NCLC and CLB are the same Canadian scale in two languages: CLB (Canadian Language Benchmarks) is used for English and NCLC (Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens) for French, both from 1 to 12. NCLC 7 in French meets exactly the same requirement as CLB 7 in English. CEFR (A1 to C2) is a different, European scale, and IRCC doesn't use it to score immigration applications.
You'll still see CEFR labels everywhere, including on your TCF or TEF certificate. This guide explains how the three scales relate, gives an approximate CEFR-to-NCLC table based on official research, and shows why "B2" on a certificate doesn't automatically mean NCLC 7.
- CLB / NCLC levels
- 12
- CEFR levels (A1 to C2)
- 6
- Where research places NCLC 7
- B1+
- French tests IRCC accepts for Express Entry
- 2
NCLC vs CLB: one scale, two languages
The Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks (CCLB) maintains Canada's national language standards for adult immigrants. It describes the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) as the English standard and the Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) as the French one, and says both are recognised as the official Canadian standards for describing, measuring and recognising language ability.
Both are written as 12 benchmarks along a continuum from basic to advanced. Roughly:
- Levels 1–4: basic ability.
- Levels 5–8: intermediate ability.
- Levels 9–12: advanced ability.
IRCC's Express Entry page is short and clear: to measure your levels, it uses the CLB for English and the NCLC for French. Program rules are often written only in CLB terms. The Federal Skilled Worker page, for example, talks about "CLB level 7". If you're proving French, read that as NCLC 7.
What CEFR is, and why IRCC doesn't use it
The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) comes from the Council of Europe. It has six main levels: A1 and A2 (basic user), B1 and B2 (independent user), and C1 and C2 (proficient user). It's used across Europe for courses, diplomas such as the DELF and DALF, and test reports.
IRCC doesn't score applications in CEFR. For each approved test, it publishes equivalency charts that convert test scores straight into CLB or NCLC levels, skill by skill. For French, those tests are the TEF Canada and the TCF Canada. Your CEFR label never enters the calculation.
The main exception is citizenship. IRCC's citizenship requirement is CLB/NCLC 4 or higher in speaking and listening, for applicants aged 18 to 54. On its list of accepted proof, it states the TEF Canada and TCF Canada requirement as "B1 or higher" in listening and speaking. Our French test for Canadian citizenship guide covers that case, and taking the citizenship test in French covers the test itself.
CEFR to NCLC: the approximate correspondence
To see the exact TCF Canada and TEF Canada score ranges behind each level, skill by skill, use our CEFR to NCLC converter. The research-based correspondence below is the big picture.
In 2018, Brian North and Enrica Piccardo produced a research report for the CCLB aligning the CLB/NCLC with the CEFR, using content analysis and rating workshops with English and French samples. Its recommended correspondence is:
| CEFR level | Approximate CLB / NCLC |
|---|---|
| C2 | 12 |
| C1 | 10–11 |
| B2 | 8–9 |
| B1 | 5–7 |
| A2 | 3–4 |
| A1 | 2 |
| Pre-A1 | 1 |
Two details from the report are worth knowing:
- NCLC 7 is a "very strong B1" (B1+). The authors note it has elements of B2, but conclude that doesn't make it B2.
- NCLC 5 sits at the bottom of B1, and NCLC 4 is in the A2 range.
So if you're searching "CEFR B2 to NCLC", the research answer is about NCLC 8 to 9. That's the framework view. Your immigration file works differently.
Why "B2" on your certificate isn't an NCLC level
Your TCF or TEF attestation prints a CEFR level for each skill. Those labels come from the test owner's own score bands, while your NCLC level comes from IRCC's table for that test. The two don't line up neatly.
Here's what each TCF Canada CEFR band converts to on IRCC's NCLC table:
| CEFR on a TCF certificate | Listening score | NCLC from that listening score | Writing or speaking mark | NCLC from that mark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C2 | 600–699 | 10+ | 18–20 | 10+ |
| C1 | 500–599 | 7 to 10+ | 14–17 | 9 to 10+ |
| B2 | 400–499 | 6 or 7 | 10–13 | 7 or 8 |
| B1 | 300–399 | below 4 to 6 | 6–9 | 5 or 6 |
| A2 | 200–299 | below 4 | 2–5 | below 4 or 4 |
The B2 row is the one that surprises people. A TCF listening score of 420 is printed as B2, but IRCC gives it NCLC 6, below the NCLC 7 needed for French-category Express Entry draws. In reading, the B2 band is even wider: a score just above 400 is still NCLC 5.
The TEF Canada works the same way. Its certificate shows a /699 score, a CEFR level and an NCLC level for each skill, but for Express Entry IRCC only uses the "Équivalence ancien score" column. Our TEF Canada score chart explains both columns, and the TCF Canada score chart has every TCF band.
