Didn't Get NCLC 7 on TCF or TEF Canada? What to Do Next

If you missed NCLC 7, find out by how much and in which skill before you do anything else. One point short in TCF writing or speaking, or a few points short on the TEF ancien scale, is usually a format problem you can fix in three weeks. A gap of a full level in listening or reading needs more time. Your attestation tells you which one you're facing.

Then choose your route. For a recent TCF Canada, re-marking is suspended, so a retake is the only way to change your score. Both tests require 20 days between sittings, and both count equally for Express Entry, so switching is an option if the format worked against you. This guide walks through each decision, with what the miss costs in CRS points and a targeted plan for the skill that let you down.

Step 1: read your results skill by skill

Ignore the overall impression and look at the four numbers.

• TCF Canada: listening and reading are scored out of 699, writing and speaking out of 20.
• TEF Canada: use the "Équivalence ancien score" column for Express Entry (listening /360, reading /300, writing and speaking /450), never the /699 column. IRCC says entering the wrong column can lead to refusal.

Type your TCF scores into the converter to see each skill's level:

For the TEF, use the NCLC score converter with the TEF tab, or check the official table:

Now put each skill below 7 into one of three groups:

Our guides to TCF Canada results and TEF Canada results explain every line of the attestation.

Step 2: know what the miss costs

For Express Entry, the French bonus needs NCLC 7 in all four skills: 25 points, or 50 if you also have CLB 5 or higher in all four English skills. French-language category draws use the same rule. One skill at NCLC 6 means neither, however strong the other three are.

Try your own four levels:

The bonus isn't the whole story. If French is your first official language, NCLC 6 also lowers your core language points and can remove skill-transferability points, because those are based on your lowest ability. Two worked examples, both single, 30, with a bachelor's degree and 3 years of work experience abroad:

In the first profile, NCLC 6 in one skill also falls below the Federal Skilled Worker minimum of NCLC 7 in all four abilities of the first official language. Check your exact situation with the CRS calculator, and read how French CRS points work.

Your current results still count for something. NCLC 5 or 6 can meet other requirements:

Step 3: re-mark, retake or switch?

Re-marking: mostly closed

• TCF Canada: France Éducation international has suspended re-correction of writing and speaking for tests taken from 1 September 2026, for about a year. The service is due back in autumn 2027. Listening and reading were never re-marked: they're multiple choice.
• TEF Canada: an appeal is possible within 30 days, but only for serious anomalies during the test, not because you disagree with a mark.

If something went wrong on the day (noise, a technical fault), report it to the centre before you leave. That's the moment it counts.

Retake: the default route

Both owners require 20 days between two sittings. Twenty days is the minimum, not a plan. Retaking without changing how you prepare tends to give you the same score and cost another fee. Pick the date from your gap: about 3 weeks for a format gap, 4 for a small skill gap, 6 or more for a level gap. TEF results arrive in 1 to 10 working days; TCF results up to 15 working days after France Éducation international receives the session.

Plan your dates here:

Plan to reach NCLC 7 in all four skills in one sitting. The TEF requires all four tests on the same day, and neither IRCC nor France Éducation international describes a way to combine results from different sittings.

Switching tests: only for a format reason

IRCC accepts the TCF Canada and TEF Canada equally for Express Entry. Switching makes sense when the format, not your French, cost you the level:

Before switching, sit a free mock of the other test: TCF Canada mock test 1 or TEF Canada mock test 1. Our comparison of which test is easier for you goes section by section.

Step 4: a targeted plan for your weak skill

Keep the other three skills warm with 15 minutes a day each, and give the weak one an hour a day plus a long weekend session. Sit a full timed mock at the halfway point and a week before the test.

Writing (3–4 weeks)

• Week 1: rewrite your test tasks from memory and fix the format first: word counts, all tasks finished, no sentences copied from the prompt.
• Week 2: one timed task a day in TCF writing practice or TEF writing practice. Keep a list of your repeated errors from our common writing mistakes guide.
• Week 3: full writing sections against the official clock, then reread only for your error list.

