TEFAQ vs TEF Canada: Québec, Express Entry and Citizenship
See where Québec accepts TEFAQ and TEF Canada, where IRCC accepts only TEF Canada for Express Entry, and how citizenship proof follows separate rules.
TEFAQ (TEF Québec) and TEF Canada are accepted for different purposes. Québec lists both for PSTQ French proof. IRCC lists TEF Canada for Express Entry French evidence, not TEFAQ. TEFAQ offers modular test registration; TEF Canada requires four tests on the same day for a federal immigration application. Your application purpose determines the safer booking decision.
Which version answers which need?
| Need | TEFAQ / TEF Québec | TEF Canada |
|---|---|---|
| Québec PSTQ French evidence | Accepted by Québec, subject to level, component and document rules. | Also accepted by Québec under those rules. |
| Federal Express Entry French test | Not listed as an approved French test. | Listed by IRCC. |
| Immigration-test booking | One to four modules can be taken independently, according to the provider; book every ability your Québec stream requires. | Four compulsory modules on the same day for federal immigration. |
| Score interpretation | Use Québec's result correspondence table for the Échelle québécoise. | Use Québec's table for PSTQ, or IRCC's NCLC table and score-column instructions for Express Entry. |
The tasks look similar, but the certificate's purpose matters
CCI's current TEF Québec page lists reading (40 questions, 60 minutes), listening (40 questions, 40 minutes), writing (two sections, 60 minutes), and speaking (two sections, 15 minutes). It says each module can be taken independently. The TEF Canada page gives the same four test areas and durations for immigration, but says all four are compulsory and must be taken on the same day for the certificate to be recognized by Canadian authorities. Both descriptions include writing section A (continuation of an article) and section B (a justified point of view), and speaking sections for obtaining information and persuading an interlocutor. Similar tasks do not make the results interchangeable across agencies.
For Québec PSTQ, the principal applicant's French baseline varies by stream and, for regulated professions, FEER category. Québec also states an oral level for an accompanying spouse in Streams 1 to 3. Those are Échelle québécoise levels, not federal NCLC. Confirm the current PSTQ requirements and the required components before selecting a modular TEFAQ booking.
Two common mistakes
- “Québec accepts my TEFAQ, so Express Entry will too.” No. IRCC's Express Entry French list names TEF Canada and TCF Canada. The CCI TEFAQ page itself warns that TEFAQ is not recognized for an IRCC immigration application. A Québec selection application and federal Express Entry are different processes.
- “My TEF Canada score out of 699 is the number to type in Express Entry.” IRCC currently instructs users to enter the Équivalence ancien score values for each ability, not the Score / 699 values also shown on the certificate. Use the live IRCC instructions or our TEF Canada NCLC chart guide before entering a profile.
A practical choice sequence
- Name the application: Québec PSTQ, federal Express Entry, or Canadian citizenship. Do not choose a test from a generic “Canada French” label.
- For PSTQ, identify stream, principal and accompanying-spouse requirements, and the specific skills needing proof. Confirm that your planned test modules cover them.
- For Express Entry, choose an IRCC-approved French test and check the two-year result rule at both profile creation and PR submission.
- Confirm approved-centre offerings and the exact certificate version before payment. Fees and seats are centre-specific.
Canadian citizenship has different language-proof rules. IRCC's citizenship list includes TEFAQ under specified conditions and accepts other proof routes; the federal economic-immigration rule above must not be copied into that application. See our citizenship guide or the PSTQ French guide for those distinct purposes. No test choice or score guarantees immigration selection.