The complete program · TEF & TCF Canada

No French yet?
Here's your path to CLB 7

Built for complete beginners — and everyone in between. Four clear steps take you from your very first word to the CLB score that moves your Express Entry application, with every grammar point, vocabulary theme and skill drill placed exactly where you need it.

Complete beginner? You're in the right place.

Most students who reach CLB 7 started exactly where you are — with zero French and a CLB goal. Step 1 (Foundations) is designed from scratch for people who have never studied French before. You don't need any background, any prior courses, or any confidence yet. That all comes from the plan.

Start with the free Level Check See Step 1 — Foundations

Take it with you — download the full program:

TEF Canada PDF TCF Canada PDF

Starts at A1 — zero French OK CLB 4 · 5 · 7 Both TEF & TCF Canada

Know what you're aiming at

Every TEF and TCF result converts to the same CLB / NCLC scale that Express Entry uses. These are the bands that actually change your outcome.

CLB 7

The threshold that pays

First strong language points and a French-bonus band; the target most PR candidates build toward.

CLB 5

The functional floor

Eligible for category-based French draws and several PNP streams; proof you can operate in French.

CLB 4

Foundation reached

Meets minimum French for some programs (e.g. certain trades / citizenship-adjacent needs); the launchpad to CLB 5–7.

CLB band	Strength	Express Entry effect
CLB 9+	Top bands	Up to 50 + bilingual bonus
CLB 7–8	Strong	25–50 points
CLB 5–6	Intermediate	Eligible for French draws
CLB 4	Elementary	Foundation level

The score you need, by skill

Pin your target. Each skill is scored and converted independently — so you train to a number, not a vibe.

TEF CanadaR/300 · L/360 · W,S /450

CLB	Read	Listen	Write	Speak
7★	207–232	249–279	310–348	310–348
6	181–206	217–248	271–309	271–309
5	151–180	181–216	226–270	226–270
4	121–150	145–180	181–225	181–225

TCF CanadaR,L /699 · W,S /20

CLB	Read	Listen	Write	Speak
7★	453–498	458–502	10–11	10–11
6	406–452	398–457	7–9	7–9
5	375–405	369–397	6	6
4	342–374	331–368	4–5	4–5

★CLB 7 is the Express-Entry target row · highlighted rows are CLB 5 & 7.

The path

Four steps, one clear goal

Each step has a single job. Don't move up until you've passed its milestone — that's how you avoid plateaus.

Phase 0

Diagnostic & Setup

Baseline + plan

Know where you stand before you spend an hour studying.

Placement Week 0 2–3 h

Pick your exam, fix your CLB target, measure your true starting level, and stand up the system you'll repeat for months. Most people skip this and waste weeks training the wrong skill — you won't.

Grammar focus

No new grammar yet — diagnose, don't drill
Identify your two weakest skills from the level check

Vocabulary

Learn the exam's own vocabulary: épreuve, section, consigne, barème
Bookmark a spaced-repetition deck and add your first 20 words

What each skill looks like here

Reading

Take the timed Level Check to get a per-skill CLB estimate.

Listening

Note whether numbers, liaison and speed are your bottleneck.

Writing

Write one short sample so you have a 'before' to compare against.

Speaking

Record a 60-second self-introduction as your baseline.

Exam craft

Learn the exact format of TEF Canada or TCF Canada — number of sections, timing, task types and how each is scored — so nothing on test day is a surprise.

Milestone to advance

A written target (e.g. 'CLB 7 in all four by March'), a per-skill baseline, and a fixed weekly schedule.

Free Level Check (15 min)Choose TEF vs TCF

Most beginners start here — no prior French needed

Phase 1 — Start here

Foundations

Toward CLB 4

Complete beginner? Perfect. This is where everyone starts — no French required.

A1 → A2 8–12 weeks @ ~12 h/wk 120–180 h

You will go from zero French — or close to it — to speaking short sentences, reading everyday signs and messages, and understanding simple spoken French. By the end, you stop guessing and start producing correct French on demand. This is the most important step: everything in Phase 2 and 3 builds on what you lock in here.

Grammar focus

Présent of -er / -ir / -re verbs + the four core irregulars: être, avoir, aller, faire
Articles: défini (le/la/les), indéfini (un/une/des), partitif (du/de la/des)
Gender & number — how nouns and adjectives agree, BANGS adjective placement
Negation (ne… pas / jamais / rien / plus) and the two main question forms
Your first past tense — passé composé with avoir & être — and futur proche (aller + infinitif)
Core prepositions à / de / en / chez and first direct/indirect object pronouns

Vocabulary

~1,500–2,000 high-frequency words — the foundation of every conversation
Self & family, daily routine, numbers & time, food & shopping
The city & directions, weather, basic health, colours & descriptions
Starter phrases you'll use every single class: Je voudrais, Est-ce que, Il faut, Je ne comprends pas

What each skill looks like here

Reading

Understand notices, menus, short ads and simple personal emails — real texts from day one.

Listening

Catch prices, times, addresses and the main point in slow, clear spoken French.

Writing

Fill in forms and write a 40–60 word message: a note, invitation or simple email.

