TCF Canada writing test: the three tasks, with original prompts and corrected examples

Updated 2026-10-18. Figures come from the official pages linked at the end; check them before you book or apply.

The TCF Canada writing test lasts 60 minutes and has three tasks: a message to someone you know (60–120 words), an article, letter or note that reports an experience (120–150 words), and a comparison of two short documents followed by your own argued opinion (120–180 words). Each task is graded on task achievement, coherence, vocabulary and grammar; the score, 0 to 20, converts to NCLC.

What are the three tasks, in detail?

All three tasks are written in one 60-minute sitting, on computer or on paper depending on the centre. The list below gives the official shape of each task; the paragraph after it tells you how to split your hour.

Task 1, short message (60–120 words): you write to a friend or relative to describe, tell or explain something: an event, a plan, a piece of news. Familiar register, a greeting and a closing, all the requested elements.
Task 2, experience report (120–150 words): an article, a letter or a note for a defined audience (readers of a newsletter, a committee, colleagues) that reports an experience and gives your impressions; the format and the audience shape the register.
Task 3, two viewpoints (120–180 words): two short documents defend opposite positions on an everyday issue; you restate each position faithfully, then give and justify your own opinion.

A workable split is 12 minutes for task 1, 20 for task 2 and 25 for task 3, keeping 3 minutes to reread for agreement and accents. Writing under the maximum is penalised less than drifting off topic; writing under the minimum can cost the whole task.

How are the texts graded?

Raters use a grid with several criteria per task. Four questions decide the level, and a correction by criterion answers each of them with examples from your own text:

Task achievement: relevance, completeness, format, register and length within the bounds.
Coherence: paragraphs, order of ideas, connectors, references (pronouns) that the reader can follow.
Vocabulary: range, precision, spelling of words, calques from English.
Grammar: tenses, agreements, articles, prepositions, negation and subordination, measured as a density of errors relative to the complexity attempted.

What do original prompts look like?

We never reproduce real exam prompts; ours follow the official shape only. For task 1, a prompt asks you, for instance, to tell a friend about a change in your routine and explain why it matters to you. For task 2, a prompt asks you to report a visit, a course or an event to a defined group of readers. For task 3, two short texts disagree about an everyday question of organisation, consumption or community life, and you weigh in. Each prompt on FrenchExaminer comes with model answers at B1, B2 and C1, each annotated to show what makes the difference between the levels.

How does the correction by criterion work?

You write the three tasks with the official 60-minute timer and a live word count against the bounds. Each text is read twice by independent AI gradings; you receive one NCLC value per criterion with two or three sentences of justification quoting your own sentences, up to eight corrections (your wording, the corrected form, one sentence of explanation), your text rewritten one level up with the same ideas, and three prioritised pieces of advice. When the two gradings disagree by more than one level, the range widens and says so: we publish how often they agree. The first correction is free with an account; see prices for the passes.

How do you progress from B1 to B2 in writing?

Three habits move most candidates. First, write within the bounds every time, because length discipline is part of the grade. Second, use a small set of connectors deliberately until they come naturally (first, then, however, because, so, in short). Third, after each correction, rewrite the same text once more from the advice, rather than starting a new one: the repair is where the learning happens.

Which mistakes cost the most points?

Most lost points come from the task itself, not from rare vocabulary. Check these before you submit:

Outside the word count. Below the minimum, the task may be graded as not achieved; far above the maximum, you lose time and accuracy.
A missing point of the instruction. If the prompt asks for three pieces of information, a text with two cannot reach the top band.
The wrong register. « tu » to a friend in task 1, a more formal tone in tasks 2 and 3: mixing them is noticed.
Task 3 without your own opinion. Restating the two documents is only half the task; you must also take a position and justify it.
Agreement and verb endings. Gender, plural and the subjunctive after « vouloir que » or « il faut que » are the most frequent grammar errors we correct.

Linking words worth knowing

Coherence is graded: connect your ideas clearly. A short, original list to use naturally:

Ajouter : « de plus », « en outre », « par ailleurs »
Opposer : « en revanche », « pourtant », « alors que »
Expliquer : « en effet », « c'est-à-dire », « puisque »
Conclure : « c'est pourquoi », « donc », « en somme »
Donner son avis : « à mon avis », « il me semble que », « je suis convaincu(e) que »

Questions candidates ask

What happens if I write fewer words than the minimum?

The task may be graded as not achieved, which caps the score for that task. Always count: the official bounds are part of the instruction.

Can I use informal French in task 1?

Yes, task 1 is addressed to someone you know, so the familiar register (tu, everyday expressions) is expected; tasks 2 and 3 are more formal.

Is spelling graded?

Spelling and accents count within the vocabulary and grammar criteria, especially when a mistake changes meaning or reflects an agreement error.

Are your model answers real exam answers?

No. They are original texts written for original prompts, annotated level by level; nothing on this site reproduces an official test.