TCF Canada, test by test.
Four mandatory tests, 2 hours 47 minutes in total. TCF Canada is not based on a course syllabus: it measures what you can do in French. Knowing its format is the first thing to prepare.
Four tests, 2 h 47.
In both comprehension tests each question offers four answers, only one of which is correct, and difficulty rises progressively.
- 35minPractise
Listening
- 39 multiple-choice questions
- Taken as a group
- Out of 699 points
- 60minPractise
Reading
- 39 multiple-choice questions
- Taken as a group
- Out of 699 points
- 60minPractise
Writing
- 3 writing tasks
- Taken as a group
- Out of 20
- 12minPractise
Speaking
- 3 tasks, facing an examiner
- Taken individually
- Out of 20
Official source: France Éducation international. Checked on October 11, 2026.
Three tasks, three word counts.
All three tasks must be completed within the minimum and maximum word counts. A paper that is illegible, off topic, incomplete or that copies the prompt can be assessed as “A1 not reached”.
- Task 1
Short message
A message that describes, recounts or explains, addressed to one or several recipients whose status is stated.
60 to 120 words - Task 2
Article or account
An article, a letter or a note reporting an experience, with your comments and your opinion.
120 to 150 words - Task 3
Two points of view
Two documents defend opposing opinions on a social issue: compare them, then give your own view.
120 to 180 words
Twelve minutes facing the examiner.
The examiner explains the instructions, runs the test and makes a first assessment. Only the second task includes preparation time, of two minutes.
- Task 1
Guided interview
You talk with the examiner, whom you do not know, about yourself and your daily life.
2 min, no preparation - Task 2
Interaction exercise
You ask the examiner questions to obtain information in an everyday situation.
5 min 30, including 2 min of preparation - Task 3
Expressing a point of view
You answer a question chosen by the examiner and defend your opinion in a sustained, convincing way.
4 min 30, no preparation
Registration, results, validity.
TCF Canada Ready is not a test centre. Registration, the sitting and the issuing of results are handled by accredited centres and France Éducation international.
Note: from the sessions of 1 September 2026, requests to have the writing and speaking tests re-marked are suspended for about a year. France Éducation international plans to resume the service in autumn 2027.
Official source: France Éducation international. Checked on October 11, 2026.
- Registering
- Sessions are held all year round by accredited centres. Contact the nearest one: it gives you its dates, registration procedure, test medium (paper or computer) and fee.
- Paper or computer
- Every test exists on computer, except speaking, which always takes place facing an examiner.
- Getting your results
- They are available in your TCF-Candidat account within 15 working days of France Éducation international receiving the session materials.
- Certificate validity
- The certificate is valid for 2 years from the date results are issued. The expiry date is printed on it.
- Retaking the test
- You can sit it as many times as you wish, waiting 20 days between two sittings.
- Double assessment
- The writing and speaking tests are assessed twice. The speaking interview is recorded for that purpose.
The format reads in five minutes. It is learned in sets.
39 questions in test order, instant correction, no account to create.