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TCF Canada speaking test: the 3 tasks, the timing and the score for NCLC 7

The TCF Canada speaking test (expression orale) takes 12 minutes, face to face with one examiner, in three tasks: a 2-minute guided interview about you, a role-play where you ask the questions (2 minutes to prepare, then 3 minutes 30), and a 4-minute-30 opinion on a question the examiner chooses, with no preparation. It's scored out of 20, and NCLC 7, the level Express Entry's French draws ask for in all four skills, needs at least 10 out of 20.

The three tasks

Task Official name What you do Prep Length
1 Entretien dirigé (guided interview) Talk about yourself, your family and your work with someone you don't know: the examiner None 2 min
2 Exercice en interaction (interaction) Get information in an everyday situation: you ask, the examiner answers in role 2 min 3 min 30
3 Expression d’un point de vue (opinion) Give and defend your view on a question the examiner picks None 4 min 30

Source: France Éducation International (FEI), TCF candidate manual, version M, May 2025 (version H, February 2024, gives the same oral format). The 12 minutes include the 2 minutes of Task 2 preparation. The manual says TCF Canada candidates get scratch paper (« des feuilles de brouillon ») for the speaking test.

Task 1: talking about yourself (2 minutes)

FEI describes the goal as showing you can talk with someone you don't know, and assesses your ability to « parler de soi, de son environnement familial et professionnel » (talk about yourself, your family and your work). Our bank also covers plans and studies, which come up naturally.

A prompt from Niveau7's bank (tcf1-024): « Quels sont vos projets pour les prochaines années ? » Its follow-ups (tcf1-024): « Lequel de ces projets compte le plus pour vous ? », « Comment comptez-vous vous y prendre ? ».

A plan for Task 1 (our advice)

  1. Answer, then add. Give the answer, one detail and one reason or example: three or four linked sentences, not one.
  2. Use more than one tense. Something you did (passé composé), something true now (present), something you want or plan (conditional, « je compte », future). Two minutes is short, and a past, a present and a future fill it well.
  3. Link your sentences. « alors », « d’abord », « ensuite », « parce que », « et si tout se passe bien ».
  4. Stay with vous. The examiner is someone you don't know, so vous is the natural choice.

Example: answering « Quels sont vos projets pour les prochaines années ? »

Example written by Niveau7, not a real candidate (about 30 seconds).

Closer to NCLC 5 Aiming at NCLC 7
« Mon projet, c’est le Canada. Je veux travailler. » « Dans les prochaines années, j’aimerais m’installer au Canada avec ma famille. J’ai travaillé six ans comme comptable à Dakar, alors je voudrais d’abord faire reconnaître mon diplôme. Ensuite, je compte améliorer mon français pour viser un poste de responsable. Et si tout se passe bien, nous achèterons une maison d’ici cinq ans, près d’une bonne école pour nos enfants. »

What moved it: a past (« J’ai travaillé »), a wish (« j’aimerais »), two plans (« je voudrais », « je compte ») and a future (« nous achèterons »), linked with « alors », « d’abord », « ensuite ». Each sentence also gives the examiner something to follow up on. Method and more examples (in French): TCF Task 1.

Task 2: the role-play (2 minutes to prepare, then 3 minutes 30)

You read a card that sets both roles, prepare for 2 minutes, then lead the conversation. FEI assesses your ability to « poser des questions adaptées à la situation de communication proposée » (ask questions that fit the situation), so the register depends on the card.

An example where you speak to a friend, so tu (tcf2-002): « Un ami s’installe à Québec et cherche quelqu’un pour partager son appartement. Vous lui posez des questions pour décider si vous devenez son colocataire. »

Questions from the item's own list (tcf2-002): « Dans quel quartier se trouve l’appartement ? », « Combien je paierais par mois pour le loyer ? », « Comment on partagerait les factures ? », « À partir de quand je pourrais emménager ? », « Est-ce que mon nom serait sur le bail ? ».

A plan for Task 2 (our advice)

  1. Use the 2 minutes. Decide tu or vous from the card, then jot eight to ten questions by topic on your scratch paper (for this card: the place, the money, daily life, the lease).
  2. Open in one sentence. Greet and say what you want: « Salut ! J’aurais quelques questions avant de me décider. »
  3. One question at a time, and react. « D’accord », « Ah, c’est pratique », then the next question. Follow up when an answer opens something new.
  4. Mix question forms. « Est-ce que… ? », a question word (« Combien… ? », « À partir de quand… ? »), a choice (« … ou… ? »).
  5. Close. Sum up what you heard and say what you'll do: « Je te redis ça demain. »

What it sounds like: the start of the role-play

Example written by Niveau7, not a real candidate. The examiner's answers use only facts from the item (tcf2-002); the notes in italics explain what each line does.

