TCF Canada Writing Guide: Tasks 1, 2 and 3

All three tasks are written in one 60-minute sitting, and you decide how to split the time. Each task has a word range — stay inside it, because a text that is far too short usually counts as an incomplete task.

The tasks climb in difficulty: Task 1 checks that you can communicate everyday information, Task 2 that you can recount and comment on an experience, and Task 3 that you can summarize two viewpoints and argue your own opinion.

You write a short message — usually an email or note to a friend, neighbour, or colleague — to describe something, give news, invite, or ask for information. The register is normally informal (tu) unless the recipient calls for vous.

1. 1Greeting that matches the recipient (Salut Léa, / Bonjour Madame Martin,).
2. 2One sentence stating why you're writing.
3. 3Two or three concrete details: what, when, where, who.
4. 4A question or request that invites a reply.
5. 5A closing formula and your name (À bientôt, / Bien cordialement,).

You write for several readers — an article, blog post, or letter to a group — that recounts an experience and gives your opinion or a recommendation. Control of past tenses (passé composé and imparfait) matters most here.

1. 1A short title or opening line that sets the topic.
2. 2Context: when and where it happened.
3. 3The story in two or three steps, using passé composé for events and imparfait for descriptions.
4. 4Your opinion (À mon avis…, Ce qui m'a le plus marqué…).
5. 5A recommendation or conclusion for your readers.

You read two short documents that take opposing positions on the same topic, then write one text in two parts. This is the task most candidates have never seen before, and the one that separates NCLC 7 from NCLC 9.

Keep Part 1 neutral and in your own words — copying sentences from the documents doesn't show your French. Save every opinion for Part 2.

Your writing is graded out of /20 on how well you complete each task, how clearly your text is organized, and the range and accuracy of your vocabulary and grammar. IRCC converts that score to NCLC:

Convert all four of your results at once with the TEF & TCF to NCLC score calculator.

• Plan your 60 minutes — roughly 10 / 20 / 30 minutes, leaving time to reread Task 3.
• Count your words — aim for the middle of each range, not the minimum.
• Use connectors (d'abord, ensuite, cependant, par conséquent, en conclusion) to make your structure visible.
• Match the register — tu for a friend in Task 1, a neutral tone for readers in Task 2, a formal argument in Task 3.
• Reread for agreement (gender, plural, past participles) — it's the most common source of lost points.

Taking TEF Canada instead? The format is different — read the TEF Canada writing guide.