How many TCF versions exist?

Four main public versions: TCF Tout Public, TCF IRN (Intégration, Résidence et Nationalité), TCF Canada and TCF Québec. The Tout Public version is the one used for DAP (university Bachelor admission) and for general professional certification.

Is the TCF computer based or on paper?

Both. Each accredited centre decides which format it offers. Results come back in 15 working days for paper and 10 working days for computer based when only the multiple choice sections are involved.

Is the TCF the right test for French nationality?

Yes, the TCF IRN attestation is one of the two test routes accepted under Décret n° 2025-648 du 15 juillet 2025 alongside the TEF. You need a B2 result in the oral and written sections. Alternatively a DELF B2 diploma also counts.

TCF

One test, six different reasons to sit it.

The TCF is the French equivalent of an IELTS placement test. Same sitting, same scoring, but the version you register for depends on whether you are applying to a university, an OFII residency contract, or Canadian permanent residence.

The four public variants

Each card sets out who the version is for, what it is recognised for, and how long it takes.

TCF Tout Public

2 year validity

Adults aged 16 and over, non native French speakers

1h25 mandatory plus 1h12 optional

University admission to French Master's and PhD programmes
DAP (Demande d'Admission Préalable) for first year Bachelor admission
Professional or personal certification of French level

Results delivered within 15 working days for paper based exams, 10 working days for computer based QCM only.

TCF Intégration, Résidence et Nationalité

2 year validity

Foreign nationals aged 16+ applying for a residence card or French nationality

1h35 in total

Carte de résident pluriannuelle (multi year residence permit)
Carte de résident permanente (long term resident card)
French nationality by decree or by marriage
A1 validation inside the OFII civic pathway

Evaluates language skills up to B2 only. The IRN version does not test C1 or C2.

TCF Canada

2 year validity

Candidates for economic immigration to Canada (Express Entry, Federal Skilled Worker, PR)

Approximately 2h47 including all four mandatory sections

Permanent residence applications to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)

TCF Québec

2 year validity

Candidates for immigration to the province of Québec

Variable, depends on which sections the candidate sits

Programme régulier des travailleurs qualifiés (PRTQ) and other Québec immigration tracks

Candidates choose which sections to sit based on the requirements set by the Ministère de l'Immigration du Québec.

Five things every TCF candidate should know

The result is an attestation, not a diploma. It expires two years after the issue date. Plan your sitting so the result is still valid when you submit your application file.
The oral and written expression sections are optional in TCF Tout Public unless your reason for sitting it (university admission, professional certification) requires them. They are mandatory in TCF IRN, Canada and Québec.
You can retake the same version after a 30 day cooldown. Each sitting is billed as a new exam.
Computer based sittings include 15 unscored items mixed in with the 76 scored multiple choice items. You will not be told which is which.
Each centre sets its own fee. France Éducation International confirms this explicitly. Compare two or three centres in India before you book.

Go deeper

Eligibility

Age, ID, who can take which version

Syllabus

Sections, scoring, durations

Fees

How fees are set in India

Frequently asked questions

Answers anchored in the published rules from France Éducation International and the French government.

Test de Connaissance du Français, run by France Éducation International (the public body formerly known as CIEP, under the French Ministry of National Education).

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