Target NCLC 7: the scores to reach

NCLC 7 thresholds, skill by skill

IRCC converts each of the four skills separately, with no averaging. Here is the full chart between TCF Canada scores and NCLC levels.

In writing and speaking, 10 or 11 out of 20 corresponds to the start of CEFR level B2. In listening and reading, the thresholds sit in the B2 range (400 to 499 points), close to C1 for listening.

Who asks for NCLC 7

• Federal skilled workers: at least NCLC 7 in all four skills, otherwise you are not eligible.
• Canadian Experience Class: NCLC 7 in all four skills for TEER 0 and 1 jobs (NCLC 5 for TEER 2 and 3).
• French language proficiency category of Express Entry: at least NCLC 7 in all four skills, plus the conditions of each round.

Several Express Entry programs set NCLC 7 as a minimum, as listed below. The required level depends on your program: always check it on the IRCC website for your own application.

What NCLC 7 means in writing

• Write a clear message suited to the reader in 60 to 120 words, with the right register (« tu » or « vous », opening and closing phrases).
• Tell about an experience and give your opinion in 120 to 150 words, with a logical flow.
• Compare two points of view, then defend your own in 120 to 180 words, with examples.
• Link ideas with varied connectors and complex sentences, without mistakes getting in the way of reading.

What NCLC 7 means in speaking

• Talk about yourself, your background and your plans in detail, never with one word answers.
• Get precise information in an everyday situation: ask varied questions, follow up, rephrase.
• Defend a point of view for several minutes, with arguments and concrete examples.
• Make yourself understood without effort from the examiner, even with a few mistakes.

What NCLC 7 means in listening and reading

• Understand the main points and useful details of everyday documents: announcements, messages, letters, conversations.
• Follow the main idea of an article or a broadcast on a social issue.
• Spot a person's opinion and how they qualify it, not just the topic.

Common blockers

• Reaching NCLC 7 in listening and reading but missing it in writing or speaking: each skill is converted separately, and writing or speaking is often the one that falls short.
• Going outside the word limits or missing the point of the prompt: the task can then be rated "below A1", whatever your real level.
• Reciting a memorized text in speaking: the examiner asks follow up questions, and a recited speech falls apart.
• Running out of time in reading: 39 questions in 60 minutes means you can't linger on one hard document.
• Giving an opinion without an example: at this level, an opinion must be justified and illustrated.

A 4 step study plan

• Take stock: do a full TCF Canada reading set and listening set, then write a Task 3 and get feedback on it. You will see which skill is furthest from NCLC 7.
• Review the method: go over the method for your weakest section, plus the tools of argument (linking words and phrases to give your opinion).
• Practise your weak skill: one corrected writing task a day and three recorded speaking simulations a week. Note your recurring mistakes and review the matching grammar.
• Practise under real conditions: in the last weeks, do full timed sets and convert your scores to check that each skill reaches NCLC 7.