TCF Canada to NCLC chart
IRCC converts each of the four skills separately, with no averaging. For immigration, the level that counts is your weakest skill. NCLC is the French name of the Canadian Language Benchmarks: CLB 7 and NCLC 7 are the same level.
| NCLC | Listening (/699) | Reading (/699) | Speaking (/20) | Writing (/20) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 and above | 549 to 699 | 549 to 699 | 16 to 20 | 16 to 20 |
| 9 | 523 to 548 | 524 to 548 | 14 to 15 | 14 to 15 |
| 8 | 503 to 522 | 499 to 523 | 12 to 13 | 12 to 13 |
| 7 | 458 to 502 | 453 to 498 | 10 to 11 | 10 to 11 |
| 6 | 398 to 457 | 406 to 452 | 7 to 9 | 7 to 9 |
| 5 | 369 to 397 | 375 to 405 | 6 | 6 |
| 4 | 331 to 368 | 342 to 374 | 4 to 5 | 4 to 5 |
CEFR levels chart
The same CEFR scale applies to every version of the TCF: listening and reading are scored out of 699, writing and speaking out of 20.
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| Level | Listening and reading (/699) | Writing and speaking (/20) |
|---|---|---|
| C2 | 600 to 699 | 18 to 20 |
| C1 | 500 to 599 | 14 to 17 |
| B2 | 400 to 499 | 10 to 13 |
| B1 | 300 to 399 | 6 to 9 |
| A2 | 200 to 299 | 2 to 5 |
| A1 | 100 to 199 | 1 |
Frequently asked questions
What TCF Canada score do I need for NCLC 7?+−
Listening 458 to 502, reading 453 to 498, speaking and writing 10 or 11 out of 20. NCLC 7 has to be reached in each of the four skills.
What score do I need for NCLC 9 on the TCF Canada?+−
Listening 523 to 548, reading 524 to 548, speaking and writing 14 or 15 out of 20.
How do I convert a TCF score to a CEFR level?+−
For listening and reading (out of 699): 400 to 499 is B2, 500 to 599 is C1, 600 to 699 is C2. For writing and speaking (out of 20): 10 to 13 is B2, 14 to 17 is C1, 18 to 20 is C2.
Is NCLC the same as CLB?+−
Yes. NCLC (niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens) is the French scale and CLB (Canadian Language Benchmarks) the English one. IRCC uses the same levels for both languages.