TEF & TCF Canada in Nigeria: Lagos, Abuja, Fees, Booking

In Nigeria you can take the TEF Canada in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Ibadan, and the TCF Canada in Lagos and Port Harcourt. On 20 October 2026, Alliance Française de Lagos and Alliance Française de Port Harcourt both listed ₦750,000 for the full four-skill TEF Canada, with a lower rate for their own students. Abuja's Institut français listed only DELF and DALF on its exams page when we checked.

The fee is high, but for an English-speaking Nigerian applicant the payoff can be large: NCLC 7 in French can add 50 bonus CRS points plus up to 24 second-language points, and it opens French-language category draws. This guide covers centres, fees, booking, results and a realistic study plan if you are starting from English.

Where to take the TEF or TCF Canada in Nigeria

Both tests count the same for IRCC. Your NCLC level decides your Express Entry points, not the test's name. Our comparison of TCF Canada vs TEF Canada explains the format differences.

Here is what each centre published on its own website when we checked. For seat status and how each centre releases places, see our test centres in Nigeria page, or the live TEF Canada exam dates and TCF Canada exam dates calendars.

A few things stand out:

• ₦750,000 is the going rate for the full test at the two centres that publish a price.
• Student rates exist but need 180 hours of French classes with the Alliance Française network in Nigeria in the last 12 months, plus an attestation. If you plan to take a course anyway, this can cut the bill.
• Lagos and Port Harcourt both offer both tests, which gives you more dates to choose from.

For what the same exam costs elsewhere, see our TEF Canada fees by country and centre.

Each centre has its own page in our directory: Alliance Française de Lagos, Alliance Française de Port Harcourt, Alliance Française d'Ibadan and the Institut français in Abuja. If none of these works for you, Le français des affaires keeps an official TEF centre finder (linked in the sources).

How booking works

The two big centres both register online, but the details differ.

Lagos. Registration and payment are online only, through the centre's portal. You create a profile, choose a date, and upload your passport data page and a passport photograph. Session dates appear only inside the portal, not on the public page. The TCF Canada has its own online form, and the centre says you should get a confirmation email the following week.

Port Harcourt. You register and pay through an online payment link on each test page, or contact reception by email or phone. The TEF page lists provisional 2026 dates with registration deadlines about a week before each session.

Ibadan and Abuja. Neither publishes fees or dates online. Call or email before you plan around them.

Rules that apply across centres:

1. No refunds or postponements once you are registered, according to both Lagos pages. Pick a date you are sure about.
2. Missing the exam because of illness needs documentary proof, and for the TEF the test owner decides whether you can move to a later date.
3. Use a working email address. Certificates and updates arrive by email.
4. Register early. Deadlines close before the session, and popular dates can fill.

For a step-by-step walkthrough that applies in any country, read our guides on how to book the TEF Canada and how to book the TCF Canada.

Results, retakes and validity

Results. Le français des affaires says TEF Canada results are sent within 1 to 10 business days of the test. Alliance Française de Lagos is more cautious on its own page and quotes 4 to 6 weeks, so don't plan a tight deadline around the faster figure. For the TCF Canada, Lagos says results reach the centre within 15 working days, and you collect the certificate at the centre.

Retakes. The TEF owner sets a 20-day wait between two sittings, and France Éducation international's TCF Canada page also says 20 days. Lagos still states 30 days. Follow your centre's rule.

Validity. Results are valid for two years. For Express Entry, they must be less than two years old both when you create your profile and when you submit your permanent residence application.

Use this planner to see your countdown, suggested mock-test dates, when results should arrive, the earliest retake and when the result expires.

Why French is a major CRS lever for Nigerian applicants

Most Nigerian Express Entry candidates already have strong English. That is exactly the profile where French pays the most, because the biggest French bonus needs both languages.

Here is how it adds up, from canada.ca's CRS criteria:

• Additional points: NCLC 7 or higher in all four French skills earns 25 points, or 50 if you also have CLB 5 or higher in all four English skills. With an IELTS or CELPIP result, most Nigerian candidates qualify for the 50.
• Second official language: each French skill earns 1 point at NCLC 5–6, 3 points at NCLC 7–8 and 6 points at NCLC 9 or higher, up to 24 points (22 with a spouse).
• Category draws: IRCC lists French-language proficiency first among its Express Entry categories. To be eligible you need NCLC 7 in all four abilities. From February to mid-October 2026, French-category cut-offs ranged from 382 to 435, against 507 to 523 for Canadian Experience Class rounds (IRCC round data, rounds #394 to #450).

