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TCF Canada · results

How long do TCF Canada results take?

France Éducation international posts results in your TCF-Candidat space within 15 working days, counted from the day it receives the session material, not from the test day. So centres state 2 to 6 weeks after the test. The certificate is then valid for 2 years.

Updated October 22, 2026

Contents
  1. The official delay
  2. The delay stated by centres
  3. Getting your certificate
  4. From score to NCLC
  5. Validity and the IRCC rule
  6. Disappointing score: what now?
  7. What about TEF Canada results?
  8. FAQ

The official delay: 15 working days, but from when?

According to the official TCF Canada page, your results are available in your TCF-Candidat space and sent to your test centre within 15 working days of France Éducation international (FEI) receiving the session material. Fifteen working days is about three calendar weeks.

So the clock does not start on test day. The papers and recordings are marked by FEI, not by the centre, which first has to send them. Alliance Française du Manitoba puts it plainly: everything is sent to Paris, and there is no way to speed up the process.

The delay stated by test centres (checked 22 October 2026)

Centre Country Results after the test Source
Formation continue Concordia, Montréal Canada (Quebec) 2 weeks; up to 6 weeks from 20 July to 10 September centre’s page
Alliance Française Ottawa Canada (Ontario) 2 to 3 weeks centre’s page
Alliance Française de Delhi, New Delhi India 2 to 4 weeks centre’s page
Alliance Française Vancouver Canada (British Columbia) up to 4 weeks centre’s page
Alliance Française du Manitoba, Winnipeg Canada (Manitoba) 4 weeks centre’s page
Institut français de Tunisie Tunisia 5 weeks centre’s page
Alliance Française Calgary Canada (Alberta) 6 weeks centre’s page

The delay as each centre states it on its TCF Canada page, checked on 22 October 2026. It can vary from one session to the next.

Allow extra time in summer: Concordia states up to six weeks between 20 July and 10 September because of the holidays in France. If you have a deadline (an Express Entry profile, a permanent residence application, a school admission), take the test at least six weeks before you need the certificate: that is the longest delay we found.

Getting and downloading your results certificate

  • TCF-Candidat space: this is where results are posted and where you download the certificate. They are also sent to your centre.
  • Cannot create your account? FEI sends you back to your test centre.
  • By email: several centres also mention an email, such as Alliance Française Ottawa, Alliance Française Vancouver and Alliance Française du Manitoba.
  • Keep the original PDF: Alliance Française Ottawa states that no duplicate can be issued later, and that only the official certificate is accepted by Canadian immigration authorities.

Reading your scores: from TCF Canada to NCLC

The certificate gives one score per test: out of 699 for listening and reading, out of 20 for writing and speaking. IRCC does not use an overall level: it converts each skill to an NCLC level with its equivalency table. For example, the minimum scores for NCLC 7:

Skill Minimum score for NCLC 7
Listening 458 / 699
Reading 453 / 699
Writing 10 / 20
Speaking 10 / 20

To convert the four scores on your certificate, use our NCLC calculator: it uses IRCC’s tables for TCF Canada and TEF Canada, with the source and date.

Validity: 2 years, and what IRCC asks

According to FEI, the certificate is valid for 2 years from the date the results are issued, and that expiry date is printed on it.

The IRCC rule is stricter than it looks: your results must be less than 2 years old when you complete your Express Entry profile, and again when you submit your application for permanent residence. An application submitted with expired results is refused (IRCC page on language test results, modified 16 October 2026).

In practice, if your certificate expires before you can submit your application, retake the test in time, counting the results delay above.

Disappointing score: no re-marking, retake after 20 days

From the sessions of 1 September 2026, FEI has temporarily suspended re-marking of the speaking and writing tests. To raise a score you have to retake the test: as many times as you want, with at least 20 days between two sittings (some centres ask for 30 days), and at the full booking fee: see TCF Canada fees by centre.

Before you retake it, work on the skill that kept you below your target. For writing, you can get a task corrected below; for a full plan, see our 4-week preparation plan.

Before you retake: get a writing task corrected

Write on this prompt (or paste your own): free preview with your estimated NCLC level and your 2 most important corrections.

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Free preview: estimated level and the first 2 corrections. Full report with a pack or a pass.

No subscription, pay per use. The preview is free every day: estimated NCLC level and your first two corrections. The full report is a one-time payment, from US$9.90 for 10 corrections, with no automatic renewal and a refund possible within 7 days. See pricing.

What about TEF Canada results?

For the TEF Canada, CCI Paris Île-de-France states that results are sent within 1 to 10 working days from the test day. They arrive by email, with a link to an online digital vault where you download the certificate; there is no paper certificate. Results are valid for 2 years, and you must wait 20 days between two sittings. For Express Entry, IRCC asks you to enter the “Équivalence ancien score” column: how it works.

TCF Canada results: FAQ

How long do TCF Canada results take?

France Éducation international commits to 15 working days from the day it receives the session material, not from the test day. The centres we checked on 22 October 2026 state 2 to 6 weeks after the test, and Concordia up to 6 weeks in summer.

Where do I find my TCF Canada results?

In your TCF-Candidat space, where you download the results certificate. Results are also sent to your centre, and some centres email them. If you cannot create your account, contact your test centre.

My results have not arrived after 15 days. Is that normal?

Often, yes: the 15 working days start when France Éducation international receives the session material, after the centre has sent it. Compare with the delay your centre states, then contact the centre: it is the link with France Éducation international.

How long are TCF Canada results valid?

2 years from the date the results are issued, according to France Éducation international; the date is on the certificate. For Express Entry, IRCC requires results less than 2 years old both when you complete your profile and when you submit your permanent residence application.

Can I appeal my TCF Canada score?

Not for sessions taken since 1 September 2026: France Éducation international has temporarily suspended re-marking of the writing and speaking tests. You have to retake the test, at least 20 days after the previous sitting.

Sources and dates

TCF Canada Coach is an independent preparation tool with no link to France Éducation international, CCI Paris Île-de-France, IRCC or the centres listed. For your results, contact your centre.