Law 14 (Bill 96) FAQ | Continuing Education – AEC

Certificate of Eligibility are issued to people in specific cases who are allowed to receive instruction in English. These individuals have no added admission or graduation requirements under Law 14.

A full list can be found at the Québec government’s website (ref: http://www.education.gouv.qc.ca/en/parents-and-guardians/instruction-in-english/eligibility/)

Most Québec citizens, or recently arrived immigrants, are not Certificate of Eligibility holders. Under Law 14 these individuals must have a certain level of French oral and written proficiency that they can demonstrate proof of, to the College, before the College can issue their AEC at the end of the program.

If you meet the Québec government’s eligibility criteria you would already have received documentation when you were attending primary or secondary school. Regardless of if you have the document or not, you can inform the Cégep.

The Cégep will confirm your status with your permanent code, which is issued to all students who attend an educational institution in Québec.

Cégeps have access to review an applicant’s status and to determine if they hold a certificate of eligibility. Applicants are not required to submit their Certificate of Eligibility with their application.

Applicants who hold the Certificate of Eligibility have no added admission or graduation requirement beyond those of the AEC program.

You are not required to prove your level of French proficiency.

Non-Certificate of Eligibility applicants have the same admission requirements as Certificate of Eligibility applicants. However, under Law 14 Section 88.0.18, successfully admitted students must prove that they have a level of French language proficiency before obtaining their AEC.

The Québec government has declared that Non-Certificate of Eligibility Holders must prove that they have attained a level of French oral and written comprehension consistent with the “Échelle québécoise des niveaux de compétence en français des personnes immigrantes adultes” as follows:

• Level 7 in oral French
• Level 4 in written French

Non-Certificate of Eligibility students will be required to prove their attainment of the required levels of spoken and written French through the successful completion of one of the following qualifying tests:

• The Test d’évaluation du français adapté pour le Québec (TEFAQ) de la Chambre de commerce et d’industrie de Paris Île-de-France (CCIP-IDF);
• The Test de connaissance du français pour le Québec (TCF-Québec) de France Éducation international;
• The Test de connaissance du français pour le Canada (TCF-Canada) de France Éducation international;
• The Test d’évaluation du français (TEF) de la CCIP-IDF;
• The Test d’évaluation du français pour le Canada (TEF Canada) de la CCIP-IDF;
• The Test de connaissance du français (TCF) de France Éducation international;
• Le diplôme d’études en langue française (DELF) de France Éducation international;
• Le diplôme approfondi de langue française (DALF) de France Éducation international.

Please note that the previously mentioned standardized tests have a validity period. For students who have already completed one of the above tests, the Ministry will recognize a certificate that was valid at the time of the student’s admission.

For students who have not yet successfully completed one of the above tests, qualifying proof must be demonstrated prior to obtaining an AEC.

Responsibility of the Student

1. The student will be responsible for registering with a center offering qualifying tests and paying the associated fees;
2. The student must provide the institution with a valid certificate of achievement or any other document proving the attainment of the required level of French proficiency.

Students who are Non-Certificate of Eligibility Holders can be exempted from proving their level of French if they have any of the following situations:

1. Completed a secondary school diploma (DES) in French in Québec;
2. Completed a secondary school diploma (DES) in English and passed the Secondary 5 French as a second language course;
3. Completed a diploma of vocational studies (DEP) in French in Québec;
4. Completed an Attestation d’études collégial/Attestation of Collegiate Studies (AEC/ACS) program in Québec, where all course were given in French;
5. Completed a Diplôme d’études collégiales/Diploma of Collegiate Studies (DEC/DCS) or university diploma in French in Québec;
6. Completed a program outside of Québec given in French that is equivalent to a DEC/DCS or university diploma;
7. Completed at least 3 years of full-time secondary or postsecondary studies in French in Canada;
8. Passed the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) examination leading to an attestation of a French level appropriate to practice their profession;
9. Reside or have resided on an Indigenous or First Nations reservation, an establishment where the aboriginal community lives, or on Category I and Category 1-N within the meaning of “Loi sur le régime des terres dans les territoires de la Baie-James et du Nouveau-Québec (chapitre R-13.1)”

For First Nations or Inuit students, the institution may request a document as proof of residency, based on two distinct situations:

1. The individual resided in a community while they were a minor;
2. The individual resides in a community, or has resided there as an adult, and has documentation in their name.

The consortium of English-language Cégeps have developed a diagnostic test to help you determine your current level of French.

It is a free service and can be accessed at: https://rise.articulate.com/share/FisEE78jhs07TpmlsEGsTafywJb-2Xi6.

Note that you must still complete the official government-mandated test however, the results of the diagnostic test can help you decide how much additional training or how many additional courses might be needed to reach the acceptable level of French language proficiency.

The Government of Québec offers Francisation (French courses). It consists of French courses that are free for immigrants and residents living in Québec. Francisation courses are offered in various locales in the province of Québec, including cégeps, school boards, adult education centers and more.

Their website is only in French, and information can be found at https://www.quebec.ca/education/apprendre-le-francais/.

Law 14 is applicable only for students starting a new program after July 1, 2023.

If you are an existing student transferring to a new program after July 1, 2023, then Law 14 is applicable.

If you were a student but you have to re-apply to a program of study, then Law 14 is applicable.