TCF Canada: the complete guide

The four tests

All four tests are compulsory, and France Éducation international says Canadian authorities accept no exemptions.

Listening and reading

Each comprehension test has 39 multiple-choice items: 35 minutes for listening, 60 for reading. Only right answers count. Practise with our TCF Canada reading practice and the listening practice.

Writing: three tasks in 60 minutes

Each task comes with a minimum and a maximum word count, and you have to respect both. France Éducation international warns that a task under the word count, off topic, missing, or copied from the prompt can be rated “A1 not reached”.

Writing practice 1

The task: TCF Canada writing: one of three tasks done in 60 minutes in total. Each task has a minimum and maximum word count printed with it; respect both.

• Do everything the prompt asks: present yourself, invite, give the time and the apartment number.
• France Éducation international says a task under the word count, off topic or copied from the prompt can be rated “A1 not reached”.
• Match the register to the reader: friendly but polite with new neighbours.

Writing practice 2

The task: TCF Canada writing: one of three tasks done in 60 minutes in total. Each task has a minimum and maximum word count printed with it; respect both.

• Present each side fairly in your own words before giving your view.
• Don’t copy sentences from the prompt: rephrase.
• Keep inside the word range; going over the maximum also counts against you.

Speaking: three tasks in 12 minutes

Speaking is a one-on-one test with an examiner. You get 2 minutes to prepare for the second task. The conversation is recorded and sent to France Éducation international for a second marking.

Speaking practice 1

The task: TCF Canada speaking: one of three tasks in a 12-minute face-to-face test with an examiner. No preparation time except for the second task.

• Answer in full sentences and add a detail or a reason each time.
• Use several tenses: present for now, passé composé for your past, futur proche for plans.
• Speak at a natural pace; it’s fine to pause briefly to think.

Speaking practice 2

The task: TCF Canada speaking: one of three tasks in a 12-minute face-to-face test with an examiner. Practise giving and defending an opinion.

• Give your opinion in the first sentence, then two or three reasons with examples.
• Show you can nuance: cela dit, d’un autre côté, tout dépend de…
• End with a one-sentence conclusion.

Scores

Listening and reading each get a score from 100 to 699 and a CEFR level from “A1 not reached” to C2. Writing and speaking are each marked out of 20. IRCC turns these into NCLC levels.

Booking a TCF Canada (rendez-vous)

1. 1

   Pick an approved centre

   You take the TCF Canada at a centre approved by France Éducation international. See our list of TCF Canada test centres in Canada.

2. 2

   Ask for dates and the fee

   Each centre runs its own sessions and sets its own price, so compare a few.

3. 3

   Plan around retakes

   You have to wait 30 days before registering for a new session, so book early if your deadline is close.

Results and validity

The certificate is valid for 2 years from the date it’s issued. IRCC needs results less than 2 years old when you create your Express Entry profile and when you apply. France Éducation international doesn’t publish one results delay for every centre, so ask yours when you book.