Speaking

Introduce yourself, give your details, and keep a basic everyday exchange going with confidence.

Exam craft

Learn French numbers, dates and liaison — the three things that catch beginners out in the listening section. Everything else at this level rewards time and repetition.

Milestone to advance

Score CLB 4 on a short mock and pass the A2 grammar quiz with 80% or higher.

Grammar A1–C1 Grammar Lab quiz Conjugation tables Vocabulary decks

Phase 2

Operational

CLB 5

Function in French: handle real tasks, opinions and the past in full.

B1 10–14 weeks @ ~12 h/wk 150–220 h

Move from surviving to functioning. You narrate in the past with the right tense, express and justify opinions, and complete the exam's shorter productive tasks to a clear, organised standard.

Grammar focus

Imparfait vs passé composé — when to use which
Futur simple and conditionnel présent (politeness & hypotheses)
Full object pronouns + y / en and their order
Relative pronouns qui / que / où / dont
Comparatives & superlatives, pronominal verbs, pronoms toniques
Time markers depuis / pendant / il y a and core connectors (d'abord, ensuite, donc, parce que, mais)

Vocabulary

~3,000–4,000 words
Opinions & feelings, work & studies, travel, housing, media, health
Register: when to use vous vs tu, formal vs informal phrasing

What each skill looks like here

Reading

Pull main idea and key details from articles and formal letters under time.

Listening

Follow voicemails, radio extracts and interviews; take quick notes.

Writing

TEF Section A message / TCF tasks 1–2: deliver information clearly in ~80 words.

Speaking

TEF Task A / TCF tasks 1–2: run a role-play and sustain a 2-minute turn.

Exam craft

Master the shorter productive tasks with reusable templates, learn the scoring rubric in plain language, and start pacing yourself against the clock section by section.

Milestone to advance

Hit CLB 5 across all four skills on a half-length timed mock.

Grammar Lab teacher editions Writing practice (graded)Speaking practice (AI examiner)Graded reader stories

Phase 3

Advanced

CLB 7

The Express Entry threshold: argue, nuance and perform under pressure.

B2 12–18 weeks @ ~12–15 h/wk 200–300 h

This is the band that unlocks real CRS points. You build a structured argument, read between the lines, follow fast natural speech, and produce the longer written and spoken tasks to the CLB 7 standard — consistently, on the clock.

Grammar focus

Subjonctif présent and its triggers (volonté, émotion, doute, bien que, pour que…)
Plus-que-parfait, conditionnel passé and the three si-clause patterns
Passive voice and discours indirect with concordance des temps
Participe présent vs gérondif; nominalisation; mise en relief (c'est… que)
Advanced connectors: néanmoins, en revanche, par conséquent, dans la mesure où
Eliminate fossilised anglophone errors (false friends, prepositions, agreement)

Vocabulary

~5,000–7,000 words
Abstract & argumentative lexicon for society, environment, technology, economy
Hedging & nuance (il semblerait que, dans une certaine mesure) and high-value collocations

What each skill looks like here

Reading

Infer tone and intent in dense press; scan long texts fast for implicit meaning.

Listening

Follow debates, news and colloquial speed; catch attitude and implication.

Writing

TEF Section B / TCF task 3: a ~200-word argued opinion with thesis, connectors and nuance.

Speaking

TEF Task B / TCF task 3: a structured ~5-minute argument that handles follow-ups.

Exam craft

Run full, strictly-timed mocks; engineer your productive tasks to hit every rubric criterion for CLB 7; review every mock for the 3–4 recurring errors that cap your score.

Milestone to advance

Reach CLB 7 in all four skills on a full, timed mock exam.

Full mock exams + corrigé Argued-opinion writing Full speaking mock TCF Task 3 model answers

Your week — 4 classes

The steps set the destination; this is how you get there. The same four-class rhythm every week — only the difficulty changes.

Class 1Grammar & structure

One grammar point, explained simply, then practised until it sticks.

Class 2Reading & vocabulary

A timed reading task, plus new words added to your daily review.

Class 3Listening & speaking

Listening practice with real audio, then speaking drills and role-plays.

Class 4Writing & review

A full writing task with feedback, a short mock, and a review of your mistakes.

Between classes: 20–30 minutes a day reviewing your vocabulary and recent mistakes. Little and often beats cramming.

The grammar spine

Six categories from the Grammar Lab, sequenced across the phases so you meet each rule exactly when you need it.

1Foundations

Sentence Structure

Open teacher edition

2Foundations → Operational

Common Confusions

Open teacher edition

3Operational

False Friends & Real Traps

Open teacher edition

4Operational → Advanced

Prepositions & Phrases

Open teacher edition

5Advanced

Agreement, Gender & Spelling

Open teacher edition

6Advanced

Classic Anglophone Errors

Open teacher edition

Where the two exams differ

Reading and listening train the same way for both. The productive tasks are where format matters — here's exactly what you'll rehearse.

