What is NCLC, and how does it relate to TCF Canada?
Checked November 2, 2026
NCLC (Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens) is the national scale that describes adults’ French as a second language in 12 levels. Its English counterpart is the CLB (Canadian Language Benchmarks). NCLC is not a test. You take TCF Canada or TEF Canada, and IRCC converts each of your four results into an NCLC level.
What the scale describes
The Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks presents NCLC as a descriptive scale of 12 benchmarks, from basic to advanced, in listening, reading, speaking and writing. Each level describes communication tasks a person can do. CLB plays the same role for English. IRCC uses the same numbers for both, for example a minimum of CLB 7 in English or NCLC 7 in French for the Federal Skilled Worker program.
How IRCC uses it
IRCC does not use your raw score. It turns it into an NCLC level, for each skill separately, with a chart specific to each test. For TCF Canada, the chart runs from NCLC 4 to NCLC “10 and above”.
| NCLC | Listening | Reading | Writing and speaking |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 and above | 549–699 | 549–699 | 16–20 |
| 9 | 523–548 | 524–548 | 14–15 |
| 7 | 458–502 | 453–498 | 10–11 |
| 5 | 369–397 | 375–405 | 6 |
| 4 | 331–368 | 342–374 | 4–5 |
The full chart, with NCLC 6 and 8, is in TCF Canada scores in NCLC.
The levels Express Entry programs require
| Program | Minimum in French |
|---|---|
| Federal Skilled Worker, first official language | NCLC 7 in all four skills |
| Canadian Experience Class, TEER 0 or 1 job | NCLC 7 in all four skills |
| Canadian Experience Class, TEER 2 or 3 job | NCLC 5 in all four skills |
| Federal Skilled Trades | NCLC 5 in listening and speaking, NCLC 4 in reading and writing |
The minimum applies to each skill. NCLC 9 in listening does not make up for NCLC 6 in writing.
What NCLC is not
- It is not the CEFR. B2 and NCLC 7 are close for TCF Canada, but they are not exact equivalents, see is NCLC 7 the same as B2.
- It is not a test you take. The Centre states that its own placement tests, such as the BTC-NCLC, are not accepted for immigration. For IRCC in French, you need TCF Canada or TEF Canada.
To find your NCLC from your scores, use the NCLC calculator. To estimate your writing before the test, write a task and get a mark out of 20 with the NCLC range.