Sections
Quick answer
TEFAQ or TEF Canada: which one do you need?
TEFAQ (Test d'évaluation de français adapté pour le Québec) is accepted only by Quebec's immigration ministry, while TEF Canada is accepted by both Quebec and IRCC for federal Express Entry. If there is any chance you will also apply through a federal program, take TEF Canada or TCF Canada: one sitting covers both systems. TEFAQ makes sense mainly if you are committed to Quebec and want to test fewer skills, since it is modular and oral-first.
Quebec runs its own immigration system, and its ministry (MIFI) accepts a longer list of French tests than IRCC does. That creates a real decision: sit a Quebec-only test like TEFAQ, or a dual-use test like TEF Canada that also works for Express Entry. This guide compares acceptance, formats, and required levels using Gouvernement du Québec rules and official test information from Le français des affaires.
Key Takeaways
- Quebec (MIFI) accepts TEFAQ, TCF Québec, TEF Canada, TCF Canada, TEF, TCF, DELF and DALF.
- IRCC accepts only TEF Canada and TCF Canada for French in federal programs.
- TEFAQ is modular: you can sit only the oral tests, which is enough for many Quebec streams.
- The PSTQ's main skilled stream asks for oral level 7 (roughly B2) and written level 5 on the Quebec scale.
- Results must be less than 2 years old when you apply for permanent selection.
What is the TEFAQ, exactly?
The TEFAQ is the Quebec-adapted version of the TEF, produced by the same organisation as TEF Canada (Le français des affaires, at the Paris Île-de-France chamber of commerce). Its defining feature is modularity: you register only for the sections your program requires. The listening test runs 40 minutes with a series of 40 questions, and the speaking test is a face-to-face interview with an examiner built around two tasks, about 15 minutes in total. Reading and writing modules exist and can be added when your stream or your points strategy needs written levels.
Because many Quebec streams weight spoken French most heavily, a large share of TEFAQ candidates sit only compréhension orale and expression orale. That is the practical appeal: a shorter exam day focused on the two skills Quebec checks first.
Where each test is accepted
Acceptance is the decision that matters most, because it is the one you cannot fix with more study. Here is the 2026 map for the main French tests, based on the Gouvernement du Québec list of recognised tests and IRCC's language test rules.
| Test | Quebec (MIFI) | Federal Express Entry (IRCC) | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| TEF Canada | Accepted | Accepted | All 4 skills, fixed |
| TCF Canada | Accepted | Accepted | All 4 skills, fixed |
| TEFAQ | Accepted | Not accepted | Modular, oral-first |
| TCF Québec | Accepted | Not accepted | Modular, oral-first |
| DELF / DALF | Accepted | Not accepted | Diploma, all 4 skills |
The asymmetry is the whole story. A TEF Canada or TCF Canada attestation opens both doors, while TEFAQ, TCF Québec, DELF and DALF open only the Quebec one. For the full federal comparison of the two dual-use tests, see TEF Canada vs TCF Canada, and for the two TCF variants, the TCF Québec vs TCF Canada guide.
What level does Quebec actually require?
Quebec measures French on its own 12-level scale, the Échelle québécoise des niveaux de compétence en français. For the PSTQ (Programme de sélection des travailleurs qualifiés), the main skilled stream for professional occupations asks for oral French at level 7 or higher and written French at level 5 or higher, and streams for intermediate and manual occupations focus on spoken level 5 or higher. Level 7 corresponds roughly to B2 on the European scale, the same working level as NCLC 7 federally.
Two practical rules follow. First, check your specific stream before booking modules, because oral-only may be enough or written levels may add points. Second, your attestation must be less than 2 years old on the day you apply for permanent selection, so time your sitting against your Arrima or application calendar, not just your study plan. Full delivery timelines and validity rules for both tests are in the results guide.
How to choose in practice
Choose TEF Canada (or TCF Canada) if any of these apply: you are keeping Express Entry open as a plan B, you already live outside Quebec, or your profile could qualify for the federal French-language category. The federal French bonus is significant, and only these two tests count there. One exam then serves every application you might file. You can gauge your current level today with a free TEF Canada practice test and convert the result with the CLB conversion tool.
Choose TEFAQ if you are firmly committed to Quebec, your stream needs oral levels only, and you want the shortest possible exam. The oral-only sitting is cheaper and less tiring, and the speaking interview format rewards focused practice. If you later change course toward a federal program, plan on retesting with TEF Canada, since TEFAQ results cannot be transferred.
Unique insight: Among the candidates we see preparing for Quebec streams, the most common regret is having sat an oral-only TEFAQ and then discovering a federal option months later, which means booking, paying and preparing a second full exam. Candidates who were unsure of their destination and sat TEF Canada first almost never face that double cost. If your plans have any federal ambiguity, the dual-use test is the safer default.
Preparing for either test
The oral skills transfer almost perfectly between TEFAQ and TEF Canada, because both use the same listening item style and the same face-to-face interview tradition from Le français des affaires. Train listening under time pressure with 40-question blocks, and rehearse the speaking tasks out loud from a plan rather than a memorised script. Our TEF speaking practice grades responses against examiner criteria, and the booking guide explains how far ahead centres fill in Canada.
Whichever test you pick, sit one full timed mock before you book. Knowing whether you are at level 5, 7 or 9 today changes which modules you register for and how many weeks of preparation you actually need.
Share this guide
