TEF Canada Practice Test with an Examiner That Talks Back

Q: How accurate are the scores?

Listening and reading are marked against the answer key. Writing and speaking are AI-assisted estimates built on the official 0-450 scale and the CEFR criteria, designed to land close to a real result. They are not official TEF results.

Full mock exams in the current TEF Canada format. An Expression orale examiner that answers your questions and argues with you, based on what you actually say. Writing scored on the TEF criteria, with feedback in English. Every section scored on the scale IRCC reads, with your NCLC level.

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LinguaMock.ai is an AI-powered TEF Canada practice platform. It runs complete, timed mock exams in the current format and scores all four sections with your NCLC level. Most candidates find out too late that Expression orale is the section deciding their file. It is the hardest to rehearse and the hardest to judge yourself, and a tutor charges the most for it. LinguaMock.ai was built around that section first.

LinguaMock.ai at a glance

Exam: TEF Canada, for Canadian permanent residence
Format: The current format, with 40-question listening and reading
Practice tests: 50 full mock tests, all four sections
Expression orale: An AI examiner that answers your questions and argues back
Expression écrite: Scored on the TEF criteria, with feedback in English
Scoring: The scales IRCC reads, with your NCLC level for every section
Works on: Any browser: phone, tablet or laptop
Free trial: 7 days, one full test, no card required

TEF Canada Expression orale

Expression orale practice with an examiner who has no script

15 minutes
Section A + Section B
Scored 0–450 with NCLC

On the exam. Section A lasts five minutes. You have seen an advert or a notice and you phone to find out more: you ask the questions, the examiner answers. Section B lasts ten minutes. You present a document to a friend and try to convince them, and they are not easily convinced. Section A is formal and Section B is informal, and handling that shift is part of what is assessed.

Most speaking practice online is a recorded question and a countdown. You talk, it records, and nothing you say changes what happens next. That builds some fluency. It does nothing for an exam where you have to ask, listen, and respond to someone who reacts to you.

On LinguaMock.ai, the examiner talks back. There is no script and there are no stock replies, and no two conversations come out the same. It is the closest you can get to sitting in front of a TEF examiner without booking a test.

Section A: ask a real question, get a real answer Ask about prices, dates or conditions and you get real, consistent answers, as you would from a person on the phone. Ask something vague and you get a vague answer, just as on the day. That is how you learn to ask the precise, varied questions Section A rewards.
Section B: someone who pushes back Make your case and the examiner objects to what you just said. You practise what this section measures: answering resistance, rephrasing, and bringing new reasons instead of repeating the same one louder.
Nothing to memorise Every reply is shaped by your words, so a memorised answer gets you nowhere, which is exactly the condition you face in the real exam.
The same shape and pressure as the day Five minutes for Section A, ten for Section B, formal and then informal. When you walk into the test centre, it will not be your first time.
Feedback in English You speak in French and you are assessed in French. The explanation of your result is written in English, so you understand exactly what cost you points even while your French is still at B1.

What you get back: a score on the official 0–450 scale with its NCLC level and clear feedback on what to fix, in about a minute. You can practise at midnight. A tutor willing to argue with you in French for fifteen minutes cannot be booked then, and costs far more.

TEF Canada Expression écrite

Expression écrite practice, marked the way the TEF marks

60 minutes
Section A + Section B
Scored 0–450 with NCLC

On the exam. Section A gives you 25 minutes and needs at least 80 words. You get the opening of a short news story and write the rest in the style of a newspaper article. Section B gives you 35 minutes and needs at least 200 words. You react to a statement and defend your point of view with developed arguments, writing to readers. Register and structure count as much as grammar. A clean text in the wrong register scores poorly.

The line that matters is 310, the start of NCLC 7, which you need in every skill for the French-language Express Entry draws. Most candidates who fall short of it do not have a spelling problem. Their text does not do what the task asked, or does it in the wrong voice. A spellcheck cannot see that. A marker working to the TEF criteria can.

