60 minutes · 2 tasks
TEF Canada writing: what it actually looks like
Two communicative tasks, not academic essays. Section A gives you 25 minutes to continue a news-style text in at least 80 words. Section B gives you 35 minutes to state and justify a position in at least 200 words.
Writing
Expression écrite
60 minutes · 2 tasks
How it works
- Section A: continue a factual, news-style text in 25 minutes. Write at least 80 words.
- Section B: take a position and defend it in 35 minutes. Write at least 200 words; the official sample directions ask for at least three arguments.
- Two independent assessors mark your work against standardised grids.
- The grids weigh communication, vocabulary, grammatical control and organisation - not a raw error count.
What goes wrong
- Treating the word minimum as the goal. Word count alone does not show whether your response is relevant, developed and organised.
- Pasting a memorised essay onto an unrelated prompt. Assessors read for relevance to this situation.
- Forgetting Section B is an argument. Position, reason, concrete example, second reason, counter-argument, conclusion.
Where your score needs to land
For NCLC 7, writing needs at least 428 on the 0–699 scale - well above the 400 that counts as generic CEFR B2. Convert your score.
TEF CANADA PREPARATION
Practise for TEF Canada with AI feedback
Prepare with original reading and listening questions, timed writing tasks and a live French speaking partner. Get instant, accurate feedback to guide your next attempt.
Start with a free account.
Save your sessions, study the course and build your French vocabulary. Your account includes one writing assessment and one five-minute Section A speaking conversation to try. Further live conversations use speaking credits.