Why French helps an Express Entry profile
Express Entry ranks profiles with Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points. If you learn French for Canada immigration while English stays your first official language, French helps in three ways:
- Second-language points: per skill, 1 point from NCLC 5, 3 from NCLC 7 and 6 from NCLC 9, up to 24 in total (22 with a spouse or partner).
- The French bonus: 25 points with NCLC 7 or higher in every French skill, or 50 if every English skill is also at CLB 5 or higher.
- French-language draws: open to candidates with NCLC 7 or higher in every French skill who also qualify for an Express Entry program.
For example, with CLB 9 in English and NCLC 7 in every French skill, French adds 12 second-language points and the 50-point bonus, 62 points in all. With NCLC 9 in every skill, the second-language points rise to 24.
Before you rely on these points
These figures come from IRCC’s CRS criteria (page modified 22 June 2026). They are for information only, not immigration advice, and IRCC can change them: check before you plan around them.
Enter your levels in the calculator to see what French would add to your own profile.
Your French levels
- French bonus50 points
- Second-language points12 points
- French-language drawsLanguage condition met
What NCLC 7 means on TCF Canada
TCF Canada scores each section separately, and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) turns each score into an NCLC level. NCLC 7 covers these scores:
| Section | What you do | Score range |
|---|---|---|
| Listening (Compréhension orale) | 39 questions in 35 min; each recording plays once | 458–502 out of 699 |
| Reading (Compréhension écrite) | 39 questions in 60 min | 453–498 out of 699 |
| Writing (Expression écrite) | 3 tasks in 60 min | 10–11 out of 20 |
| Speaking (Expression orale) | 3 tasks in 12 min, with an examiner | 10–11 out of 20 |
On the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), which runs from A1 to C2, these scores start at B2 in every section. So the realistic goal is solid B2 French in all four skills, writing and speaking included. For comparison, NCLC 5 starts at B1 and NCLC 9 at C1. Each skill is detailed on our NCLC 7 page.
A plan by stage, from beginner to B2
No honest plan can promise a date: the time it takes depends on your starting level and on how many hours you study each week. Work in stages instead, and move on when you pass the check at the end of each one.
- Start
Beginner: sounds and everyday basics
Pronunciation, the present tense, numbers, dates and the words of daily life: work, housing, shopping, health, transport. Listen to slow, simple French every day. Move on when you can talk about yourself for a minute and follow short, slow dialogues on familiar topics.
- A2
A2: everyday situations
Add the past tenses (passé composé and imparfait) and the near future. Read short messages and notices, and write messages of 60–120 words, the length of writing task 1. Move on when you can handle a simple exchange in a shop or an office and write a clear message without a dictionary.
- B1
B1: opinions and longer texts
Give and justify an opinion, tell a story with details, and follow radio or podcasts at normal speed. Write texts of 120–150 words, the length of task 2. Take our free listening and reading series once at this stage to see where you stand. Move on when you can follow the main points of a conversation at normal speed and defend a view for 4 min 30, the length of speaking task 3.
- B2
B2: the level NCLC 7 asks for
Nuance and precision: comparing points of view, linking words, complex sentences and fast, natural speech. TCF Canada practice now becomes your main work. Book the test when your listening and reading estimates reach the start of NCLC 7 (458 and 453), and your writing and speaking hold every length and timing with few errors, ideally checked by a teacher.
Check each stage with measures that match the test. Our free listening and reading series give a practice estimate with a range, not an official score; compare the low end of that range with the TCF Canada score chart.
A weekly routine for any stage
Short daily sessions are easier to keep up than one long session at the weekend. Here is an example week: keep the pattern and change the content as you move up a stage.
| Day | Main work | Short extra |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Listening at your level, then the transcript | Note new words |
| Tuesday | Reading: one short text and one longer one | Read your notes aloud |
| Wednesday | Writing: one timed text, then correct it | Ten minutes of listening |
| Thursday | Speaking: 2 min on your day or an opinion, recorded | Listen back and note errors |
| Friday | One grammar point, with exercises | Ten minutes of reading |
| Weekend | French you enjoy: a film, a podcast, a conversation | Review the week’s words |
Learn French for Canada PR online, free or low cost
Much of the work can be done online for little or no money. What counts is daily contact with French and a regular check of your level.
- French radio, TV and podcasts, many with transcripts or subtitles: listen first, then read along to find the words you missed.
- News written for learners, short and simple, then ordinary news from B1.
- Your public library, which may give free access to language courses, French books and audiobooks.
- Language exchanges and conversation groups, in person or online: a cheap way to practise speaking.
- A tutor for speaking, even one session a week, once you reach A2: speaking is the hardest skill to train alone.
- Our free TCF Canada series, one in listening and one in reading, with answers explained, to measure your level on the test’s scale.
If you are starting from zero, begin with basic French for everyday life in Canada: greetings, numbers, dates, appointments, housing and work. The first questions of TCF Canada, at A1, use this kind of simple everyday French.
When to switch from learning French to TCF Canada practice
Switch step by step: from B1, add one test-format session a week; at B2, make test practice most of your week. Test practice teaches what a general course does not:
- The format: 39 listening questions in 35 minutes, with one listen per recording, 39 reading questions in 60 minutes, three writing tasks in 60 minutes and 12 minutes of speaking with an examiner.
- The limits: word ranges of 60–120, 120–150 and 120–180 words in writing, and speaking tasks of 2 min, 3 min 30 and 4 min 30.
- The pace: questions get harder from A1 to C2, so you move fast at the start and keep time for the end.
You are ready to switch when your free series estimates are within one NCLC level of your target and you can write a task 2 text in about 20 minutes. From there, our step-by-step preparation guide takes over, and the writing Task 2 guide shows one prompt answered at several levels. To choose your test and see the scores for each level, read our guide to the French test for Canada PR.