How Much Does the TEF Canada or TCF Canada Cost?

IRCC says you must schedule your language test with an agency approved by IRCC and pay the costs yourself. It does not set the price.

For the TEF Canada, the organiser, Le français des affaires (CCI Paris Île-de-France), says plainly: "Registration fees are set by the test center." For the TCF Canada, you also register and pay at an approved centre, and each centre we read published its own fee.

So the same exam can cost a different amount in two cities, and the price can change from one year to the next. The tables below are examples, not a price list.

Frenchly is not affiliated with any test centre, with Le français des affaires or with France Éducation international. We read each centre's public page on 2 November 2026. Prices change, so always check the centre's own page before you pay.

These are the fees for the full exam (all four skills) that you need for Express Entry, as each centre showed them.

• Currency and tax. Toronto states Canadian dollars. The other pages show only "$", and none of the pages says whether tax is included. Ask the centre if it matters to your budget.
• McGill prices each section: $145 listening, $145 speaking, $73 reading and $73 writing. The $436 total is our sum; the page does not show one full-exam price. It also lists a fifth section, Lexique et structure, at $73, with results on a separate certificate. The page says it is up to you to choose the sections you need, so check the TEF Canada requirements before you add it.
• "Not shown" means we could not find a fee on that page. It does not mean the centre does not offer the test. Contact the centre.

For centres near you, see our city pages: Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver, Calgary and Ottawa.

Many people take the test before they move. Fees outside Canada are set in the local currency by the local centre. These are the examples we could confirm on a centre's own page.

Nigeria, the UAE and other countries: when we checked, we did not find an exam fee on a centre's public page for Lagos or Dubai. Use the official centre finders, then ask the centre for its current fee in writing before you pay:

• TEF Canada: Le français des affaires — find a TEF test centre. The organiser says it has about 500 centres in more than 110 countries.
• TCF Canada: France Éducation international — TCF centre map.

Be careful with prices on social media or agent websites. Some list old or made-up figures. The only price that counts is the one on the centre's own page or in its written reply.

• Changing your date. Alliance Française de Toronto does not refund, but lets you move to another date or campus for a $100 administrative fee, if you ask at least 15 days before a computer session (30 days before a paper TCF session).
• No refunds at many centres. The TEF organiser says registration is "firm and final" and fees are kept. A proven major reason for absence may lead to a new registration at no extra cost. Calgary says no refund or deferment is possible for the TCF Canada.
• Retakes. If you need a better result, you register and pay again. Centres also set a minimum wait between attempts, so ask yours before you plan a second date.
• Score review. Alliance Française d'Ottawa lists $100 per component to ask for a TCF re-evaluation.
• Travel. If the nearest centre is in another city, add transport, a night's stay if needed, and time off work.
• Preparation packages. Some centres sell the exam with a preparation package (Vancouver lists the TEF Canada with preparation at $450). Compare it with what you already use before you pay extra.

Cheaper options that do not count for Express Entry. Some centres sell a two-skill version of the TEF Canada (listening and speaking), which is used for citizenship (see our citizenship guide): $195 in Edmonton and Ottawa, $200 in Vancouver and $240 in Calgary. Express Entry needs results in all four abilities, so make sure you book the full exam.

1. 1Confirm the version. For Express Entry you need TEF Canada or TCF Canada, all four skills. TEFaQ and TCF Québec are different tests. If you are still choosing, read TEF vs TCF Canada.
2. 2Open the centre's official exam page, not a third-party listing. Note the fee, the currency and whether tax is included.
3. 3Read the refund and transfer rules before you pay. At many centres you cannot get your money back.
4. 4Check what the fee includes. One price for all four skills, or a price per section?
5. 5Add travel and a possible retake to get your real total.
6. 6Book during the registration window. See the steps in How to book the TEF Canada and How to book the TCF Canada.

The fee is the same at a centre whether you are ready or not. The most expensive mistake is booking too early and paying again for a retake. A few habits help:

• Check your level first with a free TEF practice test or TCF practice test, then convert your result with the NCLC calculator. This gives an estimate only; only the official certificate counts.
• Do not book too far ahead of your deadline. IRCC requires results to be less than 2 years old when you complete your Express Entry profile and when you apply. See how long results are valid.
• Practise every skill. One weak skill can hold back your result, so do not skip writing or speaking.

Between the TEF and the TCF, the price difference at the Canadian centres we read is small (TEF Canada $390, TCF Canada $390 to $410). Pick the test on dates and format, not on price.