TEF 2026 — the French naturalisation gate, on a single 0-699 scale

TEF (CCI Paris IDF) outputs a single 0-699 score mapped to CEFR A1-C2 — you don't commit to a level upfront, the score tells you where you landed. DELF / DALF (France Éducation international) is a pass/fail diploma for a specific level you choose in advance (DELF A1-B2, DALF C1-C2) and is academia-oriented. TCF is the closest analogue to TEF but is more commonly used for Quebec immigration and Canadian PR. For French naturalisation inside France, both TEF and TCF are accepted — TEF is the operational favourite of préfectures because its score parses instantly.

Yes. Since the January 2026 law tightening the citizenship language threshold from B1 to B2, you need a CEFR B2 certification to file your naturalisation dossier. A TEF score corresponding to B2 (482+ in compréhension orale, 463+ in compréhension écrite, etc. — confirm exact thresholds on le-tef.fr) satisfies the préfecture's language requirement. The TEF Naturalisation (TEFN) variant is also accepted.

TEF attestations are valid for 2 years from the date of the exam. After 2 years you must retake the test if the receiving institution (université, préfecture, employer) requires a current score.

Yes. CCI Paris IDF allows retakes after a minimum 1-month gap between attempts. There is no cap on total attempts — many candidates retake one or two modules to lift a specific score, which is possible because the four skills are bookable separately.

Yes — this is one of TEF's biggest advantages. Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking are bookable independently. For most French visa and naturalisation files only Listening + Reading are mandatory; Writing and Speaking are added only when the receiving institution explicitly requires the 4-skill version.

Each module has its own band thresholds. Indicative full-bundle mapping: A1 0-99 · A2 100-199 · B1 200-360 · B2 361-540 · C1 541-650 · C2 651-699. Exact module-level cutoffs are published by CCI Paris IDF on le-tef.fr — always cross-check before booking, as bands have been recalibrated historically.

Yes. Many visa categories (and some naturalisation files where only receptive skills are tested) accept a 2-module TEF — Compréhension orale + Compréhension écrite — which takes ~100 minutes instead of the full 155. Confirm the exact module requirement with the consulate or préfecture before booking, as Writing and Speaking modules cost extra.