You: « Salut ! Alors, tu cherches un colocataire ? J’aurais quelques questions avant de me décider. » (Opens with tu, as the card sets a friend, and states the goal.)

Examiner: « Bien sûr, vas-y. »

You: « D’abord, l’appartement se trouve dans quel quartier ? » (First topic: the place.)

Examiner: « Dans le quartier Saint-Roch, tout près du centre-ville. »

You: « Ah, c’est pratique. Et ma part du loyer, ce serait combien ? » (A reaction, then the money, in the conditional.)

Examiner: « Ta part du loyer serait de 625 $ par mois. »

You: « D’accord. Et les factures, elles sont comprises ou on les partage ? » (A choice question: a new form.)

Examiner: « L’électricité et Internet, on les partagerait moitié-moitié : environ 60 $ chacun par mois. »

You: « Donc à peu près 685 $ en tout. Ça me va. Et j’aurais ma propre salle de bain ? » (Summing up shows you understood, then the next topic: daily life.)

Examiner: « Non, il y a une seule salle de bain, qu’on partagerait. »

Method (in French): TCF Task 2. Full worked role-plays (in French): TCF tâche 2 : exemples.

Task 3: your opinion (4 minutes 30, no preparation)

FEI asks you to speak « de manière spontanée, continue et convaincante » (spontaneously, without stopping, convincingly). There's no prep time, so the structure has to start with your first sentence.

A topic from the bank (tcf3-005): « Faut-il interdire les voitures dans le centre des grandes villes pour réduire la pollution ? »

A plan for Task 3 (our advice)

  1. First 30 seconds: restate and take a position. Say the question back in your words and answer it. A nuanced answer (« oui, mais… ») is fine if it's clear.
  2. Two or three arguments, each with an example. Announce them (« d’abord », « ensuite », « enfin ») and give a concrete case for each, from your city, your country or Canada.
  3. The other side. Name one objection and answer it (« Cela dit… », « On pourrait objecter que… »).
  4. Last 30 seconds: conclude. Restate your view and, if it fits, propose something (« une interdiction partielle, par exemple »).
  5. Be ready for a follow-up. Niveau7's bank lists follow-up questions for each topic, such as « Une interdiction partielle, le week-end par exemple, vous semblerait-elle plus raisonnable ? » for this one.

Example: the opening of Task 3, NCLC 6 vs NCLC 7

Example written by Niveau7, not a real candidate, on tcf3-005 (about 25 seconds).

Closer to NCLC 6 Aiming at NCLC 7
« Euh, oui, je pense que c’est bien. Les voitures, ça pollue beaucoup. Et aussi le bruit. Donc oui. » « On se demande s’il faut interdire les voitures en centre-ville. Je dirais oui, mais pas du jour au lendemain. D’abord, parce que l’air y deviendrait plus sain. Ensuite, parce que les rues piétonnes font vivre les commerces. Cela dit, il faut penser aux personnes âgées et aux livreurs. »

What moved it: the candidate restates the question, takes a clear but nuanced position, announces two arguments with connectors (« d’abord », « ensuite »), and flags the other side early (« cela dit »). That's a plan the next four minutes can follow. Method and a worked plan (in French): TCF Task 3. A full answer of about 400 words (3 minutes to 3 minutes 40 out loud), commented step by step, on volunteering and integration (in French): Task 3 topics on immigration.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Task 1: one-sentence answers. Two minutes go fast, but « Oui, j’ai deux enfants. » leaves the examiner to do the talking.
  • Task 2: only yes/no questions, or switching between tu and vous. The card sets the roles: pick the register once and keep it.
  • Task 2: forgetting to react. Say « D’accord », « Ah, c’est pratique », then ask the next question.
  • Task 2: asking for everything in one long question. One question, one answer, then the next.
  • Task 3: telling your own story for four minutes without a position. Your experience is an example, not the answer.
  • Task 3: stopping at two minutes. Keep a spare argument and an example for the last minute.

How it's marked

  • Who marks. The examiner explains the instructions, runs and records the interview, and gives a first rating. A second FEI-trained marker rates the recording without seeing the first rating. If they differ a lot, a third marker rates it.
  • What they listen for. Linguistic (range and control of vocabulary, grammar, ease, pronunciation, fluency), pragmatic (interaction, structure, coherence and cohesion, developing the topic) and sociolinguistic (fitting the situation).
  • The score. Out of 20:
NCLC Speaking /20 CEFR (FEI)
4 4–5 A2
5 6 B1
6 7–9 B1
7 10–11 B2
8 12–13 B2
9 14–15 C1
10+ 16–20 C1–C2

IRCC uses the same /20 bands for speaking and writing. Listening and reading are out of 699: TCF Canada score chart. What NCLC 7 needs on each test: NCLC 7.

