{"id":579,"date":"2022-06-05T19:00:16","date_gmt":"2022-06-05T17:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/?p=579"},"modified":"2024-02-19T09:06:02","modified_gmt":"2024-02-19T08:06:02","slug":"the-delf-and-tcf-french-exam-whats-the-difference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/the-delf-and-tcf-french-exam-whats-the-difference\/","title":{"rendered":"The DELF and TCF French exam: what&rsquo;s the difference?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Anyone who wants to learn a new language must pass an exam in order to certify their level of proficiency. In the case of French, there are two main exams: the <strong>DELF <\/strong>and the <strong>TCF<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But what&rsquo;s the difference between the two? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>DELF<\/strong>, or <em>Dipl\u00f4me d&rsquo;\u00e9tudes en langue fran\u00e7aise<\/em>, is an internationally-recognized qualification that certifies French-language skills for non-native speakers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>TCF<\/strong>, or <em>Test de connaissance du fran\u00e7ais<\/em>, is an exam that assesses a person&rsquo;s level of French language proficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So what are the differences between these two French exam?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>There are four main differences between the DELF and the TCF:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1) The type of document you get<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>For the <strong>DELF<\/strong>, if you pass it, you will get a <strong>diploma<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For the <strong>TCF<\/strong>, you will get an <strong>attestation<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2) The duration of validity<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <strong>DELF <\/strong>diploma is valid <strong>for life<\/strong>. It has <strong>no expiration<\/strong> date.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Unlike the <strong>TCF<\/strong>, which is valid for <strong>two years<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3) Differences in the number of French skills that are assessed<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In the <strong>DELF <\/strong>exam, you will be required to pass an evaluation on the <strong>4 skills<\/strong> (<strong>speaking<\/strong>, <strong>writing<\/strong>, <strong>understanding an audio<\/strong> document, <strong>understanding a written<\/strong> document).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In the <strong>TCF<\/strong>, <strong>only three skills are mandatory<\/strong>. And in addition to the same 4 skills as in DELF, you can also be evaluated on \u00ab\u00a0grammar\u00a0\u00bb.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>4) Differences in the tests to take.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In <strong>DELF<\/strong>, even with the new reform, a candidate will have to <strong>write a text<\/strong> and the exam <strong>subjects <\/strong>for DELF A1, DLEF A2, DELF B1 and DELF B2 are <strong>different<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In the <strong>TCF<\/strong>, it is possible to obtain a certificate by answering <strong>only multiple choice questions<\/strong> and there is only <strong>one single subject<\/strong>. The level you will obtain will depend on the number of points you obtain in this single subject.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Let&rsquo;s take a closer look at the differences between the DELF and the TCF. But first, the question that is certainly on your mind&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-large-font-size\" style=\"color:#60bceb\"><strong>Do you like learning French with videos?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Receive <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/learn-french-fun.com\/newsletter\" target=\"_blank\">our free video newsletter<\/a> every Friday in your e-mail box. You will get <strong>3 \u00ab\u00a0Tips &amp; Tricks\u00a0\u00bb<\/strong> on <strong>grammar<\/strong>, <strong>vocabulary<\/strong>, <strong>phonetics <\/strong>or <strong>French culture<\/strong>.<br>\ud83d\udc49\ud83d\udc49 <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/learn-french-fun.com\/newsletter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sign up now!<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/learn-french-fun.com\/newsletter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/BLOG-newsletter.jpg\" alt=\"Every Friday afternoon, a French-language video delivered straight to your inbox, with three tips and tricks on the French language.\" class=\"wp-image-1882\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/BLOG-newsletter.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/BLOG-newsletter-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u00ab\u00a0For me, DELF or TCF?\u00a0\u00bb<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/delf-or-tcf.jpg\" alt=\"For me, DELF or TCF?\" class=\"wp-image-584\" style=\"width:450px;height:437px\" width=\"450\" height=\"437\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/delf-or-tcf.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/delf-or-tcf-300x292.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The question you might ask yourself right away is: But <strong>which exam is right for me and my situation?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Obviously, the answer will be: <strong>it depends<\/strong>. Of course, what else can I answer? \ud83d\ude1c <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are <strong>so many different reasons<\/strong> to take an official French test that I can&rsquo;t tell you which one is best for your situation. Or,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/en\/contact-learn-french-fun.