TCF Canada writing task 3: compare two opinions, then give yours

What the official instructions say

According to France Éducation international, task 3 means writing a text for, say, a newspaper, a website, colleagues or managers. The text compares two points of view on the same social issue, given in two documents, and then gives your own opinion. The expected length is 120 words minimum and 180 words maximum.

FEI’s official sample booklet splits the task into two parts, each with its own word range:

The general rules of all 3 writing tasks and their scoring apply here too: tasks are done in order, task 3 coming last; a paper can be rated “A1 not reached” if a task does not respect the word count, is off topic or is missing; and a word is any group of signs between two spaces. So the total must stay between 120 and 180 words, and keeping to each part’s range helps you balance the text.

What the grader looks at

As in task 1 and task 2, two graders trained by France Éducation international mark the paper independently, on linguistic criteria (vocabulary, grammar, spelling, how elaborate the sentences are), pragmatic criteria (coherence, cohesion, development of the topic) and sociolinguistic criteria (fit to the situation). Among the skills FEI lists for the writing test, three are at the heart of task 3: comparing two points of view, expressing and arguing an opinion, and reformulating. In practice:

• Did you reformulate? Copying a sentence from a document shows nothing of your level: what is assessed is your ability to say the same thing differently.
• Did you really compare? Two summaries one after the other are not enough: a contrast word (« à l’inverse », « alors que ») sets the two opinions against each other.
• Is your position clear? State it in the first sentence of part 2, then support it with two arguments and at least one example.
• Does the text hold together? A neutral part 1, a personal part 2, linking words that guide the reader: that is coherence and cohesion.
• Does the register suit the medium? City website, newspaper, colleagues: standard French, with no « tu » and no spoken turns of phrase.

A 4-step method

1. Read the documents and find the common theme (5 minutes)

For each document, jot down who is speaking, what they think and their two main arguments. The common theme is restated in the prompt (here, « la place de la voiture dans les centres-villes », the place of cars in city centres): that is what your position must address.

2. Write part 1: present without judging (8 minutes)

One or two sentences per document are enough, linked by a contrast word. Write in the third person, attribute each idea to its source (« Selon… », « X estime que… ») and reformulate: change the words, change the structure, turn a verb into a noun. Some examples from the prompt below:

3. Write part 2: take a position (12 minutes)

1. your position in the first sentence, nuanced if needed (« …, à condition que… », provided that…);
2. a first argument, developed in one or two sentences;
3. a second argument, backed by a precise example: your city, your experience;
4. a closing sentence that restates your position.

Answering an argument from the document you disagree with (« Certes…, mais… », admittedly…, but…) is a good way to tie the two parts together.

4. Proofread and count each part (5 minutes)

Count part 1, then part 2, then the total. If part 1 goes over 60 words, look for what you copied; if part 2 falls short of 80, add an example.

One prompt, two answers: B1 then C1

Answer A — estimated B1 (144 words)

Part 1 (first paragraph): 52 words · Part 2 (second paragraph): 92 words

The plan is right: the two opinions, then a position with an argument, an example and a proposal, and each part stays within its range. But part 1 copies the first sentence of document 1 word for word (« fermer le centre-ville aux voitures, c’est réduire le bruit et la pollution »), repeats « dit que » and never names the authors. Its second sentence even presents the document’s opinion as a fact (« Les rues sont aussi plus sûres »). In part 2, two mistakes stand out: « plein des voitures » (→ plein de voitures) and « il faut que les bus sont » (→ soient: « il faut que » takes the subjunctive). « Comme ça » and « c’est difficile de » (in writing: « il est difficile de ») belong to spoken French.

Estimate: if all three tasks were at this level, the writing score would be about 7/20 (B1 on FEI’s scale), which is NCLC 6.

Answer B — estimated C1 (169 words)

Part 1 (first paragraph): 56 words · Part 2 (second paragraph): 113 words

Same prompt, same plan, but the grader sees the difference straight away:

Estimate: if all three tasks were at this level, the writing score would be about 15/20 (C1), which is NCLC 9. Both answers respect the 120–180-word total and each part’s range, counted with the official rule as our grader does. For score conversion, see our NCLC score chart; for more pairs of documents, our practice prompts.

Phrases to report, compare and argue

For more ways to link your ideas, see our guide to French linking words.

Costly mistakes

• Copying the documents. Reusing a key word of the topic is unavoidable (« centre-ville », « pollution »). Copying a whole sentence is not: reformulating is one of the skills assessed.
• Giving your opinion in part 1. « Le premier document a raison » (the first document is right) has no place in the presentation: keep your position for part 2.
• Unbalanced parts. Ninety words of summary and forty words of opinion: the total may fit, but the text departs from the structure in the official booklet and your argument stays thin.
• Going over 180 words (or under 120). A task outside the word limits can get the whole paper rated “A1 not reached”: count before you hand it in.
• Staying vague. « Les deux documents ont raison » (both documents are right) is not a position. You can nuance, but conclude clearly.
• Forgetting the medium. A text for the city website is neither a message to a friend nor an academic essay: standard French, clear sentences.

According to France Éducation international (checked on 19 October 2026), re-marking requests for writing and speaking are suspended for sessions from 1 September 2026, for about a year; FEI plans to resume them in autumn 2027. It pays to get it right the first time.

Task 3 FAQ