TL;DR
The TCF speaking section (expression orale) has 3 tasks with an examiner: a guided interview, an interactive exercise and expressing a point of view. On the TCF Canada, it lasts 12 minutes, with 2 minutes of preparation for Task 2.
The 3 tasks on the TCF Canada
| Task | TCF Canada |
|---|---|
| 1. Entretien dirigé (guided interview) | 2 min, no preparation |
| 2. Exercice en interaction (interactive exercise) | 3 min 30 s, after 2 min of preparation |
| 3. Point de vue (expressing a point of view) | 4 min 30 s, no preparation |
The section takes place face to face with an examiner.
Task 1: the guided interview
The examiner asks you questions about yourself: your background, your work, your hobbies, your plans. Answer with full sentences and give details: a simple « oui » or « non » does not show your level.
An example question, then a developed answer:
Question : « Que faites-vous pendant votre temps libre ? »
Réponse : « Je fais de la randonnée le week-end, surtout en automne. Depuis l'an dernier, je fais aussi partie d'une association qui entretient les sentiers près de chez moi. »
Task 2: the interactive exercise
You act out an everyday situation with the examiner, who plays a role. On the TCF Canada, your goal is to get information: about housing, an activity or a service. Ask varied questions and react to the answers, as in a real conversation.
Situation: you want to sign your child up for a sports club. Possible questions:
Quels sont les horaires des entraînements ?
Combien coûte l'inscription pour l'année ?
Faut-il fournir un certificat médical ?
Task 3: expressing a point of view
You give your opinion on a topic and defend it with arguments and examples. A simple plan helps you keep going for the full time: your position, two arguments with one example each, a nuance, a conclusion.
The criteria and the mark
The candidate handbook assesses speaking on three criteria: linguistic (vocabulary, grammar, ease, pronunciation, fluency), pragmatic (interaction, structure, coherence, development) and sociolinguistic (fit with the situation). Speaking is marked out of 20.
| Mark out of 20 | Level | NCLC (TCF Canada) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 to 9 | B1 | NCLC 5 (6) and NCLC 6 (7 to 9) |
| 10 to 13 | B2 | NCLC 7 (10 to 11) and 8 (12 to 13) |
| 14 to 17 | C1 | NCLC 9 (14 to 15) and 10 (16 and above) |
Tips for all three tasks
- Practise with a timer: 2 minutes go by very fast.
- Record yourself and listen back to spot your hesitations and recurring mistakes.
- Prepare reusable structures (introducing, arguing, concluding), never whole texts: a speech learned by heart is easy to spot and is penalized.
- Preparing for a test in France? This article also exists in French.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the TCF Canada speaking section?+−
Do I get preparation time?+−
What speaking mark do I need for NCLC 7?+−
Is the speaking section done on computer?+−
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