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> contact me<\/a>, explain to me your situation and then, I can guide you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From <strong>my experience<\/strong> with students as a French teacher, I know that the <strong>DELF <\/strong>often offers them the advantage of being a <strong>diploma that is valid for life<\/strong>. And whether it is for their <strong>studies <\/strong>or for <strong>work<\/strong>, this is an extremely <strong>positive <\/strong>and <strong>advantageous <\/strong>point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But beware, in reality, if you don&rsquo;t speak French at all after your DELF exam, even if your diploma will still be valid, it won&rsquo;t give it magical powers that will allow you to keep your level in French without practicing it \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is there a big difference in price between the DELF and the TCF?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>There is not a huge difference in price between taking the DELF diploma or the TCF certificate.<\/strong> The fees for taking the exam vary from one country to another and even slightly between two centers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But what is certain is that the price will not really be a determining factor in your choice to take the DELF or the TCF because the difference between the two is minimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">DELF vs TCF, diploma vs attestation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Taking the DELF or TCF will allow you to obtain an <strong>official document<\/strong> issued by the French Ministry of Education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the case of <strong>DELF<\/strong>, it <strong>will be a diploma<\/strong>, valid for life, while in the case of <strong>TCF<\/strong>, it will be an <strong>attestation<\/strong>, valid for <strong>two years<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As there are many specific reasons for you to obtain an official document of your level in French, find out if the DELF is required or if the TCF is sufficient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, if you want to <strong>study at a university in France<\/strong>, in the same program as a French student, the <strong>DELF <\/strong>is recommended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&rsquo;s up to you to decide whether you need a diploma or an attestation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">DELF vs TCF, the duration of validity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As I just reminded you, the <strong>DELF<\/strong>, once obtained, <strong>will be valid all the time<\/strong>, whereas the <strong>TCF certificate<\/strong> will only be valid for <strong>two years<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This two-year validity period of the TCF may be perceived as a handicap by some students. But in my opinion, it has a certain logic in relation to reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Indeed, a language level test only represents <strong>the level that you have on the day of the test!<\/strong> And this level can clearly <strong>improve<\/strong> in time, as well as <strong>become catastrophic<\/strong> if the student does not practice French anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You have to ask yourself the question of validity only according to the reason why you need this official level in French (<em>administrative documents in France? studies? work? etc.<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">DELF vs TCF, differences in the number of French skills that are assessed<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The DELF<\/strong>, whatever level you are aiming for, will evaluate you in the 4 skills that are :<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Understanding <\/strong>an <strong>audio <\/strong>document (<em>Group test<\/em>)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Understanding <\/strong>a <strong>written <\/strong>document (<em>Group test<\/em>)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Speaking <\/strong>(<em>Individual test face to face with two examiners<\/em>)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Writing <\/strong>a text (<em>Group test<\/em>) &#8211; The number of words required will vary from level A1 (about 120 words) to level B2 (about 260 words).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>These <strong>four skills<\/strong> are <strong>mandatory <\/strong>and you should <strong>never <\/strong>score less than 5\/25 in any of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are <strong>no specific<\/strong> grammar or vocabulary tests in the DELF. Your level of grammar and vocabulary will be evaluated in each of the four skills.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/DELF-TCF-french-skills.jpg\" alt=\"DELF vs TCF: the French skills\" class=\"wp-image-586\" style=\"width:450px;height:335px\" width=\"450\" height=\"335\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/DELF-TCF-french-skills.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/DELF-TCF-french-skills-300x224.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>TCF <\/strong>includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Listening comprehension<\/strong>: (<em>Group test<\/em>) 29 multiple-choice questions (4 choices of answers, one correct answer)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Mastery of language structures<\/strong>: (<em>Group test<\/em>) 18 multiple-choice questions (4 choices of answers, one correct answer)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Reading comprehension<\/strong>: (<em>Group test<\/em>) 29 multiple-choice questions (4 choices of answers, one correct answer)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Writing<\/strong>: (<em>Group test<\/em>) 3 exercises<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Oral expression<\/strong>: Individual test face to face with an examiner: 3 exercises<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>But <strong>only 3<\/strong> of these 5 skills are compulsory and left to the student&rsquo;s choice. If you wish, you can take all 5 and thus have a chance to get extra