How French earns you points
- First official language: 6 to 34 points per skill depending on your level (up to 32 with a spouse or partner).
- Second official language: 1 point per skill at CLB 5 or 6, 3 points at CLB 7 or 8, 6 points at CLB 9 or above, up to 24 points (22 with a spouse or partner).
- French bonus: 25 or 50 additional points from NCLC 7 in all four skills.
Your French earns CRS points in three ways, listed below. Moving from NCLC 6 to NCLC 7 in a single skill can be worth dozens of points, so it pays to practise all four TCF sections.
First official language points, per skill
| Level | With a spouse or partner | Without |
|---|---|---|
| Below CLB 4 | 0 | 0 |
| CLB 4 or 5 | 6 | 6 |
| CLB 6 | 8 | 9 |
| CLB 7 | 16 | 17 |
| CLB 8 | 22 | 23 |
| CLB 9 | 29 | 31 |
| CLB 10 and above | 32 | 34 |
Maximum: 128 points with a spouse or partner, 136 without. NCLC levels for French count on the same scale as CLB levels.
The French bonus
| Your French | Your English | Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| NCLC 7 or above in all 4 skills | CLB 4 or below, or no English test | 25 points |
| NCLC 7 or above in all 4 skills | CLB 5 or above in all 4 skills | 50 points |
Frequently asked questions
How many points does French give in Express Entry?+−
Up to 50 additional points: 50 if you have NCLC 7 or above in all 4 skills in French and CLB 5 or above in all 4 skills in English; 25 if you have NCLC 7 in French and CLB 4 or below in English (or no English test). Official language points come on top.
Is French my first or second official language?+−
You choose it in your profile: usually, the language with your best results is your first official language. It earns up to 34 points per skill, compared with 6 for the second.
Does this calculator give my full CRS score?+−
No. It only calculates the points linked to official languages and the French bonus. The full CRS score also includes age, education, work experience and other factors: use IRCC's official tool for the total.