Speaking (3–4 weeks)

• Week 1: record every task, listen back, count silences. Silence costs more than small mistakes.
• Week 2: build banks: questions for role-plays, linking phrases for opinions. « D'un côté… de l'autre… », « Je comprends votre point de vue, mais… »
• Week 3: full timed speaking runs every other day in TCF speaking practice or TEF speaking practice. Our guide to practising French speaking alone has solo drills.

Listening (4–6 weeks)

• Daily: 20 minutes of real French audio, with transcripts where possible, plus one timed practice block in TCF listening practice or TEF listening practice.
• Weekly: review every missed question. Did you miss the information, or misread the question? They need different fixes.
• Our French podcasts for TCF and TEF listening are grouped by NCLC level.

Reading (4–6 weeks)

• Daily: one timed set in TCF reading practice or TEF reading practice, then one article from a French-language newspaper.
• Weekly: time yourself on the long texts at the end of the paper, where the NCLC 7 points sit.

If the gap is in two or more skills, use our 30-day plans for the TCF Canada or TEF Canada instead, starting from day 2.

Two worked examples

These are illustrations, not real candidates.

Amira, TCF Canada: listening 471, reading 502, writing 9/20, speaking 11/20. Three skills are at NCLC 7 or above; writing is one point short. Her task 3 came in at 196 words, above the 180-word maximum. A task outside its word range can lead to an "A1 non atteint" rating. That's a format gap. She books a retake 4 weeks out, writes one timed task 3 every day, counts every text and stops at 170 words. She doesn't switch tests: she's already comfortable with the TCF's listening and reading.

Daniel, TEF Canada (ancien scores): reading 226, listening 232, writing 330, speaking 352. Listening is 17 points below the 249 needed for NCLC 7. That's a small skill gap, but his review shows he lost most points on the radio interviews in the second half, where he read the question too late. He spends 5 weeks on daily listening with transcripts, practises using the seconds before each audio, and sits two full mocks in the real order before his retake.

Neither of them retakes at 20 days. Both use the attestation to decide what to change first.

Habits that keep people stuck

• Retaking at the minimum wait without a new plan. The 20-day rule is a floor. Most people need longer to change a result.
• Studying all four skills equally. Your lowest skill decides the bonus. Spend most of your hours there.
• Practising without the official clock. Many near-misses come from timing: an unfinished task, a rushed last section. Every practice session should be timed.
• Never re-reading the attestation. The four numbers are a free diagnosis. Revisit them each week to check you're still working on the right gap.

Meanwhile, keep your Express Entry profile working

Your current results stay valid for 2 years from the attestation date, and the pool doesn't close while you prepare. Keep your profile up to date, and when your new results arrive, enter them in your profile. If you're invited before then, your application must use results that are less than 2 years old when you submit it. The French for Express Entry guide covers how French fits into each program.

A word on mindset

Missing NCLC 7 by a point feels personal. It isn't. The tests are built to sort people into bands, and many candidates sit near a boundary. The most useful thing a near-miss gives you is information: an attestation that tells you exactly where the points went. Use it, give yourself the weeks the gap needs, and go back in with a plan rather than a hope.

Your next step

1. Convert your four scores

   Put each skill into the NCLC converter and sort your gaps into format, small skill or level gaps.

2. Sit a fresh timed mock

   Take a free TCF Canada or TEF Canada mock test to confirm your gap before booking a date.

3. Train the skill that cost you the level

   Follow the plan above. For detailed feedback on every writing and speaking attempt, see our plans.

Retake rules, re-marking and IRCC requirements can change. This article reflects France Éducation international's, Le français des affaires' and IRCC's pages as checked on the date shown above. We're an independent prep site, not affiliated with IRCC, France Éducation international or Le français des affaires.