Guide TEF Canada
TEF Canada reading: 40 questions in 60 minutes
TEF Canada reading has 40 multiple-choice questions (4 options) in 60 minutes, on computer. Unlike listening, you can move freely between screens.
Key facts
- 40 questions, 4 options, 60 minutes, over 51 screens; you can move back and forth freely.
- Structure in the official sample: 1–7, everyday documents; 8–17, gap-fill sentences and texts; 18–22, skimming texts and charts; 23–32, administrative and work documents; 33–40, press articles.
- For IRCC: NCLC 7 = 207 to 232 in the “ancien score”; NCLC 9 = 248 to 262; NCLC 10 = 263 to 300.
- Your certificate shows a score out of 699 and an “Équivalence ancien score” line: IRCC only accepts the ancien score.
Official sources: TEF Canada — on test day · Le français des affaires — TEF Canada · Official TEF sample — reading (PDF) · IRCC — language test results (Express Entry) · TEF Canada — results · TEF Canada — certificate
Practise now
No sign-up. An NCLC estimate as a range, never an official result.
Where candidates get stuck
What comes up most often in the candidate accounts we have read.
- Administrative documents. Rules, work emails, terms and conditions: precise vocabulary you rarely meet outside work.
- Gap-fill texts. You need a connector or word that fits the logic of the sentence, not just the grammar.
- Time on press articles. The last eight articles are the longest; you need to reach them with time to spare.
Official sources: TEF Canada — on test day · Le français des affaires — TEF Canada
How to practise
- Use the free navigation: do the quick ones first, flag the long ones and come back.
- Read real documents: city notices, subscription terms, job ads.
- Practise with the official TEF samples and their online tutorials.
FAQ
How long is TEF Canada reading?
60 minutes for 40 questions.
Official source: TEF Canada — on test day
Can I go back to a question?
Yes, in reading you can navigate freely. That is not the case in listening.
Official source: TEF Canada — on test day
Which /699 score do I give IRCC?
None: IRCC uses the “Équivalence ancien score” line of the certificate. The /699 score is not compatible with its system.
Official sources: IRCC — language test results (Express Entry) · TEF Canada — certificate
Read next
TCF TEF Study is independent: neither France Éducation international nor CCI Paris Île-de-France has reviewed this content. Facts come from the official pages cited; check them before you register, as the test owners can change them. Updated 22 October 2026.