points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On this point, my opinion as a teacher of French for foreigners &#8211; and perhaps also because I am a member of the DELF jury \ud83d\ude09 &#8211; leans <strong>towards DELF<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Indeed, in reality, when you talk to people, do you \u00ab\u00a0<em>take a grammar test<\/em>\u00ab\u00a0? Of course not! On the other hand, your level of grammar will allow you to speak clearly, finely and to bring multiple nuances to your words. And it&rsquo;s the same thing for vocabulary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I think it&rsquo;s a pity that the TCF has a \u00ab\u00a0<em>school<\/em>\u00a0\u00bb logic, a little too far from reality, it seems to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">DELF vs TCF, reality logic vs school logic<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This difference in<strong> \u00ab\u00a0real\u00a0\u00bb logic with the DELF<\/strong>, as opposed to an <strong>\u00ab\u00a0academic\u00a0\u00bb logic with the TCF<\/strong>, is found in the type of questions themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Indeed, it is impossible to pass the <strong>DELF by having <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">only<\/span> answered MCQs<\/strong>. But it is possible to pass the TCF in this way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But what best prepares you for the reality of using French? Answering multiple-choice questions or producing the answer yourself with what you know of the language?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, what\u2019s the verdict? If you want to study in France and don\u2019t know which exam to choose, go for the DELF \u2013 it covers a wider range of French skills and is recognised by more institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, if you need an attestation for your current job or just want to prove your level of French proficiency, then the TCF might be better for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whichever test you decide on, good luck! And remember: there\u2019s no such thing as a stupid question when it comes to taking these exams \u2013 so if you\u2019re unsure about anything, just ask!<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.buymeacoffee.com\/learnfrenchfun\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/bmc-encart-blog.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1885\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/bmc-encart-blog.png 600w, https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/bmc-encart-blog-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Articles that might interest you: <\/h3>\n\n\n<ul class=\"lcp_catlist\" id=\"lcp_instance_0\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/what-is-included-in-the-delf-a2\/\">What is included in the DELF A2?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/faq-on-the-delf-french-exam\/\">FAQ on the DELF French exam<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/french-exam-delf-b1-everything-you-need-to-know\/\">French Exam DELF B1: Everything You Need to Know<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/everything-you-need-to-know-about-delf\/\">Everything you need to know about DELF<\/a><\/li><li class=\"current\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/the-delf-and-tcf-french-exam-whats-the-difference\/\">The DELF and TCF French exam: what&rsquo;s the difference?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/how-are-french-delf-b2-students-graded\/\">How are French DELF B2 students graded?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/the-difference-between-the-delf-and-dalf-french-language-proficiency-exams\/\">The Difference Between the DELF and DALF French Language Proficiency Exams<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you&rsquo;re a French student, you may be wondering what the difference is between the DELF and TCF exams. Well, wonder no more! In this blog post, I&rsquo;ll outline the key differences between these two exams. Stay tuned for more information on what each exam entails.<br \/>\nBonne chance !<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":582,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-579","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-french-exam-delf"],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/delf-or-tcf-french-exam.jpg",1186,791,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/delf-or-tcf-french-exam-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/delf-or-tcf-french-exam-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/delf-or-tcf-french-exam-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/delf-or-tcf-french-exam-1024x683.jpg",1024,683,true],"hd_qu_size2":["https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/delf-or-tcf-french-exam.jpg",400,267,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/delf-or-tcf-french-exam.jpg",1186,791,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/delf-or-tcf-french-exam.jpg",1186,791,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Christian","author_link":"https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/author\/christian\/"},"uagb_comment_info":7,"uagb_excerpt":"If you're a French student, you may be wondering what the difference is between the DELF and TCF exams. Well, wonder no more! In this blog post, I'll outline the key differences between these two exams. Stay tuned for more information on what each exam entails. Bonne chance !","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/579"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=579"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/579\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2391,"href":"https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/579\/revisions\/2391"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/582"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=579"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=579"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=579"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}