TCF Canada speaking test: format, tasks and practice

TCF speaking format: the 3 tasks

The speaking test is always face to face with an examiner, even if you take the other papers on a computer. It lasts 12 minutes in total, including 2 minutes to prepare task 2, and it is recorded.

How to approach each task

Task 1: plan four or five short blocks (who you are, family, work or studies, free time, your plans in Canada) and add one concrete detail to each. The examiner will ask follow-up questions, so answer them properly instead of running through a script.

Task 2: use the 2 minutes to note 8 to 10 questions grouped by theme (price, times, place, conditions), as keywords rather than full sentences. You lead the conversation: greet, say what you are looking for, ask, react to the answers and thank the examiner at the end.

Task 3: state your position in the first sentence, then give two or three arguments with an example each, a nuance and a short conclusion. Interruptions are part of the task: answer, then pick up where you left off.

Common mistakes that cost points

The TCF candidate handbook says that reciting a memorized text can be rated “A1 non atteint” (below A1). Prepare ideas and sentence patterns, never full scripts.

• Reciting a memorized self-introduction in task 1, at reading speed.
• Asking only two or three questions in task 2 and letting the examiner do the talking.
• Using the wrong register: match tu or vous to the situation in the instructions.
• Listing arguments in task 3 with no examples and no conclusion.
• Giving one-sentence answers, which leave the examiner too little to rate you at B2.
• Freezing on a missing word instead of talking around it (« le truc qui sert à… »).

How it is scored, and the score you need for NCLC 7

The examiner rates each task, then a second marker rates it again from the recording without seeing the first mark. They assess vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation and fluency, as well as interaction, coherence and how well you fit the situation.

You get a score out of 20; there is no pass or fail. NCLC 7, which you need for the Federal Skilled Worker Program and the French-language Express Entry draws, starts at 10/20 in speaking, which is where B2 begins.

The NCLC column below follows IRCC’s equivalency table; check the latest version on canada.ca before you fill in your profile.

TCF speaking topics to practise

SpeakDuo wrote these topics in the style of the exam; they are not real exam questions. Answer out loud, in French, with a timer running.

• Task 1: « Parlez-moi de votre travail. Qu’est-ce qui vous plaît dans votre métier ? »
• Task 1: « Qu’est-ce que vous aimez faire le week-end ? »
• Task 2: You are looking for a room to rent near your new job. Ask the owner about the rent, bills, the neighbourhood and the move-in date.
• Task 2: You want to enrol your child in a summer day camp. Ask the organizer about dates, activities, meals and price.
• Task 3: « Faut-il rendre les transports en commun gratuits ? » (Should public transport be free?)
• Task 3: « Le télétravail rend-il les gens plus heureux ? » (Does remote work make people happier?)
• Task 3: « Vaut-il mieux élever ses enfants en ville ou à la campagne ? » (Is it better to raise children in the city or the countryside?)

A 4-week TCF speaking practice plan

Short daily practice beats one long session on the weekend. Aim for 20 to 30 minutes of speaking a day.

• Week 1: do each task once with the AI examiner to find your starting point, and write down your three most common mistakes.
• Week 2: focus on task 2. Prepare question lists for ten everyday situations and act them out loud.
• Week 3: focus on task 3. One question a day, 4 min 30 on the clock; record yourself and listen back.
• Week 4: do full 12-minute mocks, and speak live with other learners on SpeakDuo to get used to a real person across the table.

Useful French phrases for the TCF speaking test

Learn patterns, not scripts. The phrases stay in French because that is what you will say on the day.

Sample dialogue: task 2 role-play

Situation: you want to adopt a cat and you visit an animal shelter. The examiner plays the volunteer. Notice how the candidate leads, asks varied questions and reacts to each answer. A = candidate, B = examiner.

1. Examiner: Bonjour, bienvenue au refuge. Qu’est-ce que je peux faire pour vous ?
2. Candidate: Bonjour ! J’aimerais adopter un chat, mais c’est la première fois. Est-ce que vous pourriez m’expliquer comment ça se passe ?
3. Examiner: Bien sûr. D’abord, vous remplissez un questionnaire, puis on vous présente les chats qui correspondent à votre situation.
4. Candidate: D’accord. Quel genre de questions y a-t-il dans ce questionnaire ?
5. Examiner: On vous demande votre type de logement, vos horaires, si vous avez des enfants ou d’autres animaux.
6. Candidate: J’habite dans un petit appartement et je travaille de neuf heures à dix-sept heures. Est-ce que c’est un problème ?
7. Examiner: Pas du tout. Certains chats adultes sont très calmes et supportent bien de rester seuls la journée.
8. Candidate: Très bien. Et est-ce qu’il y a des frais d’adoption ?
9. Examiner: Oui, cent cinquante dollars. Le chat est déjà vacciné, stérilisé et identifié par une puce.
10. Candidate: Ah, donc tout ça est compris dans le prix, c’est intéressant. Et si ça se passe mal avec le chat, qu’est-ce qu’on fait ?
11. Examiner: Vous pouvez nous le ramener, et nous vous accompagnons pendant les premières semaines.
12. Candidate: C’est rassurant. Dernière question : est-ce que je peux venir le voir plusieurs fois avant de me décider ?
13. Examiner: Oui, sur rendez-vous, du mardi au samedi.
14. Candidate: Parfait. Alors je vais remplir le questionnaire dès aujourd’hui. Merci beaucoup pour votre aide !