Exam Explanation

What is the TCF Canada Exam?

The TCF Canada (Test de Connaissance du Français) is a French language exam recognized by immigration authorities in Canada. It evaluates four modules: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. The total time is approximately 2 hours 47 minutes.

Listening, Compréhension Orale

39 multiple choice questions, 35 minutes

1. 39 multiple choice questions

2. Duration about 35 minutes

3. Assesses understanding of spoken French in everyday and media contexts

Reading, Compréhension Écrite

39 multiple choice questions, 60 minutes

1. 39 multiple choice questions

2. Duration about 60 minutes

3. Measures comprehension of notices, articles and longer informational texts

Writing, Expression Écrite

3 tasks, 60 minutes total

1. Short message or note, about 60 to 120 words

2. Letter or short article, about 120 to 150 words

3. Opinion piece comparing 2 short documents, about 120 to 180 words

Evaluates clarity, task completion, cohesion, argumentation and appropriate vocabulary and structures

Speaking, Expression Orale

3 tasks, about 12 minutes total including prep

1. Structured interview, no prep, about 2 minutes

2. Interaction or role play, about 5.5 minutes including about 2 minutes prep

3. Express a point of view, no prep, about 4.5 minutes

Assesses fluency, pronunciation, vocabulary range and spontaneous interaction

Start Speaking

How TCF Canada Scores Work

Each module produces a raw score that maps to CEFR levels A1 to C2. The official level grids define the bands below.

Listening and Reading

0 to 699 scale, low to high

Score Range

CEFR

0 to 100

A1 not achieved

101 to 199

200 to 299

300 to 399

400 to 499

500 to 599

600 to 699

Writing and Speaking

0 to 20 scale, low to high

Score Range

CEFR

A1 not achieved

2 to 5

6 to 9

10 to 13

14 to 17

18 to 20

Note: For immigration purposes, results may be converted into CLB levels by the Government of Canada. Prep2Pass focuses on CEFR preparation, which is the scale used in the official TCF Canada exam.

What Do CEFR Levels Mean?

A1 to A2, Beginner

Simple everyday communication and familiar topics

B1, Intermediate

Describe experiences, handle common travel or work situations, maintain conversations

B2, Upper-intermediate

Interact fluently, argue opinions, use French spontaneously in more complex contexts

C1, Advanced

Flexible, fluent use of French for academic and professional purposes

C2, Mastery

Near-native control with nuance and precision

Why the Speaking Section is the Most Challenging

Face to face with an examiner
Only 12 minutes, every word counts
Tests grammar, vocabulary, fluency and confidence under time pressure

Start a Free Speaking Exam

How Prep2Pass helps you succeed

Real exam flow with timers, transitions and examiner style prompts

Detailed feedback with grammar corrections, vocabulary upgrades and connectors

Progress tracking to see CEFR performance improve over time

Practical strategies with exam ready phrases and structures that boost your score

TCF Canada Exam Structure explained, With Speaking Practice that Works