Who uses which scale
A quick map of where you'll meet each label:
| Where you see it | Scale used | What decides your level |
|---|---|---|
| Express Entry (FSW, CEC, FST) and the French bonus | CLB for English, NCLC for French | Your test scores, through IRCC's equivalency chart for that test |
| Post-graduation work permit, Atlantic Immigration Program, Francophone Community Immigration Pilot | CLB / NCLC | Your test scores; for the TEF Canada, IRCC's /699 tables by test date |
| Canadian citizenship (ages 18 to 54) | CLB / NCLC 4 in speaking and listening | For TCF or TEF results, B1 or higher in listening and speaking |
| TCF and TEF certificates | Scores, CEFR and (TEF) NCLC | The test owner prints the labels; IRCC still applies its own table |
| French courses, DELF and DALF diplomas | CEFR | The course or diploma level, not accepted as Express Entry proof |
Two practical consequences. First, a French course "at B2 level" tells you where you are roughly, but it can't stand in for a test result. Second, if you prove English with IELTS, CELPIP or PTE Core and French with the TCF or TEF, both end up on the same 1 to 12 scale, which is why IRCC can combine them, for example in the 50-point French bonus. Our TCF or TEF vs IELTS comparison for Express Entry shows what each test is worth in points.
How long does it take to climb these levels? Our French from zero to NCLC 7 timeline gives realistic study-hour ranges, and the French study plan turns them into a weekly schedule.
Convert your own scores
If you have TCF Canada scores, from a real test or a mock, type them in to see the NCLC level IRCC would give each skill:
Quick TCF Canada → NCLC converter
Enter your scores (or practice estimates) to see your NCLC level in each skill.
Fill in all four scores to see your overall level.
For TEF Canada scores, or to send your levels into the CRS calculator, use the full NCLC score converter. If you've taken an English test too, the CLB calculator converts IELTS, CELPIP and PTE Core scores to CLB levels on the same 1 to 12 scale.
What each NCLC level unlocks
Because CLB and NCLC are the same scale, program rules apply the same numbers to both languages. Pick your lowest speaking or listening level and your lowest reading or writing level to see what's open to you in French:
What does your French level unlock?
Pick your lowest level in speaking and listening, and in reading and writing.
You meet 9 of 9 French-language minimums.
- Canadian citizenship language proof (ages 18–54): metNeeds NCLC 4 in speaking and listening
- Mobilité francophone work permit (outside Quebec): metNeeds NCLC 5 in speaking and listening
- Federal Skilled Trades (French as first language): metNeeds NCLC 5 in speaking and listening, 4 in reading and writing
- Canadian Experience Class, TEER 2 or 3 jobs: metNeeds NCLC 5 in all four skills
- FSW: 4 selection points for French as second language: metNeeds NCLC 5 in all four skills
- Federal Skilled Worker (French as first language): metNeeds NCLC 7 in all four skills
- Canadian Experience Class, TEER 0 or 1 jobs: metNeeds NCLC 7 in all four skills
- Express Entry French-language category draws: metNeeds NCLC 7 in all four skills
- French bonus: 25 or 50 additional CRS points: metNeeds NCLC 7 in all four skills
Minimums from canada.ca (Express Entry language requirements, CRS criteria, category-based selection, Francophone mobility, citizenship). Each program has other requirements too.
The headline thresholds, all from canada.ca:
- NCLC 4 in speaking and listening: citizenship language proof (ages 18 to 54).
- NCLC 5 in speaking and listening: the Mobilité francophone work permit. Our guide to the NCLC 5 French level shows what that looks like, and some provinces reward it too, as in Manitoba's PNP for French speakers.
- NCLC 7 in all four skills: French-language Express Entry draws, and 25 extra CRS points, or 50 if you also have CLB 5 or higher in all four English skills.
- NCLC 9 and above: the maximum language points per skill in the Federal Skilled Worker selection grid, when French is your first official language. See our NCLC 9 guide.
The CRS points for French are explained in our French CRS points guide, and the full Express Entry picture is on our French for Express Entry page.
Common mix-ups
"I have a B2 diploma, so I'm NCLC 7." Not for IRCC. For Express Entry, only TEF Canada or TCF Canada results count for French, and the level comes from their scores. A DELF B2 is a good sign of your level, not proof of it. See TCF Canada vs TCF Québec vs DELF for which test fits which purpose.
"NCLC is easier than CLB." No. They're the same benchmark numbers. What differs is the test you take and its score table.
"My overall level is the average." No. Each skill is converted separately, and "NCLC 7" in a program rule means NCLC 7 in each required skill. Your lowest skill decides.
"CLB 7 is enough for the French bonus." The French bonus needs NCLC 7 in all four French skills. CLB levels in English add to it (from 25 to 50 points) but can't replace it.
How to use this
Find your rough level
Take the free 10-question French level check for a quick estimate in each skill.
Get a real NCLC estimate
Sit a full timed mock test in the TCF or TEF format, and convert each section with the NCLC score converter.
Target the cut-off, skill by skill
Train the skill furthest below your target with the TCF Canada practice test or the TEF Canada practice test. For the full route to the most common goal, read NCLC 7 on the TCF Canada.
Our take
Think of CEFR as the language your French teacher speaks and NCLC as the language IRCC speaks. They describe overlapping ground, and the CCLB's research lets you translate roughly between them: NCLC 7 is a strong B1, B2 is about NCLC 8 to 9. But your application lives or dies on the NCLC level IRCC calculates from your test scores, skill by skill. Plan with those numbers.
Language requirements and equivalency charts can change. This article reflects canada.ca and the Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks as checked on the date shown at the top. The CEFR correspondence is approximate and comes from research, not from IRCC. NCLC French is not affiliated with IRCC, the Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks, France Éducation international or Le français des affaires.