Proving your French for the PSTQ: tests, diplomas and the Québec scale

In Québec's Skilled Worker Selection Program (PSTQ), French matters at every stage. It earns points in your expression of interest, it can be used as an invitation criterion, and it is a selection condition in most streams. You still have to prove it, with a document accepted by the Ministère de l'Immigration et de l'Intégration (MII, formerly MIFI). Here is how it works.

Proof is required, even for native speakers

This is the rule that catches people off guard: being a native French speaker does not exempt you. You must submit one of the accepted documents, and so must an accompanying spouse or partner. The Ministère may also call you to an interview to check the level you declared.

The Québec scale in a nutshell

Required levels are expressed on the Échelle québécoise des niveaux de compétence en français, the Government of Québec's reference framework for French proficiency. It has 12 levels grouped into three stages:

• beginner: levels 1 to 4;
• intermediate: levels 5 to 8;
• advanced: levels 9 to 12.

It covers four skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. That is why the requirements set separate levels for oral and written French.

Required levels by stream

• Stream 1 (Highly qualified and specialized skills): level 7 or higher in oral French and level 5 or higher in written French.
• Stream 2 (Intermediate and manual skills): level 5 or higher in oral French.
• Stream 3 (Regulated professions): it depends on the occupation's FEER category (training, education, experience and responsibilities). For FEER 0, 1 or 2, you need level 7 oral and level 5 written; for FEER 3, 4 or 5, level 5 oral.
• Accompanying spouse or partner: level 4 or higher in oral French, whatever the stream.

For Stream 4 (Exceptional talent), the requirements page does not set a French threshold, but the document list still calls for proof of French. Go by what your online application asks for.

Accepted tests and diplomas

The Ministère accepts eight tests or diplomas from two providers:

• France Éducation international: TCF-Québec, TCF Canada, TCF, DELF and DALF;
• Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de Paris Île-de-France (CCIP-IDF): TEFAQ, TEF Canada and TEF.

You must sit the test at a centre approved by the provider, and only results issued by these two providers are accepted. A certificate from a language school, for example, does not replace them.

Some secondary school diplomas are also accepted for oral and written French: the general, vocational and technological baccalauréats from France, the CESS from the French Community of Belgium, and the certificat de maturité from a French-speaking canton of Switzerland. According to the Ministère's scoring document, these diplomas earn the points for level 9.

Under Stream 3 only, two professional-order documents can be used: a regular permit to practise from a Québec professional order that is valid or expired for two years or less (a temporary permit is not accepted), or proof that you passed the Office québécois de la langue française exam within the last two years.

Converting your score into a level

Test results do not come out as Québec scale levels. The Ministère publishes correspondence tables (version dated November 29, 2024) that convert each score into a level, skill by skill. For instance, a TEF or TEFAQ score of 400 to 499 corresponds to levels 7 and 8, and a TCF writing or speaking score of 10 to 13 also corresponds to levels 7 and 8. The tables also line up each group of levels with the Common European Framework of Reference: the B2 column matches levels 7 and 8.

Look at the full table before you register, so you know which score to aim for in each skill.

Validity: the two-year rule

The test date matters at two points:

• for your ranking in the pool: the test must be two years old or less when the Ministère extracts expressions of interest for an invitation round;
• for the permanent selection application: results must be two years old or less on the date you submit the application.

A test taken 22 months ago could get you invited, then become too old during the 60 days you have to submit. Leave yourself some margin.

When you apply, upload a complete scan of the results certificate; for DELF and DALF, a complete scan of the diploma.

How much French weighs in your score

French is part of the "human capital" group in the ranking grid. For an applicant without an accompanying partner, each skill can earn up to 50 points, in steps by group of levels. A partner's French is taken into account too. A better result can therefore improve your ranking, even beyond the minimum your stream requires.

What about English?

The PSTQ does not require English. You can still claim it in your expression of interest using IELTS results, the only English test the Ministère accepts.

FAQ

Is TCF Canada accepted in the same way as TCF-Québec?

Yes. Both are on the Ministère's list, as are TEF Canada and TEFAQ.

Is a university degree completed in French enough?

It is not one of the listed documents. Only the named French tests and diplomas, certain secondary diplomas from France, Belgium and Switzerland, and the professional-order documents under Stream 3 are accepted.

Does my partner need to take a test?

If they are coming with you, yes: level 4 in oral French is required and must be proven with an accepted document.

Track your file with CSQ Tracker Pro

CSQ Tracker Pro is an independent app and is not affiliated with the Government of Québec. Its estimated PSTQ score simulator lets you see how a better French result would change your score, and its list of Arrima invitation rounds, taken from Québec.ca, helps you follow recent draws.

Official sources

• Demonstrate your knowledge of French through the PSTQ
• Requirements that need to be met under the PSTQ
• Correspondence tables between test scores and Québec scale levels (PDF, in French)
• Document on invitation criteria and their scoring (PDF, in French)
• Échelle québécoise des niveaux de compétence en français (in French)
• Invitation to apply for permanent selection through the PSTQ
• Completing an expression of interest in immigrating to Québec
• Submitting an application for permanent selection through the Skilled Worker Selection Program

Information checked on November 5, 2026. Rules can change: always check Québec.ca before acting.