TCF Canada writing tasks: format, scoring and NCLC

Contents

The three tasks
The rules that can sink the whole paper
Managing the 60 minutes
What graders assess
One score, marked twice
From the /20 score to CEFR and NCLC
Re-marking suspended since September 2026
Practise with feedback

The three tasks

The three tasks come in a fixed order, and each one asks you to do something different: a message to one or more specific recipients, then a text for several readers that tells a story and comments on it, and finally a comparison of two opinions followed by your own. Each task has its own page with a method and graded sample answers, and our TCF Canada writing samples show the same prompt answered at three NCLC levels.

Task	What you are asked to do	Word count
Task 1 · Message	Write a message that describes, narrates or explains, to one or more recipients whose status is given in the instructions.	60–120
Task 2 · Article or letter	Write an article, letter or note for several readers: report an experience or tell a story, with comments, opinions or arguments that serve a stated purpose.	120–150
Task 3 · Compare two points of view	Write a text that compares two opinions on a social issue, given in two documents, then give your own view.	120–180 Part 1 · present both opinions: 40–60 Part 2 · give your position: 80–120

For task 3, the sample test published by France Éducation international splits the text into two parts: first both opinions, presented in your own words (40–60 words), then your position on the topic the two documents share (80–120 words). Our practice prompts follow all three formats; they are original and never reuse real exam questions.

The rules that can sink the whole paper

The official instructions set three rules that apply to the whole test.

1. Tasks are done in order

Task 1, then task 2, then task 3.

2. Four cases where the paper can be rated “A1 not reached”

The official wording is « A1 non atteint ». It can happen when:

the handwriting is illegible (paper test);
a task does not respect the required word count, whether it falls below the minimum or goes over the maximum;
a task is off topic;
one or more tasks are missing.

In other words, a single task outside the limits can bring down the score for all three. A 125-word task 1 is not “a bit long”: it puts the whole paper at risk.

3. How words are counted

For France Éducation international, a word is “any group of signs between two spaces”. So « un bon sujet » counts as 3 words and « c’est-à-dire » as just one. Likewise, « l’hiver » or « aujourd’hui », written without a space, count as 1 word each.

Our grader counts words with this rule and checks that your text answers the prompt before anything else: if a limit is not respected, it is the first line of your report.

Managing the 60 minutes: our suggestion

The 60 minutes cover all three tasks. The split below is not an official rule: it is a suggestion that gives more time to the longer tasks.

Task	Suggested time	What to do in that time
Task 1	about 10 minutes	spot every piece of information requested, write the message, count the words
Task 2	about 20 minutes	pin down the purpose of the text, tell the story then comment, proofread
Task 3	about 30 minutes	read both documents, write the two parts, proofread and count
Total	60 minutes	proofreading included

Count the words at the end of each task, before moving on: it is the check that protects the whole paper.
Protect your time for task 3. It is the longest (120–180 words), and you first have to read two documents.
Do not pad a finished text. If task 1 takes you less than 10 minutes, keep the spare time for a final proofread.
Practise against the clock. The grader at the bottom of this page has a timer set to the suggested time for each task.

What graders assess

France Éducation international groups its marking criteria into three families:

Family	What is assessed
Linguistic	vocabulary range, grammatical accuracy, spelling, how elaborate the sentences are
Pragmatic	coherence and cohesion, development of the topic
Sociolinguistic	fit to the communication situation: forms of address, register, text format

The official description of the test also lists the skills expected. They come up from one task to the next:

describing, narrating and explaining: the core of task 1, with narration again in task 2;
justifying a position, expressing and defending an opinion: tasks 2 and 3;
comparing two points of view and rephrasing them in your own words: task 3;
conveying the requested information clearly, linking ideas, choosing vocabulary and structures that suit the task: all three tasks.

Our grader uses these three families and adds task completion (prompt respected, requested information present). For cohesion, our list of French linking words gives you ways to connect ideas without repeating « et » and « mais ».

One score, marked twice

The three tasks are not scored separately: the writing test gets a single score out of 20 for the whole paper. An excellent task 3 does not make up for a task 1 outside the word limits.

