How long does it take to prepare for the TEF IRN?
The real question is not “how many hours”, it is “how many hours from where”. A candidate 30 points from their level and a candidate 150 points away do not have the same work ahead, and neither knows it before measuring themselves.
Why “how many hours?” has no single answer
If someone answers “twelve hours” without knowing anything about you, they are selling a product, not a preparation course. The useful duration depends on one thing only, and it can be measured: the gap between your current level and the level required for your application.
The TEF IRN gives a score of 0 to 499 points per paper, and the certifier’s official scale places A2 from 200 points, B1 from 300 and B2 from 400. Two candidates aiming for the same B1 may therefore be twenty points from the goal… or a hundred and forty. That is not the same work, and not the same quote.
The only honest way to answer
Measure first, then put a figure on it. Our free level test is taken online and takes about 45 minutes and commits you to nothing. It is what locates the gap, and therefore the amount of preparation.
Reading your gap: three situations, three kinds of work
What follows is our observation in our centres, not a published standard: the certifier publishes no table of “points gained per hour of tuition”, and we do not invent one. But three profiles keep coming up, and recognising them avoids buying too much or too little.
| Your situation | What is really missing | The work needed |
|---|---|---|
| You are close to the threshold, or you fail on just one paper | Method and time management, not level | Short and targeted: know the format, practise against the clock, correct two or three habits. |
| You are half a level from the goal | Automatic reflexes: sentence structures, linking words, vocabulary for a particular area | Medium: alternate practice in the format with language work, with correction. |
| You are a full level from the goal | Language, quite simply | Long: you need a course, not a module. A method does not replace a level; it reveals it. |
A CEFR level is not a plateau reached in a few weeks: it is a step, and the certifier puts it at around a hundred score points. Moving from one level to the next takes time, and no serious organisation promises otherwise.
What we will never tell you
That a number of hours “guarantees” a level. No training course can guarantee that, because the exam assesses your output on a given day. What we can describe is what we do during those hours and that is the subject of the next section.
The four durations we offer, and what we do in them
We sell preparation in half-days of 3 hours (9:30 am to 12:30 pm), which gives four durations: 3, 6, 9 or 12 hours. Each price below reads as exam 180 € + 40 €/h — the exam is paid when you order, the hours according to the payment schedule, and the preparation course starts 15 days after the order at the earliest.
| Duration | Who it is for | Price (exam 180 € + 40 €/h) |
|---|---|---|
| One morning, 3 h | You already know the format and want a full mock exam, marked before you go. | 300 € |
| Two mornings, 6 h | The most common choice: a first mock exam to take stock, the marking, then a second one to check that the gap has been closed. | 420 € |
| Three mornings, 9 h | You are aiming for a specific level and want to work on the two papers that count the most, written expression and spoken expression. | 540 € |
| Four mornings, 12 h | You are starting from a long way back, or you have already failed once and do not want to go through it again. | 660 € |
Why the price is easy to read
Because there is only one scale, with no tiers: 180 € for taking the exam, then 40 € per hour of tuition. Nothing else. So you can check any line of the table at the top, and that is intentional: a price you cannot recalculate is a price you cannot discuss. The full price list is on the prices page.
What really happens during a morning
- 1A mock exam in the official format, with the real timings: reading comprehension 30 minutes, listening comprehension 20 minutes, written expression 30 minutes, spoken expression 10 minutes. It is the time pressure that you learn, much more than the vocabulary.
- 2The correction, with you. Not a mark: the list of your recurring mistakes. This is the one place where an outside eye is irreplaceable; no one sees their own habits.
- 3Work on the two expression papers. These are the papers where the expected structure can be learnt fastest: four blocks for section B of the written paper, two roles for the spoken paper (detailed in the method booklets given to those registered).
When you need a course, not a module
Beyond 12 hours, it is no longer a short preparation course: it is a full course of 36 hours. Price of the training course: 1 620 €. Training course eligible for CPF funding. The CPF covers up to 1 500 € per course. When you register on Mon Compte Formation, a compulsory flat-rate contribution, set by the French State, is paid directly on the platform. It is deducted from the price of the course: it is not added to it. Exemptions: jobseekers, and courses co-funded by the employer. If you are exempt, an amount left to pay may appear on Mon Compte Formation for the 36-hour course, unless additional funding covers it.
This is the most worthwhile route for a candidate starting from a long way off, and it is also the one most often overlooked. The conditions, documents and registration steps are on our page on CPF funding.
The signal that should switch you to the long course
If your level test places you a whole level below the required level: A2 when you are asked for B1, B1 when you are asked for B2, three mornings of method will not close the gap. Taking a short module in that case means buying an exam, not a preparation course.
