TCF Canada writing test: the 3 tasks, with sample topics and model answers

The official format

The TCF Canada writing test lasts 60 minutes and has three compulsory tasks. France Éducation international, which designs and marks the test, sets a minimum and a maximum number of words for each one.

Real topics are confidential. The topics below are practice topics modelled on the official instructions, each with a model answer. Like the real test, they are in French.

Our tip for the 60 minutes: about 10 minutes for task 1, 20 for task 2, 25 for task 3 and 5 minutes to proofread.

Task 1: write a message (60–120 words)

You write a short, practical message: an invitation, a request, a description, an explanation. The instructions always say who you are writing to, and that sets the register: tu for a friend, vous for a neighbour you hardly know or an employer.

In short: you have just moved into a new flat. Invite your friend Julie to dinner next Saturday, describe the flat and explain how to get there.

Why this answer works

• It does the three things asked: describe the flat, invite (day and time), explain the way.
• The register suits a friend: tu, a friendly greeting and sign-off.
• The tenses are varied and correct: passé composé, present, future, imperative.
• It stays within the word range, with a margin.

Task 2: tell an experience and comment on it (120–150 words)

Task 2 asks for a text for several readers: a blog post, a letter to an association, a note for colleagues. You tell the story of an experience, then comment on it with a clear purpose: to convince, complain, thank or recommend.

In short: you took part in a neighbourhood clean-up day. Write a post for the residents’ association blog that tells the story of the day and makes other residents want to join the next one.

Why this answer works

• A title, then three paragraphs: the story, the writer’s feelings, the call to join.
• The story mixes the passé composé (actions) and the imparfait (setting, feelings).
• The opinion is personal and nuanced: « J’avoue que… Pourtant… ».
• The ending meets the purpose set in the instructions: making readers want to come.

Task 3: compare two points of view (120–180 words)

This is the hardest task. You get two short documents that defend opposite positions on a social issue. First present and compare the two points of view in your own words, then give and justify your own opinion.

In short: is remote work progress or isolation? Nadia, an accountant, saves two hours of commuting a day and sees more of her children; Marc, an HR director, says it cuts staff off from their team. Compare both views for a newspaper website, then give your opinion.

Why this answer works

• The first paragraph presents and contrasts both positions (« pour… », « au contraire », « selon lui ») without copying the documents.
• The second gives a clear opinion (« À mon avis »), with arguments and a concession (« En revanche »).
• The conclusion takes a stand.
• Ideas from the documents are rephrased: « je gagne deux heures de transport » becomes « elle évite de longs trajets ». Rephrasing is one of the skills assessed.

Our tip: about 40 to 60 words for the comparison and 80 to 120 words for your opinion.

What the marker looks for

All TCF papers are marked centrally by France Éducation international. According to its official description, the writing test assesses your ability to:

• get a message across clearly and give the information requested;
• describe, tell, explain, and justify a choice or a position;
• link your ideas coherently;
• compare two points of view, give your opinion and argue for it;
• use vocabulary and structures suited to the task, and rephrase.

Your mark out of 20 is then converted to an NCLC level: 10 or 11 gives NCLC 7, 12 or 13 gives NCLC 8 (the full scoring table).

Mistakes that cost NCLC 7

• Leaving a task unfinished. France Éducation international warns that if one or more tasks are not done, the paper may be rated “A1 not reached”. Keep time for task 3.
• Going outside the word range. This is the other case it mentions. Count your words when you practise, so you can recognise a 100- or 150-word text at a glance.
• Writing off topic. A memorised text never matches the instructions exactly and may be judged off topic. Learn structures, not texts.
• Copying the task 3 documents. Rephrase them: it is one of the skills assessed.
• Forgetting who you are writing to. Using tu with a landlord or vous with a close friend shows you have not handled the situation.
• Not proofreading. Agreements, conjugations, punctuation: five minutes of proofreading often win back points.

This matters even more right now: from the September 1, 2026 sessions, France Éducation international has suspended re-marking of writing and speaking, with the service expected to resume in autumn 2027. Your mark will be final.

How to practise

• Do the three tasks in a row, in 60 minutes, as on test day.
• Write on varied themes: housing, work, studies, leisure, the environment, technology, neighbourhood life.
• Build your stock of linking words: d’abord, ensuite, pourtant, en revanche, c’est pourquoi, en conclusion.
• Get your writing corrected and note your recurring mistakes.

On Prépa-TCF Canada, the writing module covers the three tasks, explained in English, and the mock exam makes you write under real conditions. With the Pro plan, each paper gets detailed feedback: a mark out of 20, criterion by criterion, with your mistakes and their corrections.