Overview
DELF (levels A1 to B2) and DALF (C1 and C2) assess listening, reading, writing and speaking, each out of 25 points. To obtain the diploma you need at least 50 out of 100 overall and a minimum score in each skill. The diplomas do not expire. They exist in versions for adults (tout public), young learners (junior and prim) and professional contexts, and many French universities ask for DELF B2 or DALF C1 for programs taught in French.
The TCF (Test de connaissance du français) instead measures your level on a scale linked to the CEFR. It comes in several versions for different purposes: TCF tout public, TCF Canada for Canadian immigration (reported against the NCLC benchmarks), TCF Québec, TCF DAP for some first-year university applications in France, and TCF IRN for integration, residence and naturalisation procedures in France. Results are generally valid for two years.
Language requirements in France changed from 2026, with naturalisation now requiring B2 in oral and written French and certain residence permits requiring specified levels. Rules and accepted tests are set by governments, not by test centres or by us, so we always start from the official requirement for your procedure.
Who it’s for and the problems it solves
This is for you if you are…
- Students applying to French or francophone universities that require DELF B2, DALF C1 or TCF DAP
- Express Entry or Quebec immigration candidates preparing for TCF Canada or TCF Québec
- Residents of France preparing for TCF IRN or a diploma for a residence card or naturalisation file
- Teachers and professionals who want a lifelong DELF or DALF diploma
- Candidates who passed three skills but fell below the minimum in one
Common problems we help with
- Your production écrite is well written but does not follow the expected format for a formal letter, article or essay
- DALF C1 synthesis and argumentative tasks feel very different from anything you practiced before
- Your speaking gets stuck when the examiner challenges your opinion
- Listening at native speed, especially radio-style recordings, is hard to follow
- You are unsure whether you need DELF, TCF tout public, TCF Canada or TCF IRN
What’s included — and what isn’t
Included
- Help identifying the right test and level from your official requirement
- Diagnostic in all four skills, placed on the CEFR
- Compréhension de l'oral and compréhension des écrits practice with timed sets
- Production écrite coaching with marked drafts (letters, articles, argumentative essays, DALF synthesis)
- Production et interaction orale practice: monologue, debate with the examiner, role plays, and DALF presentations from documents
- TCF task practice for multiple-choice comprehension and the writing and speaking tasks in each version
- For TCF Canada: planning around the NCLC levels your immigration stream requires
Not included
- Immigration or naturalisation advice — we help with French, and official government pages decide what you need
- Promising a diploma, NCLC level or TCF score
- Taking or assisting with any part of the real exam
What you receive
- Test and level recommendation
- Which test, version and target level fit your purpose, with the official page to confirm it.
- Study plan
- A weekly plan balancing the four skills, with extra time for the skill furthest below target.
- Marked writing
- Drafts annotated for task completion, organization, register, vocabulary and grammar, with a corrected model of your own paragraph.
- Speaking mock
- A recorded mock of the oral exam with notes on argumentation, interaction, accuracy and pronunciation.
How it works
Start from the requirement
You share the university, IRCC, Quebec or French administration requirement; we identify the right test.
Placement
A diagnostic places you on the CEFR per skill.
Coaching
Sessions focus on task formats and the skill gaps revealed by the diagnostic.
Mock exam
A timed mock of the written papers and a simulated oral before your test date.
Choosing between DELF/DALF and TCF
- DELF A1–B2
- Pass/fail diploma at one level; four skills out of 25 each; valid for life. B2 often requested for French-taught study.
- DALF C1–C2
- Advanced diplomas with document-based tasks: synthesis and argued writing at C1, and oral presentation and debate based on documents.
- TCF tout public
- Compulsory listening, reading and language-structure sections with optional writing and speaking; results on a scale linked to the CEFR.
- TCF Canada
- Four skills, recognized by IRCC for Express Entry; results converted to NCLC levels for each skill.
- TCF IRN
- Designed for integration, residence and naturalisation procedures in France; check the level your specific procedure requires.
- TCF DAP
- Used for the demande d'admission préalable for some first-year undergraduate applications to French universities.
Production écrite: format and argument
French examiners expect recognizable text types: a formal letter with correct openings and closings, an article with a title and engaging introduction, or an argued essay with a clear plan. At B2 and above, you need to defend a viewpoint with connectors such as 'certes… mais', 'en revanche' and 'par conséquent' used accurately rather than decoratively. We mark against the published criteria for task completion, coherence and language.
The oral: preparing to be challenged
In DELF B2 you present and defend a point of view from a short document, and the examiner will push back. DALF C1 adds a presentation built from a dossier of documents. We run mock orals where we deliberately disagree, so that you practice conceding, nuancing and redirecting in French.
TCF Canada and NCLC levels
Canadian immigration programs set minimum NCLC levels for each skill, and higher levels may earn more points in some programs. Since each skill is converted separately, one weak skill matters. We plan preparation around the per-skill level you need and IRCC's current equivalency table.
What the work can look like
Illustrative example — fictional data
Sample DELF B2 writing feedback
A fictional candidate writes a formal letter to a town council opposing a plan to close a public library. The draft is on topic but informal in places.
Respect de la consigne
All requested points are covered, but the letter lacks a clear request at the end. Add a concrete demand, for example a public meeting.
Cohérence et registre
'Franchement, c'est nul' breaks the formal register. Replace with 'Cette décision me paraît regrettable, dans la mesure où…'.
Langue
Watch agreement after 'la bibliothèque… elle est fréquenté' → 'fréquentée'. Use the subjunctive after 'il est essentiel que'.
Illustrative example with invented content; feedback is coaching, not an official DELF mark.
What you’ll need to provide
- The official requirement (institution, program or government page)
- Any previous DELF, DALF or TCF results
- Your test date and centre
- Written homework and recorded speaking practice
You don’t need everything ready to ask for a quote — tell us what you have and we’ll say what’s missing.
What affects price and turnaround
Price depends on
- Target test and level
- Number of sessions and amount of marked writing
- Whether oral mock exams are included
- Preparation time before the test date
Turnaround depends on
- Registration windows — DELF and DALF are held in fixed sessions at many centres
- Your deadline for a university or immigration file
Every project is quoted individually. How we price our work.
Questions people ask before starting
Which is better for university in France: DELF B2 or TCF?
It depends on the university and program; some list DELF B2 or DALF C1, others accept TCF results, and the TCF DAP is used for some first-year applications. Check the program's requirement.
Which French test do I need for Canadian immigration?
IRCC lists TEF Canada and TCF Canada for French. Check the current IRCC page and your program's NCLC requirement. We do not give immigration advice.
What level do I need for French naturalisation?
French rules changed in 2026 and the official service-public.gouv.fr page now states B2 in oral and written French for naturalisation, with accepted diplomas and tests listed. Always check the current official page for your procedure.
Do you coach TEF as well?
Our French coaching builds the same four skills, and we can adapt practice to TEF task formats on request, but our detailed test-specific material focuses on DELF, DALF and TCF.