What you can do on your own
Part of the work does not need anyone, and saying so costs us nothing: a candidate who has prepared well on their own needs fewer paid hours, not more.
- The certifier’s official tutorial. The TEF IRN practice tutorial reproduces the real exam interface: the questions, the timer, the confirmation. Twenty minutes, and the fear of the unknown is gone.
- Sample papers and video workshops, published on the “Se préparer” page of Le français des affaires. One workshop per paper.
- Fifteen minutes of listening and reading a day, of real French. That is what improves both comprehension papers; see our articles on reading comprehension and listening comprehension.
- Our booklets and tools. The shop and the preparation tools page work on all four papers in the official format.
What independent study does not replace: the correction of your work. You can learn to read and listen on your own; you cannot learn on your own to see your own mistakes in expression. That is, in practical terms, what you are buying when you buy hours.
And in weeks, not hours?
That is often the real question, because an application has a deadline. Two factors are enough to answer it.
The number of mornings
Our sessions last 3 hours (9:30 am to 12:30 pm). Three hours therefore make one morning, and twelve hours make four. Depending on your availability, this can be spread over a week or a month, and it is possible to group the preparation course and the exam in the same week: see “Training and exam in the same week”.
The time before the exam
Add the booking deadline: a registration made less than 7 working days before the exam date falls under the urgent rate. And if you are planning for a possible second attempt, and it is better to plan for it, factor in the waiting period: the details are in our article on new attempts, and the right time to set your date is covered in “When to take the TEF IRN and the civic exam”.
The order of operations
Free level test → reading the gap → choosing the amount → booking the date. In that order, and not the reverse: choosing a date before measuring means letting the calendar, rather than your needs, decide how much preparation you do.
Official sources
We are a training organisation, not a government body: each rule quoted above refers to the text that sets it. If you are in doubt about your situation, the official text and your prefecture are what count.
- TEF IRN, “Vos résultats”, Le français des affaires (CCI Paris Île-de-France)
Score of 0 to 499 points per paper and level thresholds: A2 from 200, B1 from 300, B2 from 400, with a tolerance on the weakest paper (167, 267 and 367).
- TEF IRN, official presentation, Le français des affaires (CCI Paris Île-de-France)
Official durations of the four papers, levels A1 to B2, certificate valid for two years and all papers taken on the same day. This is the format our mock exams reproduce.
- TEF IRN, “Se préparer”, Le français des affaires
Official preparation page: sample papers in PDF, video workshops for each paper, practice tutorial. Openly accessible resources, to use before any paid preparation.
- TEF IRN practice tutorial: Le français des affaires
Reproduces the real exam interface, timer included. To be opened on a computer.
Measure first. The amount will follow on its own
Every preparation package includes the exam, and the calendar shows the price that applies on each date: choosing your date also means choosing your preparation. If you do not yet know where you are starting from, the free level test takes three quarters of an hour.
Any questions? Message us on WhatsApp we answer candidates from Monday to Saturday.
Frequently asked questions
Your questions
How long does it take to prepare for the TEF IRN?
It depends on the gap between your current level and the level required for your application. A candidate close to the threshold needs method; a few targeted hours are often enough. A candidate a full level from the goal needs a language course, not a short module. The free level test measures this gap before any quote.
What preparation durations do you offer?
Four durations, in half-days of 3 hours: 3, 6, 9 or 12 hours, with the TEF IRN exam included. Beyond that, it is a full 36-hour course, eligible for funding through the personal training account.
Is the exam included in the preparation course?
Yes. Every preparation package includes the TEF IRN exam: there is no option to add. There is a single scale (a fixed part for the exam, then the same rate for each hour of tuition), which means you can recalculate any price in the list.
What do you do during a preparation morning?
A mock exam in the official format and with the real timings, its correction with you (that is, the list of your recurring mistakes, not a mark) and work on the two expression papers, where the expected structure can be learnt fastest.
Can you prepare for the TEF IRN on your own?
A good part of it, yes: the certifier’s official tutorial reproduces the exam interface, its “Se préparer” page publishes sample papers and video workshops, and fifteen minutes a day of reading and listening to real French improve both comprehension papers. What independent study does not replace is the correction of your written and spoken work.
Does a training course guarantee that you will reach the level?
No, and no organisation can guarantee it: the exam assesses your output on a given day. What we describe is what is worked on during the preparation hours, never a promised result.
Should you take the level test before choosing a duration?
It is the only order that makes sense. The free level test takes about 45 minutes, and identifies the gap that determines the amount of preparation you need. Choosing a date and then an amount means letting the calendar decide your preparation.