Scope of french language tests widens ahead of new residency card requirements

A MORE INTERMEDIATE LANGUAGE LEVEL CAN NOW BE ASSESSED IN INTÉGRATION, RÉSIDENCE ET NATIONALITÉ (IRN) EXAMS France’s Ministry of Education has expanded the Intégration, Résidence et

Nationalité (IRN) version of the TCF (Test de Connaissance du Français) language exam ahead of new French residency card rules. Changes to immigration requirements mean people applying for

many (but not all) types of French residency cards will soon have to prove their language level. New rules are set to come into force by January 1, 2026 at the latest although an official

date has not yet been confirmed.  These rules also entail more advanced language expectations. For example, applicants for French nationality currently need to provide evidence of having at

least a ‘lower intermediate’ B1 level on the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) scale, whereas moving forward they will need to demonstrate an ‘upper intermediate’

B2 level. “In anticipation of these new requirements, TCF IRN is adapting to allow candidates to be assessed up to B2 level, as of May 12, 2025,” reads a statement by France Éducation

International, the government establishment that issues the TCF.  This news comes a month after the alternative TEF (Test d'évaluation du Français) announced the B2 expansion of its own

IRN assessment. Prior to April 2025 only levels A1 to B1 were evaluated. As detailed in this Connexion article, both the TEF and TCF language tests are designed for anyone over the age of

16 whose native language is not French.  They do not result in a pass or fail result, but rather provide a level on the CEFR scale by testing four skill areas: reading, writing, listening

and speaking. The final certificate is valid for two years. Read also: Obligatory language tests for French residency: Differences between TEF and TCF UPDATED TCF IRN TEST The listening and

reading comprehension elements of the TCF IRN have both evolved to feature 25 questions respectively, up from 20 in the previous version of the test.  Time limits have also increased for

these sections: The oral and written expression sections remain unchanged.  This means that the total duration of the exam has increased from 1 hour and 15 minutes, to 1 hour and 35 minutes.

Full details can be found on this dedicated webpage.  Note that the TCF Tout Public evaluates all six levels on the CEFR language scale.  UPDATED TEF IRN TEST All elements of the TEF IRN

were updated to accommodate the evaluation of level B2.  Listening comprehension: * The test now features 20 questions (up from 17) * It lasts 20 minutes (up from 10)  * The test will be

divided into 2 parts, with part 1 including questions of varying levels, while part 2 consists of questions adapted to the candidate’s level.  * The content has also been updated to include

more audio from everyday life, such as answering machine messages, announcements, on-the-street interview clips and interviews. Reading comprehension: * The test now features 20 questions

(up from 13) * It lasts 30 minutes (unchanged) * The test has also changed to include the previously mentioned 2-part format. * The content has been updated to include more documents from

real-life situations, including administrative documents. The part A/part B questions for the oral expression evaluation have been swapped, but otherwise this section remains unchanged.  The

word count expectation for part B of the written expression has increased to 100 words minimum.  Full details can be seen here.  Read also: New language tests for French residency cards:

ways to prove your language level and advantages of each Read also: Language tests for French residency cards: examples of questions asked