Marked on the criteria the TEF uses This is not a word count and a spellcheck. Your text is assessed against the CEFR-based criteria the TEF uses. A breakdown shows where your marks came from and which criterion is costing you the most.
Marked against the task you were set Section A is a narrative and Section B is an argument, and each is assessed against its own task. A Section B that tells a story instead of defending a position loses marks here, just as it would on the day.
Feedback aimed at NCLC 7, not a list of errors A page of corrected accents will not move you from NCLC 6 to NCLC 7. Knowing that your Section B states a position but never defends it will. The feedback shows what stands between your text and the level above it, in English.
Results in about a minute Write, see your score, fix the weak point, and write again the same evening. That loop is how a level moves.

TEF Canada Compréhension orale

Compréhension orale practice tests in the current 40-question format

40 minutes
40 questions
Scored 0–360 with NCLC

On the exam. Forty multiple-choice questions in forty minutes, rising steadily from A2 to C1. It runs from short everyday conversations and announcements to long interviews, reports and debates. Recordings play on the exam's own schedule, with a fixed window to answer each question. You cannot pause or rewind.

The real paper, from the first question to the last Every test follows the current format. When you sit the real exam, you already know what is coming and how fast it comes.
Timed exactly like the exam The same time to read and the same time to answer as on the day. Practising with unlimited time teaches you a test you will never sit.
The last stretch decides NCLC 8 and above The final questions are long C1 recordings where you have to follow an argument, not just catch a fact. Every test gives you the full set, so you train where higher levels are won.
50 tests, never the same recording twice Every test has its own situations, speakers and topics. A good score means you understood, not that you remembered.
Every answer explained, your NCLC level instantly Each question explains why the right option matches what was said and why the tempting one does not. Your score and NCLC level appear the moment you finish.

TEF Canada Compréhension écrite

Compréhension écrite practice tests in the current 40-question format

60 minutes
40 questions
Scored 0–300 with NCLC

On the exam. Forty questions in sixty minutes, which is ninety seconds a question including the reading. It runs from adverts, notices and timetables through gap-fills and rapid reading to opinion pieces at C1. Most marks lost here are lost to the clock: candidates read carefully, fall behind, and guess the last ten.

The real paper, from the first question to the last Every test follows the current format, with documents, charts and longer texts presented as they are on screen in the exam.
Learn to spot the trap The right answer usually paraphrases the text, and the tempting wrong one repeats its words. Every answer is explained, so you learn to see the trap before you fall into it.
Ninety seconds a question, on the real clock Untimed practice tells you how well you read. Timed practice tells you your NCLC level.
Your NCLC level the moment you submit Scored on the 0–300 scale IRCC reads, with the matching NCLC level beside it.

LinguaMock.ai compared with other ways to prepare

Most TEF Canada candidates prepare with downloaded practice papers, a private tutor, or both. Here is what each one gives you.

	Practice papers	Private tutor	LinguaMock.ai
Full four-section mock in the current format, timed	Often the old format	Sometimes	✓ Every test
Expression orale partner who answers and argues back	—	✓	✓
Expression écrite scored on the TEF criteria	—	✓	✓
NCLC level for every section	Listening and reading only	Estimated	✓
Time to get writing and speaking results	Not scored	Days	About a minute
When you can practise	Any time	Booked sessions	Any time, any device

Why candidates choose LinguaMock.ai

A missed NCLC level means a new booking, weeks of waiting for results, and sometimes a draw you watch from the outside. Candidates choose LinguaMock.ai so they can find the gap before the exam does.

Practise the section that decides most filesExpression orale is the hardest section to rehearse and the most expensive to practise with a tutor. On LinguaMock.ai you can practise it whenever you want, as often as you need.

Be questioned before it countsPrepared phrases fall apart the moment the examiner says no. Face that pushback at home first, and the real Section B feels like the tenth time, not the first.

Know exactly what is costing you NCLC 7A score on its own tells you nothing. You see which part of your writing and speaking is holding you back, explained in English, so every hour of study goes where it moves your level.

Results you can measure against your Express Entry targetEvery section comes back on the scale IRCC reads, with its NCLC level. You know exactly where you stand against NCLC 7, or whatever your target is, before you pay for the real thing.

The exam you will actually sitPlenty of TEF Canada material still describes the old 60- and 50-question papers. Every LinguaMock.ai test follows the current format, so test day holds no surprises.

Feedback in a minute, not a weekPractise, see what went wrong, fix it, and try again the same evening. Fast feedback is what turns practice into progress.

Enough material for monthsFifty full tests, every one different, with every answer explained. That is a weekly mock for a year, and you never see the same paper twice.

