding the scoring

Each test is graded individually: listening (CO) and reading (CE) comprehension and command of language structures (MSL) from 100 to 699 points, written (EE) and oral (EO) expression out of 20.

You receive a certificate showing your scores and the corresponding CEFR level (A1 to C2):

TCF scores and CEFR levels
CO, CE and MSL score
EE and EO score
CEFR level
100 to 1991A1
200 to 2992 to 5A2
300 to 3996 to 9B1
400 to 49910 to 13B2
500 to 59914 to 17C1
600 to 69918 to 20C2

Depending on your procedure (immigration, French nationality, Canadian citizenship), a minimum level may be required (for example, A2 for a resident card in France). The certificate is valid for 2 years.

05

How to prepare for the TCF?

Like most certifications, the TCF is prepared several months in advance: get familiar with the instructions and strengthen your written and spoken skills. Set up a revision schedule with targeted exercises and mock tests.

PrepMyFuture offers a complete TCF preparation: 40 lesson sheets, 3 mock tests, 1 TCF mini-test and more than 1,000 exercises. Beyond the general TCF, discover our preparations for the TCF Canada, the TCF Québec and the TCF IRN.

06

How to register for the exam?

Registration for the TCF is done directly with an approved exam centre. The list of approved centres in France and abroad is available on the France Éducation international website. The centre will give you the dates, the format (computer or paper) and the registration fees.

Present a valid ID document (the same document will be required on the day of the test). You can retake the TCF as many times as necessary, respecting a 30-day interval between two sessions.

07

Where can you take the test?

The TCF can be taken in one of the 700 approved centres around the world. In France: Alliances françaises, Instituts français, GRETA and many universities.

To locate the nearest centre, see the official list on the France Éducation international website.

08

Why take the TCF?

The TCF is a popular and internationally recognised test. It officially attests to your level of French for a university project (the general TCF is required by some French universities).

For an immigration project, the TCF Canada or the TCF Québec are recognised by the immigration authorities. For administrative procedures in France (resident card, naturalisation, OFII pathway), it is the TCF IRN.

Beyond the administrative side, the TCF enhances your professional profile and lets you measure your progress in French.

09

Tips to succeed in the TCF

The TCF places your level on the CEFR scale: the more you work on each skill, the more you enhance your certificate. Only daily practice of French guarantees progress.

01

Listen to podcasts and watch films in French.

02

Read French-language press articles every day.

03

Practise writing texts that follow the test instructions.

04

On the day, read the instructions carefully and manage your time; if in doubt on a multiple-choice question, choose the most likely answer (no penalty for a wrong answer).

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