The starting point.
Navdeep came to me in early 2025 with a problem that I hear almost every week. He had been in the Express Entry pool for over a year. His CRS score was 441. The cutoff rounds were consistently above 470. His IELTS was solid (CLB 9 across modules), his education and work experience were strong, but the math just did not add up. He was stuck.
His immigration consultant suggested learning French. He was sceptical. He was 28, had never studied a language other than English and Punjabi, and thought French would take years. I told him it would take about 10 months. He decided to try.
The first three months.
Navdeep started at absolute zero. The first month was about sounds: learning to hear and reproduce French pronunciation, nasal vowels, the French R, and the rhythm of spoken French. For a Punjabi speaker, this is the hardest part. The tongue has to learn entirely new positions.
By month two, he was forming basic sentences, introducing himself, talking about his day. By month three, he could handle simple conversations about familiar topics. He was solidly A2. The key at this stage was consistency: he attended three classes per week and practised with podcasts (Journal en français facile on RFI) for 20 minutes every morning.
The plateau.
Months four through six were the hardest. This is the B1 stage, where most students hit what I call the "understanding trap." You understand a lot more than you can produce. You hear French and follow it, but when you try to speak, the words do not come fast enough. It feels like you have stopped improving.
Navdeep got frustrated around month five. He wanted to skip ahead to TEF preparation. I told him no. The foundation was not ready. B1 grammar (subjunctive, conditional, relative clauses) needed to be automatic before exam prep would be effective. We kept working. He trusted the process.
The breakthrough.
Month seven was when things shifted. Navdeep started thinking in French. Not translating from Punjabi anymore, but actually constructing thoughts directly in French. He described it as "the fog lifting." Conversations became faster. Writing became easier. He could follow Radio Canada at near-normal speed.
We shifted to TEF-specific preparation in month eight. Timed mock tests for all four modules. Section-by-section strategy for writing (argumentation structure) and speaking (question generation for Section A, debate framework for Section B). His first full mock test scored CLB 6 to 7 across modules. By the end of month nine, he was consistently hitting CLB 7 to 8.
The exam.
Navdeep took TEF Canada at Alliance Française Chandigarh in month ten. He was nervous but prepared. The reading and listening modules went smoothly. The writing module was the one he felt least confident about, but the argumentation structures we practised held up under time pressure. The speaking exam was 15 minutes with a French examiner. He said it felt like a conversation, not a test, which is exactly the sign of readiness.
The result.
His CRS score jumped from 441 to 503. He received an ITA within two rounds. The entire process, from his first French class to his ITA, took approximately one year. He is now in Montréal, working as a project manager, using French daily, and building the life he had been stuck waiting for.
When he messages me now, it is in French.
The math: 10 months of French classes + 1 TEF exam = 62 additional CRS points. That is the difference between waiting indefinitely and getting your PR. Navdeep's story is not exceptional. It is the story of hundreds of our students. The only variable is whether you start.
Your story starts here.
Book a free demo class. I will assess your level and give you a personal timeline to your TEF target.
Book a Free Demo Class →