Created in 1998 by the Paris Ile-de-France CCI, the Test d’Evaluation de Français (TEF) is an international benchmark test that measures your level of knowledge and skills in French.
Results are valid for two years.
The TEF is officially recognized by :
– the French Ministry of Education
– the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation
– the French Ministry of the Interior
– the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship of Canada
– the Quebec Ministry of Immigration, Francisation and Integration
– the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration
The TEF consists of 5 modular tests:
The TEF is a modular test. Depending on your objective and the steps you take, you should register for the TEF version that includes the tests you need.
Please note that for some versions of the TEF, the tests must be taken during the same session.
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Canada |
Québec |
Intégration, Résidence et Nationalité |
Other purposes |
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Mandatory examinations for immigration Oral comprehension Written comprehension Oral expression Written expression Mandatory examinations for a citizenship application Oral comprehension Oral expression |
Elective examinations Oral comprehension Oral expression Additional examinations (primary applicant) Written comprehension Written expression |
Mandatory examinations Oral comprehension Written comprehension Oral expression Written expression
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Between 1 and 5 tests depending on the objectives: – selecting students – recruting new staff members – certifying your French skills |
You can take the TEF to certify your level of French. It is also recognized to :
Find out more about the tests content and how the exam is conducted
The TEF is officially recognized since 2004 by the French Ministry of National Education and assesses the written and oral French language skills of all foreign students applying for undergraduate university enrollment in France.
🔗 Useful link : Recognition of the TEF by the Ministry of National Education, Higher Education and Research (FR)
The TEF consists of 4 compulsory tests:
See an example of a certificate
To go further
You need to obtain at least 400/699 in the written parts of the TEF (written comprehension and written expression).
For more information, contact the Campus France of the country in which you are located or directly the institution you wish to join.
Indeed, you are exempt from the TCF for the DAP if you obtained at least 400/699 in the written parts of the TEF (written comprehension and written expression).
You are exempt from a French test if you already hold a TCF for the DAP, a DELF B2, a DALF C1/C2, a French baccalaureate (issued by the French Ministry of Education), or if you are a student from one of the French bilingual sections that appears on the list established by the French Ministries of National Education and Foreign Affairs.
You are also exempt from the French test if you come from a French-speaking country or a country where French is an official language (provided that you have completed all of your secondary education in French-language institutions).
Please find a list of officially French-speaking countries: Benin, Belgium, Burkina Faso, Congo – Brazzaville, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Guinea – Conakry, Mali, Niger, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal and Togo.
The list of countries where French is an official language: Burundi, Canada, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Haiti, Madagascar, Mauritania (except Arabic-speaking countries), Rwanda, Seychelles, Switzerland and Vanuatu.
Please note that some institutions require you to have the test/diploma (TEF/TCF/DALF/DELF) even if you are exempt from it.
The TEF is recognized by many universities and schools, especially in Canada, to certify your level of French as part of the admission procedure. Contact the institution you wish to attend directly: they will tell you the number and type of TEF tests you will have to take.