In 2017, the Canadian government restructured their Express Entry Pathway so that more points were allotted to candidates with strong French skills, regardless of where they plan to settle. This makes learning French a priority for many immigrants. Though those immigrating to Canada are not the only test takers, they are not limited to the TCF and TEF. There are other tests, of course, but as these tests are the main two tests our test-taking candidates usually take, we’ve decided to focus on these for today.
The TCF is one of two French evaluation accreditations accepted by IRCC. It was created by France Éducation International (FIE) in 2001 in response to American (TOEFL) and British (IELTS) English proficiency tests. By 2022, the TCF served over 2,000,000 candidates. There are four types available to students, but only two are viable in Canada: the Test de Connaissance du Français - Canada and the Test de Connaissance du Français - Québec. Both of these tests were designed to meet the requirements of the IRCC, depending on where in Canada the test-taking candidate is settling.
Despite there being two Canada-specific TCF tests, the TCF wasn’t accepted by the Federal Government of Canada until December 2018. This was a big deal at the time, as English language test takers had two options of assessment, while French language test takers only had the TEF. There are two sets of tests in the TCF. One set is compulsory. It includes the listening and reading sections, while the speaking and writing portions are completely optional.
While TCF mandates that only the listening and reading sections be completed, TCF Canada results for immigration are only accepted if all four sections are completed.
The TEF is the second test administered by the IRCC, but is the first one approved by the Federal Government of Canada. It was first created in 1998 in France at the request of Paris Île-de-France Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) schools, as a way to test the French proficiency of non-native French speakers. Four years later, the Federal Government of Canada referenced the test as part of their language proficiency assessment and officially adopted the test as a part of French certification in 2004.
It later became the first electronic standardized test in 2005.
Similarly to the TCF, there are two types of tests. One test is for Quebec, and the other is for entry into Canada in general.
As standardized tests, both the TCF and TEF have similarities. Each test has a four-part component: oral comprehension, listening comprehension, spoken expression, and written comprehension. If you are using the test to immigrate to Canada, then you must take all four sections at the same time for the results to be valid. However, if you are immigrating to Quebec, then you only need to take whatever is applicable to your pathway.
Both the TCF and TEF are multiple-choice-based tests; however, some sections, such as the written expression and oral expression, are assessed differently. When it comes to the oral expression, each test is conducted with a one-on-one interview, but the number of tasks to be completed are different.
The TCF and TEF are separated based on whether the candidate wants to immigrate to Canada or to Quebec specifically, but whether you choose the TCF or TEF, each test has mandatory sections you must complete: the listening comprehension and oral expression.
Despite their similarities, there are also some differences, mostly brought about by the structure of the exam. The following are the differences between both TCF and TEF, structured around each section of the exams:
TEF: You are given an audio recording to listen to, and then 40 questions, with a time limit of 40 minutes, to complete them.
TCF: You are given an audio recording to listen to, and then you must answer 39 questions in 35 minutes. For the TCF, you are given the question and answer it before moving to the next.
TEF: You’re given a French document to read and 40 questions to complete. The time limit for this section is one hour.
TCF: Has 39 multiple choice questions and one hour to complete it.
TEF: This is separated into two sections with a total of 60 minutes. Section A asks you to write the continuation of an article. You must write a minimum of 80 words. This section is given 25 minutes. Section B asks you to write and justify a point of view. This section has a 35-minute time range.
TCF: This section of the TCF is separated into three pieces: section 1: write something addressed to a person indicated in the instructions. Section 2: Write something addressed to multiple people that include things like opinions, etc. Section 3: Write something comparing two viewpoints and expressing your own opinion on the matter. For the TCF, there are no allotted times for each, so it is up to you to manage your own time.
TEF: This section is only 15 minutes long in total but is separated into two sections. Section A is all about gathering information, while section B is about expressing an argument in order to convince another. Section A is allotted five minutes, while section B is allotted ten minutes.
TCF: Three tasks. Task 1 is a 2-minute guided interview. Task 2 is interactive with 2 minutes of preparation. It is five minutes and 30 seconds in total. Task three is four minutes and 30 seconds. It requires the candidate to express a point of view or opinion on a topic given to you by the interviewer.
So which one is best for you? It really depends on what you need it for. If you plan to immigrate to Quebec directly, then it depends on the pathway you chose. Each pathway will explain the requirements. If there aren’t any outlined, then you can ask your employer or school if they have a preference. If they don’t have any, then take a careful look at each test. Make sure to understand the structure very well. If you still cannot choose, then look at a few of the past tests. Give each one a try and see what best suits your test-taking style. In the end, worrying too much about the type of test to take is an additional source of stress you don’t need.
