• the French Ministry of Education
• the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation
• the French Ministry of the Interior
• the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship of Canada
• the Quebec Ministry of Immigration, Francisation and Integration
• the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration

What are the tests?

The TEF consists of 5 tests:

• Oral comprehension (CO)
• Written comprehension (CE)
• Oral Expression (EO)
• Written Expression (EE)
• Vocabulary and syntax (LS)

Which examinations correspond to which test?

The TEF is a modular test. Depending on your objective and the steps you take, you should register for the TEF version that includes the tests you need.
Please note that for some versions of the TEF, the tests must be taken during the same session.

Études	Naturalisation	Carte de résident	Canada	Québec
			Mandatory examinations for immigration
			Oral comprehension	Elective examinations
Mandatory examinations		Mandatory examinations	Written comprehension	Oral comprehension
Oral comprehension	Mandatory examinations	Oral comprehension	Oral expression	Oral expression
Written comprehension	Oral comprehension	Written comprehension	Written expression	Additional examinations(primary applicant)
Vocabulary and syntax	Oral expression	Oral expression	Mandatory examinations for a citizenship application	Written comprehension
Written expression		Oral comprehension	Mandatory examinations for a citizenship application

You can take the TEF to certify your level of French. It is also recognized to :

• Integrate a school / university
• Obtain the French or Swiss nationality with the TEF Naturalisation
• Obtain the French Resident Card with the TEF Carte de résident
• Immigrate to Canada and obtain Canadian citizenship with the TEF Canada
• Immigrate to Quebec with the TEF Québec (TEFAQ)

How is the TEF evaluated?

The tests are evaluated using a scale of 7 levels, from level 0 (most basic skills) to level 6 (good skills).
This scale refers to the 6 levels (A1 to C2) of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) of the Council of Europe and the 12 Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) / from Quebec (EQNCF).

• The written comprehension, oral comprehension and vocabulary and syntax tests are in the form of multiple-choice questionnaires.
• The written expression test consists in writing two texts related to your everyday life. It is evaluated by two independent, trained and experienced proofreaders.
• The oral expression test consists of two role-plays corresponding to real-life situations. It is evaluated by two independent examiners: the test facilitator and a second evaluator who is based on the recording of the test.

Integrate a school/university
In France

The TEF is officially recognized since 2004 by the French Ministry of National Education and assesses the written and oral French language skills of all foreign students applying for undergraduate university enrollment in France.
The TEF consists of 4 compulsory tests:

• Reading comprehension: 60 min – 50 questions
• Oral comprehension: 40 min – 60 questions
• Written expression: 60 min – 2 subjects to be covered
• Vocabulary and syntax: 30 min – 40 questions

In other French-speaking countries

The TEF is recognized by many universities and schools, especially in Canada, to certify your level of French as part of the admission procedure. Contact the institution you wish to attend directly: they will tell you the number and type of TEF tests you will have to take. In this period of health crisis, some institutions have chosen the TEF Express, a home test that allows you to quickly assess your language level for admission. This is a one-time, exceptional solution.
For more information,
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