Applying to Université Laval or UdeM as an Anglophone Canadian
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Aug 19, 2026 • Canadian Universities & Colleges
Université Laval and Université de Montréal both expect proof of French once you did not do your schooling in French. Laval tests you with the TCF tout public after you apply, and UdeM sets a minimum B2 level, adding a written expression score starting in the Winter 2026 term.
🎓 Laval tests you with the TCF tout public if you did not complete primary or secondary school in French
🎓 UdeM wants a minimum B2 in oral and written comprehension, plus written expression from Winter 2026 onward
⏱️ UdeM only accepts test results taken within 24 months of the term you are applying for
📩 Both universities also accept the CEGEP-level Épreuve uniforme de français or a recognized study path
💵 Falling short does not end your application. Both schools route you into French courses first
Why These Two Universities Ask for a French Test
Université Laval and Université de Montréal (UdeM) teach almost every program in French. If you grew up and went to school in English, in another province or in an English-language school in Quebec, neither university assumes you already meet that bar. Both build a French check into admission, separate from your grades.
This applies whether you are moving from Ontario, Alberta or anywhere else outside Quebec's French school system. It also applies to English-educated Quebecers, since the test looks at your language of instruction, not your province of residence.
Université Laval's Requirement: TCF tout public
Laval's language policy applies to anyone who did not complete primary or secondary education in French. If that is you, you take the TCF tout public after you submit your admission application, through the France Éducation International network. The test covers listening comprehension, grammar, reading comprehension and written skills.
Laval does not publish one universal passing score. Depending on your program, passing the TCF tout public counts as a condition of admission for some programs and a condition of graduation for others, so confirm the exact threshold with your program before you assume you are covered. If your result comes back low, you take French-as-a-second-language courses alongside your regular program. Those courses do not count toward your degree credits, so budget extra time for them.
Laval's own School of Languages runs preparatory French courses if you want to raise your level before your test or before your program starts.
Université de Montréal's Requirement: Minimum B2
UdeM sets a clearer bar: a minimum B2 level in both oral and written comprehension, on a French test the university accepts. Starting with the Winter 2026 term, UdeM also requires a written expression score as a third component, on top of the comprehension scores it already asked for.
Your test result only counts if you took it within 24 months of the start of the term you are applying to, so do not test too early. UdeM applies this requirement if your previous studies were partially in French or another language, rather than defining anglophone status by a specific diploma or school type, so confirm the exact scope with admissions.
Ways to Meet the Requirement Without Starting From Zero
You do not have to sit a fresh French test if you already hold other proof. Both universities recognize the Épreuve uniforme de français, the exit exam Quebec CEGEPs already run, if you passed it. UdeM also accepts a recognized prior study path in French as an alternative to a new test. The Test de français Laval-Montréal (TFLM), used by Laval to assess francophone applicants, is another route worth checking, though you should confirm with UdeM directly whether it accepts this test before relying on it.
If your French sits below B2, look at UdeM's intensive francization option before you apply, rather than after a rejection. Building your level ahead of time saves you a term compared to catching up once you are already enrolled.
Application Steps
Confirm your program's exact French policy. Requirements differ by faculty, so a general university-wide answer is not enough.
Book your test early. Laval wants the TCF tout public after your application goes in, while UdeM wants a result from within the last 24 months, so plan your test date around your target term.
Submit your admission application through the normal Quebec undergraduate or graduate process for your program.
If your score falls short, plan for non-credit French courses at Laval or a francization option at UdeM before you count on starting your program at a full course load.
Reconfirm your program's specific threshold directly with the registrar's office, since neither university treats French proficiency as one fixed number across every program.
Building Your French Before You Apply
If you are still in high school in another province, French immersion or advanced French-as-a-second-language courses through grade 12 put you closer to B2 by graduation. If you are past high school, a summer French program or a term of language study before you apply narrows the gap faster than trying to test into a French-medium degree with no preparation.
A DELF B2 diploma, since it does not expire, is worth pursuing well ahead of your application if you already know you are aiming for a Quebec French-medium university. Earning it in grade 11 or 12, or during a gap year, gives you one less test to schedule once your application clock starts running.
What Changes Once You Are Enrolled
Meeting the entry requirement is not the end of the French demands at either school. Laval and UdeM both expect you to keep functioning in French across lectures, assignments and group work from your first term onward, so the non-credit or francization courses exist to close gaps quickly rather than to let you coast through years of remedial study. Ask your faculty how much support continues past your first semester before you commit, since the level of ongoing help varies by program.