TEF Canada

Writing

Section A — continue a news item / factual message (≈ 80 words)
Section B — write an argued opinion to an authority (≈ 200 words)

Speaking

Task A — obtain information by asking questions in a role-play (~5 min)
Task B — persuade / argue a point of view to the examiner (~10 min)

TCF Canada

Writing

Task 1 — a short message (~60–120 words)
Task 2 — an article or account relating two documents
Task 3 — compare and discuss two opinions, then give yours

Speaking

Task 1 — guided interview about yourself (~2 min, no prep)
Task 2 — interactive role-play to gather information (~3.5 min)
Task 3 — present and defend a point of view (~4.5 min)

The mock-exam ladder

Mocks aren't a final step — they're a measuring tape you use all the way up.

End of Phase 0

Diagnostic Level Check — set your per-skill baseline.

Mid Phase 2

First half-length mock — learn timing, not score.

End of Phase 2

Full mock — confirm CLB 5 before moving up.

Through Phase 3

A full timed mock every 2–3 weeks; review every error.

Before booking

Two back-to-back full mocks at target band on different days.

Find your phase in 15 minutes

The Level Check places you on this map with a per-skill CLB estimate, then points you to the exact phase to start from. No guessing where to begin.

Take the free Level Check Compare TEF vs TCF

Score-to-CLB conversions follow IRCC's published TEF Canada and TCF Canada equivalency charts. IRCC updates these periodically — confirm the current thresholds on canada.ca before you book your test.

No French yet?
Here's your path to CLB 7

Complete beginner? You're in the right place.

Take it with you — download the full program:

TEF Canada PDF TCF Canada PDF

Starts at A1 — zero French OK CLB 4 · 5 · 7 Both TEF & TCF Canada

CLB band

Strength

Express Entry effect

CLB 9+

Top bands

Up to 50 + bilingual bonus

CLB 7–8

Strong

25–50 points

CLB 5–6

Intermediate

Eligible for French draws

CLB 4

Elementary

Foundation level

CLB

Read

Listen

Write

Speak

7★

207–232

249–279

310–348

181–206

217–248

271–309

151–180

181–216

226–270

121–150

145–180

181–225

CLB

Read

Listen

Write

Speak

7★

453–498

458–502

10–11

406–452

398–457

7–9

375–405

369–397

342–374

331–368

4–5

Most beginners start here — no prior French needed

Phase 1 — Start here

Foundations

Toward CLB 4

Complete beginner? Perfect. This is where everyone starts — no French required.

A1 → A2 8–12 weeks @ ~12 h/wk 120–180 h

Grammar focus

Présent of -er / -ir / -re verbs + the four core irregulars: être, avoir, aller, faire
Articles: défini (le/la/les), indéfini (un/une/des), partitif (du/de la/des)
Gender & number — how nouns and adjectives agree, BANGS adjective placement
Negation (ne… pas / jamais / rien / plus) and the two main question forms
Your first past tense — passé composé with avoir & être — and futur proche (aller + infinitif)
Core prepositions à / de / en / chez and first direct/indirect object pronouns

Vocabulary

~1,500–2,000 high-frequency words — the foundation of every conversation
Self & family, daily routine, numbers & time, food & shopping
The city & directions, weather, basic health, colours & descriptions
Starter phrases you'll use every single class: Je voudrais, Est-ce que, Il faut, Je ne comprends pas

What each skill looks like here

Reading

Understand notices, menus, short ads and simple personal emails — real texts from day one.

Listening

Catch prices, times, addresses and the main point in slow, clear spoken French.

Writing

Fill in forms and write a 40–60 word message: a note, invitation or simple email.

Speaking

Introduce yourself, give your details, and keep a basic everyday exchange going with confidence.

Exam craft

Learn French numbers, dates and liaison — the three things that catch beginners out in the listening section. Everything else at this level rewards time and repetition.

Milestone to advance

Score CLB 4 on a short mock and pass the A2 grammar quiz with 80% or higher.

Grammar A1–C1 Grammar Lab quiz Conjugation tables Vocabulary decks

No French yet? Here's your path to CLB 7

Know what you're aiming at

The score you need, by skill

Four steps, one clear goal

Diagnostic & Setup

Grammar focus

Vocabulary

What each skill looks like here

Foundations

Grammar focus

Vocabulary

What each skill looks like here

Operational

Grammar focus

Vocabulary

What each skill looks like here

Advanced

Grammar focus

Vocabulary

What each skill looks like here

Your week — 4 classes

The grammar spine

Where the two exams differ

TEF Canada

TCF Canada

The mock-exam ladder

Find your phase in 15 minutes

No French yet? Here's your path to CLB 7

Know what you're aiming at

The score you need, by skill

Four steps, one clear goal

Diagnostic & Setup

Grammar focus

Vocabulary

What each skill looks like here

Foundations

Grammar focus

Vocabulary

What each skill looks like here

Operational

Grammar focus

Vocabulary

What each skill looks like here

Advanced

Grammar focus

Vocabulary

What each skill looks like here

Your week — 4 classes

The grammar spine

Where the two exams differ

TEF Canada

TCF Canada

The mock-exam ladder

Find your phase in 15 minutes

No French yet?
Here's your path to CLB 7

No French yet?
Here's your path to CLB 7