TCF Québec vs TCF Canada vs TEFAQ: Which French Exam Does Your Program Accept? (2026)
Four names, one word apart: TCF Canada, TCF Québec, TEF Canada, TEFAQ. Picking wrong has a very concrete cost — you find out after the exam that your program doesn't accept the result, and the money and months go with it. This page sets out what each one is, who accepts it, and how the formats differ, with every recognition claim checked against IRCC and Quebec's immigration ministry (MIFI). Information only, not immigration advice; recognition always defers to the current official list.
What are TCF Québec, TCF Canada and TEFAQ?
All three certify French proficiency; the difference is who they're built for. TCF Canada targets IRCC (federal immigration and citizenship). TCF Québec targets Quebec's MIFI. TEFAQ — now presented by its provider as TEF Québec — also targets Quebec. The publishers differ too: the TCF family comes from France Éducation international, the TEF family from the Paris region chamber of commerce (CCIP-IDF).
| Exam | Publisher | Federal Express Entry | Quebec (MIFI) | Sections |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TCF Canada | FEI | Accepted | Accepted | All 4, mandatory |
| TEF Canada | CCIP-IDF | Accepted | Accepted | All 4 for immigration |
| TCF Québec | FEI | Not on IRCC's Express Entry list | Accepted | Choose 1–4 |
| TEFAQ / TEF Québec | CCIP-IDF | Not on IRCC's Express Entry list | Accepted | Choose 1–4 |
Which French tests does federal Express Entry accept?
Exactly two: TEF Canada and TCF Canada. On IRCC's Express Entry language test page, the French column contains those two and nothing else — no TCF Québec, no TEFAQ, no DELF/DALF. Results must be less than 2 years old both when you complete your profile and when you submit your PR application.
So if Express Entry is your target (including French-category draws and French bonus points), look for the word Canada in the exam name. Background: what TCF Canada is and TCF vs TEF Canada.
Which French tests does Quebec (MIFI) accept?
Quebec's list is noticeably longer. Per the official French-knowledge page for the PSTQ, the ministry accepts 8 French tests and diplomas:
- From France Éducation international: TCF Québec, TCF Canada, TCF (tout public), DALF, DELF;
- From CCIP-IDF: TEFAQ, TEF Canada, TEF.
Three conditions come attached. First, only results issued by those two organizations are accepted, and you must sit the test at a centre they approve. Second, results must be two years old or less on the date you apply for permanent selection. Third, Quebec doesn't use NCLC — it maps results onto its own Échelle québécoise des niveaux de compétence en français, with a separate official correspondence table. Which sections and which level a given program requires varies a lot, so defer to MIFI's own pages; this guide deliberately doesn't list them program by program.
I already took TCF Canada — will Quebec accept it?
Yes. TCF Canada appears on Quebec's official PSTQ list, and France Éducation international states that TCF Canada has been recognized by MIFI since the end of January 2022 in support of an application to immigrate to Quebec. TEF Canada is likewise on Quebec's list.
But accepted is not the same as sufficient. Two caveats: your scores convert to Quebec's own scale rather than NCLC, and each Quebec program asks for its own sections and levels, so a four-skill result may not map exactly onto what your target program wants. Confirm on MIFI's page (or in writing from the ministry) before you apply — not on a consultant's word.
And the other direction — can TCF Québec be used for Express Entry?
No. IRCC's Express Entry language page lists only TEF Canada and TCF Canada for French; TCF Québec and TEFAQ do not appear. That's the sharpest asymmetry in this whole topic: TCF Canada travels both ways, TCF Québec essentially only works for Quebec.
It also gives you a practical rule: if you haven't decided whether Quebec is your destination, TCF Canada (or TEF Canada) is worth more as an option, because one result covers both routes.
How do the formats differ? Can I take just one or two sections of TCF Québec?
Yes — and that's the most practical difference. TCF Québec is built from 4 independent modules and you can sit 1, 2, 3 or 4 of them, so total time ranges from 12 minutes to 2 hours 22 minutes. TCF Canada requires all four, runs 2 hours 47 minutes, and the publisher states plainly that exemptions can't be granted under any circumstances.
- TCF Canada (FEI): listening 39 questions / 35 min; reading 39 questions / 60 min; writing 3 tasks / 60 min; speaking 3 tasks / 12 min (2 of them preparation). All four mandatory.
- TCF Québec (FEI): the same four modules (reading runs 65 min), but you choose how many to sit.
- TEFAQ / TEF Québec (CCIP-IDF): reading 40 questions / 1 h; listening 40 questions / 40 min; writing 2 sections / 1 h; speaking 2 sections / 15 min — and the publisher states each test can be taken independently of the others.
- TEF Canada (CCIP-IDF): all four for an immigration application (the publisher notes citizenship applications need only listening and speaking — defer to IRCC).
In short: the Quebec-facing exams are designed around picking the sections your program needs; the federal-facing ones are designed as a four-skill package. That's why Quebec candidates often hear "just take listening and speaking" while Express Entry candidates never get that option.
How long are results valid?
Two years for all of them, but read the clock carefully. France Éducation international states that TCF Canada and TCF Québec certificates are valid for 2 years from the date results were issued, with the expiry printed on the certificate. When applying: IRCC needs results under 2 years old at profile creation and at PR submission; Quebec needs them two years old or less on the date you apply for permanent selection.
The practical consequence: as expiry approaches you may need to retest, which means competing for a seat again — in Toronto or Vancouver that step routinely takes longer than the studying. See how seat alerts work or go straight to our monitoring service.
So which one should you take?
- Targeting Quebec (CSQ / PSTQ): MIFI accepts all 8 listed tests, including TCF Québec, TEFAQ, TCF Canada and TEF Canada. If you only want to sit the required sections, the Quebec-facing exams save time and money.
- Targeting federal programs (Express Entry, French-category draws, French points): it has to be TCF Canada or TEF Canada, all four sections.
- Might be either: take TCF Canada or TEF Canada — one result covers both, so you don't sit two exams.
- Targeting Canadian citizenship: the requirements differ from economic immigration; check IRCC's citizenship language proof page separately.
Still deciding between TCF and TEF? See TCF vs TEF Canada. Want the wider map first? See French immigration pathways to Canada.
Three registration traps
- Reading only half the name. "TCF" isn't one exam, it's a family (TCF Canada / TCF Québec / TCF tout public and more). Match the full exam name against your program's accepted list, word for word, before you pay.
- Assuming the centre's offering is the right one. Canadian centres typically focus on TCF Canada and TEF Canada; whether TCF Québec or TEFAQ is offered varies by centre, so ask before booking.
- Wrong issuer. Quebec accepts only results issued by FEI or CCIP-IDF and sat at their approved centres. There is no compliant path through "guaranteed pass" third parties.
If you did book the wrong exam: check your program's official page for other acceptable options first, then decide whether to sit the correct test or adjust your route. Don't settle it from forum posts — only the official list defines recognition.