Double marking. Each paper is marked by two graders trained by France Éducation international, independently and double-blind.
FIDELIA on computer. When the test is taken on computer, the first of the two markings may be done by FIDELIA, the automated marking-assistance system designed by France Éducation international. The second is always done by a human grader.
Results. They are published within 15 working days of the test centre’s materials being received, and you download them from your TCF-Candidat space. The certificate is valid for 2 years from the results date; the expiry date is printed on it.

That is why, when you submit a single task, our report does not say “this task is worth X/20”: it shows the score you would get if all three tasks were at that level, and the matching NCLC.

From the /20 score to CEFR and NCLC

The same score out of 20 can be read two ways: as a CEFR level, with the grid published by France Éducation international (« Grilles de niveaux du TCF »), and as an NCLC level, with IRCC’s Express Entry chart (page modified on 16 October 2026).

Score out of 20 and CEFR level

CEFR level	Writing (score out of 20)
C2	18–20
C1	14–17
B2	10–13
B1	6–9
A2	2–5
A1	1

Score out of 20 and NCLC level

NCLC	Writing (score out of 20)	CEFR level of the same score
10 and above	16–20	C1–C2
9	14–15	C1
8	12–13	B2
7	10–11	B2
6	7–9	B1
5	6	B1
4	4–5	A2

Below 4/20, the level is below NCLC 4. Two things worth remembering:

One point can change your level. 9/20 is NCLC 6; 10/20 is NCLC 7.
NCLC 7 starts at 10/20, which is already B2 on France Éducation international’s grid. What that level looks like in practice: see our guide to reaching NCLC 7.

The reading and listening tests, scored out of 699, have their own charts: see the full NCLC score chart. Still choosing between the two exams? Our TCF vs TEF comparison sets their formats side by side.

On this site, scores and levels are always estimates. Only France Éducation international issues TCF Canada results.

Re-marking suspended since September 2026

France Éducation international has suspended re-mark requests (« recorrection ») for the writing and speaking tests from the 1 September 2026 sessions, for about a year. The service is planned to resume in autumn 2027.

During that period, a disappointing writing score can no longer be challenged with a re-mark. You can retake the test as many times as you like, but you must leave at least 20 days between two TCF Canada sessions. So it pays to arrive with solid habits: word count checked, every point of the prompt covered, register suited to the reader.

Practise and get your text corrected

Write on this prompt (or paste your own): free preview with your estimated NCLC level and your 2 most important corrections.

Task

Nouvel appartement

Vous venez d’emménager dans un nouvel appartement. Écrivez un message à vos amis pour leur décrire votre logement et votre quartier, et pour les inviter à une soirée chez vous samedi prochain. (60 mots minimum, 120 mots maximum)

Your text (in French)

0 words · Expected: 60–120 words Timer 10:00

Free preview: estimated level and the first 2 corrections. Full report with a pack or a pass.

TCF Canada writing FAQ

How long is the TCF Canada writing test?

60 minutes for all three tasks, done in order. We suggest about 10 minutes for task 1, 20 for task 2 and 30 for task 3, proofreading included. This split is a suggestion, not an official rule.

Does each writing task get its own score?

No. The three tasks get one score out of 20 for the whole writing test. That is the score IRCC converts to NCLC: for example, a score of 10 to 11 out of 20 is NCLC 7.

What happens if I go over or under the word limit?

Under the official instructions, the paper can be rated “A1 not reached” (« A1 non atteint ») if even one task is too short or too long. The limits are 60–120 words for task 1, 120–150 for task 2 and 120–180 for task 3. A word is any group of signs between two spaces.

Is the TCF Canada writing test marked by a computer?

Each paper is marked twice, independently. When you take the test on computer, the first marking may be done by FIDELIA, France Éducation international’s automated marking-assistance system, but the second is always done by a human grader.

Can I ask for my writing score to be re-marked?

Not for sessions from 1 September 2026: France Éducation international has suspended re-mark requests for the writing and speaking tests for about a year, with the service planned to resume in autumn 2027. You can still retake the test, leaving at least 20 days between two sessions.

Sources: France Éducation international (« TCF Canada », « Évaluation des épreuves du TCF », « Comprendre mes résultats au TCF » and sample tests) and IRCC (Express Entry language test results page, modified on 16 October 2026). Information checked on 19 October 2026.