The French cut-off is not a bar you clear. It is a result.
You check the latest published cut-off and work out how many points you are short. But that number is not a requirement. It describes who was sitting in the pool on the day of the draw, and it moves for reasons that have nothing to do with your file.
The mechanism
IRCC sets the number of invitations, never the score. The cut-off is simply the score of the last candidate invited.
A round of 5,000 invitations empties the top of the pool. The next round therefore reaches lower, with no rule having changed.
Key points
- 16 October: 5,000 invitations, cut-off at 435 points.
- 27 October: 5,000 invitations again, cut-off down to 407.
- Eleven days apart, 28 points lower, no rule changed in between.
Why the cut-off drops after a large round
On 16 October the French-language category invited 5,000 candidates at a cut-off of 435 points. On 27 October, same category and same 5,000 invitations, the cut-off was 407. In between, the 5,000 highest-scoring French-speaking profiles had left the pool. The next round had to reach further down, because nobody was left above. The cut-off tells you about the previous round, not about the level expected of you.
What does not move, and what you can aim at
Eligibility for the French-language category is fixed: CLB 7 in all four abilities. Not on average, in each one. It is the only condition you control and the only one that holds steady from one round to the next. It is also the slowest to get: you book a session, sit it, then wait for the attestation. A profile takes an evening to complete. An attestation does not.
Ready to reach CLB 7?
The next round will be decided without you if your attestation is not in yet. The 39 reading questions, on the other hand, you can start on today.
Assess your level for free and practice in the official TCF Canada format.