Practise around a full-time jobOn your phone or laptop, before work or after midnight. No sessions to book and nothing to install.

LinguaMock.ai for TEF Canada coaching centres

Every student in a TEF Canada batch needs full mock exams, and the hardest parts to run are the ones that need a French-speaking teacher. Each student needs someone to play the examiner in Expression orale, and every Expression écrite needs marking. LinguaMock.ai does both, so your teachers can teach.

A French-speaking examiner for every student Every student can sit a full Expression orale from home, whenever they like, without taking a teacher out of class. You see the result and decide where to focus.
Full mocks for a whole batch, without the marking Expression écrite and orale come back scored in about a minute, with feedback in English that students actually understand.
See who is ready for NCLC 7 before they book Every student's NCLC level sits in one place, skill by skill. You spot the weak skill before a student pays for an exam they are not ready for.
You stay in control Create student accounts, decide which test each student sits and when, and allocate credits so usage stays where you want it.
Seats that move with your batches Enterprise seats rotate. When one batch finishes, its seats pass to the next, so the same seats serve batch after batch.
TEF Canada and IELTS under one roof Many immigration candidates prepare French and English together. TEF Canada, TEF, IELTS General Training and IELTS Academic are all on the one platform, with fifty full tests for each.

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What TEF Canada is

The Test d'évaluation de français Canada is the version of the TEF that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) recognises for permanent residence applications. That includes Express Entry and the French-language proficiency category draws. It is run by the Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de Paris Île-de-France through approved centres worldwide.

It tests four skills. An immigration file needs all four, and results are valid for two years.

Section	Format	Time	Scale IRCC reads
Compréhension orale	40 questions: conversations, announcements, messages, interviews, radio	40 min	0–360
Compréhension écrite	40 questions: documents, gap-fills, rapid reading, passages	60 min	0–300
Expression écrite	2 sections: news story (80+ words), opinion (200+ words)	60 min	0–450
Expression orale	2 interactive sections: obtain information, convince	15 min	0–450

TEF Canada has no Lexique et structure section, which belongs to the TEF for study. If your goal is Canadian immigration, TEF Canada is the version to sit.

TEF Canada score chart: NCLC / CLB conversion

IRCC does not read your raw marks. It reads your NCLC level (called CLB in English), and each section converts on its own scale.

NCLC / CLB	Compréhension orale	Compréhension écrite	Expression écrite	Expression orale
10	316–360	263–300	393–450	393–450
9	298–315	248–262	371–392	371–392
8	280–297	233–247	349–370	349–370
7	249–279	207–232	310–348	310–348
6	217–248	181–206	271–309	271–309
5	181–216	151–180	226–270	226–270
4	145–180	121–150	181–225	181–225

From IRCC's published TEF Canada equivalency chart, using the équivalence ancien score. Before relying on any number for an application, check the current IRCC language test equivalency table.

Why your certificate shows a score out of 699

TEF Canada results now report each section on a 0–699 scale. They also show an équivalence ancien score column, which converts your result to the older scales above. IRCC has told candidates to use the équivalence ancien score in their profile and not the score out of 699, which its system does not accept. If you have seen a high-looking number on a certificate and cannot match it to the chart, this is why.

Every skill has to clear the bar on its own

CRS points are added up across the four skills, but the thresholds that open doors work differently. The French-language category asks for NCLC 7 in each of the four skills, and so do minimums like Federal Skilled Worker eligibility. A 371 in Expression orale (NCLC 9) does nothing for a 200 in Compréhension écrite (NCLC 6). You have not reached NCLC 7 in all four, so the threshold is not met. One weak section can close the route, which is why candidates who prepare evenly tend to beat candidates who are stronger overall but lopsided.

What NCLC 7 is worth

NCLC 7 in all four skills is the usual threshold for the French-language proficiency category in Express Entry, and it unlocks additional CRS points for French ability. Cut-offs for those draws have historically sat well below the general draws. That is exactly why French has become a route worth taking for candidates who would otherwise be out of range.

IRCC's points grid stops at NCLC 10. A certificate can show NCLC 11 or 12, but for Express Entry those earn the same points as 10. If you are modelling a CRS score, cap French at 10.

