TCF Canada NCLC calculator: the exact conversion table

Last updated: 18 August 2026 · 6 min read

TCF Canada does not report an NCLC level. It reports raw scores, and IRCC converts those into NCLC (Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens) — the scale that decides your Express Entry language points. If you are trying to work out whether your result clears a threshold, you need the conversion, not the raw number.

You may also see this called CLB (Canadian Language Benchmarks) on IRCC forms and the Express Entry profile — NCLC is simply the French-language name for the same scale CLB uses for English. The numbers and thresholds are identical; only the label changes with the language you tested in.

Use the calculator below for an instant result, or the tables under it if you would rather read off the exact thresholds yourself. Every number on this page comes from the official TCF Canada score ranges IRCC publishes for Express Entry, and it is the same dataset the SailTCF app uses to estimate your NCLC after an eligible complete mock section. A SailTCF estimate is practice feedback, not an official TCF result.

Two different scales

The most common source of confusion is that TCF Canada uses two separate scoring systems:

• Listening and reading are marked out of 699.
• Writing and speaking are marked out of 20.

So a "16" is an excellent speaking result and a meaningless reading result. Each skill converts independently — there is no overall TCF score, no averaging, and no single overall NCLC for TCF Canada. IRCC records four separate NCLC levels.

Listening and reading: 0–699

Note that the two columns are not the same. Reading and listening cross into each band at different scores, and at NCLC 7 they move in opposite directions — reading needs less (453) while listening needs more (458).

Below 342 in reading or 331 in listening, the result falls under NCLC 4, which is the lowest level the IRCC conversion table for TCF Canada publishes.

Writing and speaking: 0–20

The productive skills share one scale and one set of breakpoints, which makes them easier to remember.

A score of 3 or below falls under NCLC 4. Note how wide the NCLC 6 band is (7–9) compared with NCLC 7 (10–11): moving from 9 to 10 is a single point on the mark sheet and an entire NCLC level in your application.

Why NCLC 7 is the number everyone talks about

NCLC 7 in all four French abilities is the threshold IRCC uses for the additional CRS points for French and for the French-language proficiency category in Express Entry. It is one specific threshold for those two benefits — not proof that you are eligible for Express Entry or for permanent residence, which depend on a much longer list of requirements, and never a guarantee of an invitation.

Within that threshold the rule is unforgiving: NCLC 9 in three abilities and NCLC 6 in the fourth does not reach it. In practice your weakest ability is your real level. We wrote a separate piece on how many CRS points French is worth in Express Entry and how the thresholds stack.

Converting your own result

Take your four raw scores and read each one off separately:

• Find your reading score in the reading column — that is your reading NCLC.
• Repeat for listening, using the listening column, not the reading one.
• Read writing and speaking off the 0–20 table.
• For a threshold that requires all four abilities, the lowest of the four is what counts.

If one ability is dragging you under a threshold, that is where every hour of study should go. A candidate at 470/470/12/9 is not "nearly NCLC 7 across the board" — their speaking is NCLC 6, and the entire gap is one speaking point.

Things that trip people up

The scales are not interchangeable. People routinely quote a speaking score against the 699 table and conclude they failed.

Reading and listening thresholds differ. Assuming they are the same is the most common conversion error we see, and it matters most at exactly the NCLC 7 boundary.

There is no rounding up. 452 in reading is NCLC 6, not "basically 7". The published bands are exact.

A CEFR letter is not an NCLC level. Your TCF attestation also reports a CEFR level per ability, but IRCC converts the raw score, not the letter. A B2 label on its own does not establish that you reached NCLC 7 — only your raw score read against IRCC's table does. The same applies to the other accepted French exam — see our TCF vs TEF Canada comparison for how each one is converted.

Estimating before you sit the real exam

The practical use of these tables is knowing where you stand before you pay for a test sitting. Reading and listening can be scored objectively, so a realistic mock gives you a useful estimate. Writing and speaking need a marker, which is the awkward part of preparing alone — our TCF Canada exam format guide covers what each productive task actually asks of you, and how long preparation usually takes sets a realistic timeline from your current level.

Practice the real thing

SailTCF is AI-powered TCF Canada preparation built in English for English speakers: realistic practice across all four skills, with AI-assisted feedback and estimated NCLC bands for writing and speaking. Start free with SailTCF. SailTCF scores are practice estimates, not official TCF results.

SailTCF is an independent exam-preparation tool. We are not affiliated with IRCC, France Éducation international, CCI Paris Île-de-France, TCF Canada or TEF Canada, we are not immigration consultants, and nothing here is immigration advice. Score conversions, exam formats and points rules change — always confirm the current requirements against the official sources above before making a decision about your application.