So NCLC 7 in French is worth about 62 points for a single candidate with strong English (50 bonus plus 12 second-language points), before you count the category draws. Try your own levels here:

The most recent French-category round:

Our full guide to French CRS points explains each factor, and the CRS calculator shows your complete score. On the TEF Canada, remember to use the "Équivalence ancien score" column of your certificate for Express Entry, never the score out of 699.

Which test should you choose?

In Nigeria, the test you can book soonest at a centre you can reach is usually the right one. If you have a real choice, choose on format:

• TEF Canada: reading, listening and writing on computer, speaking face to face. Two writing tasks with minimum word counts only (80 and 200 words). All four tests on the same day.
• TCF Canada: 39 listening and 39 reading questions, three short writing tasks with minimum and maximum word counts, and a 12-minute speaking test. At Lagos it is computer-based.

English speakers often find the TEF's "convince a friend" speaking task demanding, while the TCF's strict word limits punish long-winded writers. Our article TCF vs TEF: which is easier? compares every section, and this quiz suggests one in under a minute.

A study plan from an English-speaking background

Most Nigerian candidates are learning French as a new language, often alongside a full-time job. A realistic target month matters more than a fast one.

Start with an honest baseline

Take the free French level test or a timed TEF Canada practice test. If you have never studied French, assume you are at the very start and plan for the long route.

Estimate the hours

This planner uses Alliance Française de Lyon's estimate of course hours per CEFR level. It is one school's figure, not an official rule, but it gives you a sensible range. NCLC 7 sits roughly at B2.

From zero, that is commonly more than a year of steady study. Our timeline guide, from zero to NCLC 7, breaks it into stages. The French study plan tool turns your weekly hours into a calendar.

What English speakers get for free, and what they don't

• Vocabulary: thousands of French words look like English ones (information, situation, important). Reading usually comes first for this reason.
• Listening is the hard part. French drops letters, links words together and speaks fast. Daily listening, even 20 minutes on a commute, matters more than long weekend sessions.
• Pronunciation and gender: nasal vowels, the French "r" and masculine/feminine nouns take deliberate practice. Record yourself and compare.
• Speaking needs a partner. Join conversation classes at an Alliance Française or practise aloud with a timer. Many self-taught learners read well but freeze in the speaking test.

Plan the last three months

1. Book your date once you are scoring around NCLC 6 on practice tests. Seats and deadlines come before your exam, not after.
2. Sit full mock tests six, three and one week before. The TEF takes close to three hours of testing time.
3. Practise typing French. On the TEF you type your writing with a virtual keyboard for accents.
4. Fix your weakest skill first. You need NCLC 7 in all four skills, so one weak skill costs you the whole bonus.

Costs beyond the exam fee

Budget for more than the ₦750,000:

• Preparation: courses, books and practice tests. If you take enough Alliance Française hours, the student rate can offset part of the course cost.
• Travel: if you live outside Lagos, Port Harcourt or Ibadan, add transport and possibly a hotel night. Arrive early: on the TCF Canada, no one is admitted once the listening test has started.
• A possible retake: many candidates need a second attempt to reach NCLC 7 in every skill. Keep room in both your budget and your Express Entry timeline.

The free exam day checklist covers what to bring on the day. If you're comparing notes with friends abroad, our India test centre guide shows how seat shortages play out elsewhere.

Other country guides

Booking, fees and strategy differ a lot from one country to the next. We have the same guide for India, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, francophone Africa and Latin America. For every centre and upcoming session worldwide, use our test centre finder.

Our take

For a Nigerian candidate with strong English, French is one of the few CRS levers you control completely. It is expensive and slow, so treat it as a project: get a baseline, set a target month, book a seat in Lagos or Port Harcourt early, and bring your weakest skill up to NCLC 7. Then the 50 bonus points and the French draws are both within reach.