Registering for TEF Canada

You book through an approved test centre, not centrally. Centres set their own dates, prices and cancellation terms. In high-demand cities, sittings can be booked out weeks ahead, so check availability before you commit to an Express Entry timeline.

You sit all four sections on the same day, about three hours in total. Results typically arrive within a few weeks and are valid for two years. To improve one section you retake the complete test, not that section alone, which is another reason to work on your weakest skill early.

How to prepare, honestly

Mock tests do not teach you French. Most candidates who reach NCLC 7 have studied for a year or more, and no amount of practice testing replaces that. What a mock does is show you where you stand under time pressure, and which section is holding your file down.

Find your floor first. Take one full test early rather than saving it for the end. The section you expect to be weakest often is not.
Listen to Canadian French as well as European. Radio-Canada, Québécois podcasts, Canadian news. If your listening is built only on European material, you will have gaps.
Train the long recordings on their own. The last part of Compréhension orale is long C1 material. Following an argument is a different skill from catching a fact.
Read against the clock. Ninety seconds a question. Comprehension is rarely the problem. Pacing is.
Stop matching keywords. The right answer usually paraphrases the text, and the option that repeats its words is often the trap.
Speak to something that answers back. Talking into a phone builds fluency, not the interactive skill Expression orale tests.
Write to the task, not to length. Section A is a news story and Section B is an argument. Each has its own register and structure, and the marks follow them.
Rebalance, don't optimise. NCLC 7 has to be reached in every skill separately, so an hour on your weakest skill is worth more than an hour polishing your strongest.

Common questions

What is LinguaMock.ai?

LinguaMock.ai is an AI-powered practice platform for TEF Canada, TEF, IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training. It runs full, timed mock tests and scores every section. Expression orale is run by an examiner that answers and argues back based on what you say, and Expression écrite is scored on the TEF criteria with feedback in English.

Can I practise TEF Canada Expression orale with AI?

Yes. On LinguaMock.ai the examiner answers your Section A questions like a real person on the phone and argues back against your case in Section B, based on what you just said. No two conversations are the same, and you get a score with your NCLC level in about a minute.

How accurate are the scores?

Compréhension orale and écrite are marked against the answer key. Expression écrite and orale are LinguaMock.ai's AI-assisted estimates, built on the official 0–450 scale and the CEFR criteria, and designed to land close to a real result. These are not official TEF results and will not appear on any record held by the CCI Paris Île-de-France or by IRCC.

How many questions are in TEF Canada listening and reading?

Forty each. Compréhension orale is 40 questions in 40 minutes, and Compréhension écrite is 40 questions in 60 minutes. Material describing 60 and 50 questions refers to a previous format.

What TEF Canada score do I need for NCLC 7?

249 in Compréhension orale, 207 in Compréhension écrite, 310 in Expression écrite and 310 in Expression orale. You need all four: NCLC 7 is checked skill by skill, not averaged.

Why does my TEF Canada certificate show a score out of 699?

Results are now reported on a 0–699 scale as well. IRCC uses the équivalence ancien score column on the same certificate, which is on the 0–360, 0–300 and 0–450 scales shown in the chart above.

Is the feedback in French or English?

You write and speak in French and are assessed in French. The feedback explaining your score is in English.

Can I retake only one section of the real exam?

No. TEF Canada is retaken as a complete test, all four sections. That is why finding and fixing your weakest skill before you book matters more than it first appears.

How long are TEF Canada results valid?

Two years. For Express Entry, your results must be less than two years old both when you create your profile and when you submit your application.

Does it work on my phone?

Yes. LinguaMock.ai runs in the browser on iPhone, Android, tablets and laptops, with nothing to install. Expression orale needs a working microphone, and a quiet room helps more than an expensive headset.

Is LinguaMock.ai free?

There is a free 7-day trial that includes Practice Test 1 of TEF Canada: all four sections, including a full Expression orale with the AI examiner. No card is required.

Can coaching centres use LinguaMock.ai?

Yes. With an Enterprise account a centre can create student accounts, assign tests, allocate credits and see every student's results in one place. Seats rotate between batches.

Find out where you actually stand

One full TEF Canada mock test on LinguaMock.ai: all four sections, scored on the scale IRCC reads, with your NCLC level. Free for seven days.

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Also available: TEF IELTS Academic IELTS General Training