Why NCLC 7 matters

Express Entry's French-language category asks for NCLC 7 in all four skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing), and you must also be eligible for one of the three Express Entry programs. NCLC 7 or higher in all four French skills also earns additional CRS points: 25 if your English is CLB 4 or lower (or you have no English test), 50 if it's CLB 5 or higher in all four skills. Your results must be less than 2 years old when you create your profile and when you apply for permanent residence.

Program minimums are a separate thing: the Federal Skilled Worker program asks for NCLC 7 in your first official language, the Canadian Experience Class asks for NCLC 7 for TEER 0–1 jobs and NCLC 5 for TEER 2–3, and the Federal Skilled Trades program asks for NCLC 5 in speaking and listening and NCLC 4 in reading and writing. As of October 27, 2026, IRCC had held 12 French-language proficiency draws in 2026, with cutoffs from 382 to 435. More: Express Entry and French.

For citizenship, IRCC's list of accepted tests asks for B1 or higher in listening and speaking; on the TCF, B1 in speaking starts at 6/20 in FEI's table. See French test for Canadian citizenship.

Results and retakes

FEI's candidate manual says results arrive within 15 business days (10 business days for computer-based sessions with multiple-choice tests only), and you must wait 30 days between two sittings. The whole TCF Canada has four compulsory parts and lasts 2 hours 47 minutes, speaking included.

How to practise (our advice)

  • Task 1, daily: answer two questions about your life out loud, two minutes in all, and check you used a past, a present and a future.
  • Task 2, daily: one card, 2 minutes to prepare, 3 minutes 30 on the clock. Count your questions and your question forms.
  • Task 3, daily: one topic with no preparation, 4 minutes 30 on the clock. Record it and check the position is clear in the first 30 seconds.
  • Twice a week, the full 12 minutes, the three tasks back to back.

A study plan for the whole TCF (in French): préparation TCF Canada.

TCF or TEF?

Both count for Express Entry. The full guide in French: TCF Canada expression orale (in French). The TEF speaking test is 15 minutes in two longer role-plays built around ads. Compare: TEF vs TCF. Try a full mock now: TEF and TCF speaking practice test. Task 3 topics on immigration and integration, with a worked plan (in French): sujets tâche 3 : immigration.

Practise all three tasks with Niveau7

Practise TCF Canada speaking with Niveau7 Do Tasks 1, 2 and 3 out loud, on the real clock, with an AI examiner who plays the part and never helps. Right after: an estimated NCLC (an estimate, not an official result), a level for each of the six criteria in Niveau7's report, and the three fixes worth most toward NCLC 7, on your own sentences. 7 days free, then a weekly or monthly plan, cancel anytime. Start your free week

Frequently asked questions

How long is the TCF Canada speaking test?

12 minutes in all: Task 1 is 2 minutes, Task 2 is 2 minutes of preparation then 3 minutes 30, and Task 3 is 4 minutes 30. It's face to face with an examiner.

What TCF speaking score is NCLC 7?

At least 10 out of 20: 10–11 is NCLC 7, 12–13 is NCLC 8 and 14–15 is NCLC 9. For Express Entry's French category you need NCLC 7 in all four skills, not just speaking.

How long are TCF Canada results valid for Express Entry?

IRCC accepts TCF Canada for Express Entry. Your results must be less than 2 years old when you create your profile and again when you apply for permanent residence.

Is there preparation time in the TCF speaking test?

Only in Task 2: 2 minutes to read the situation and plan your questions. Tasks 1 and 3 start straight away. FEI's candidate manual says TCF Canada candidates receive scratch paper for the speaking test.

Do I use tu or vous in Task 2?

It depends on the situation on the card, which sets both roles. FEI doesn't name tu or vous; our advice: a bank adviser or a landlord calls for vous, a friend or a colleague you know well calls for tu. Pick one and keep it to the end.

When do I get my TCF Canada results, and can I retake it?

FEI's manual gives 15 business days. You can sit it again, with 30 days between two sittings.

Does my accent lower my score?

Pronunciation is one of FEI's linguistic criteria, alongside fluency, so what matters is being easy to understand. FEI's criteria don't name any particular accent, whether from Québec, Africa, Europe or elsewhere.

Are the prompts on this page real TCF questions?

No. They're original Niveau7 prompts written in each task's format. For the official description of each task, see FEI's candidate manual (link below).

Sources

Last checked: November 1, 2026.

Niveau7 is an independent practice tool. It is not affiliated with France Éducation International (TCF Canada), CCI Paris Île-de-France (TEF Canada) or IRCC.