TL;DR
On the TCF Canada, you write 60 to 120 words for Task 1, 120 to 150 for Task 2 and 120 to 180 for Task 3. On the TEF Canada, the rules are minimums: at least 80 words for section A, then at least 200 words for section B.
The word limits
| Test | Task or section | Number of words | Total time |
|---|---|---|---|
| TCF Canada | Task 1 | 60 to 120 | 60 min |
| TCF Canada | Task 2 | 120 to 150 | |
| TCF Canada | Task 3 | 120 to 180 | |
| TEF Canada | Section A | 80 minimum | 60 min |
| TEF Canada | Section B | 200 minimum |
On the TCF, going outside the limits costs a lot
The TCF candidate handbook states that a task that does not respect the word count can be marked « A1 non atteint » (below A1). This is not a small penalty: the task earns almost nothing, however good the text is.
A text that is too short is the most common case, but a text that is too long is also outside the limits.
On the TEF, they are minimums
The CCI Paris Île-de-France sets a minimum for each TEF section. Writing a lot more is not forbidden, but time is limited: 25 minutes for the 80 words of section A of the TEF Canada, 35 minutes for the 200 words of section B.
Share your time and count quickly
- TCF Canada (60 minutes for 3 tasks): keep more time for Task 3, the longest one with the most argument, and a few minutes at the end to proofread and count.
- Count the words on a few lines, then multiply by the number of lines.
- Aim for the middle of the range rather than the limit, to keep a margin.
- Preparing for a test in France? This article also exists in French.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if I write too few words on the TCF?+−
Can I go over the maximum on the TCF?+−
How many words for Task 3 of the TCF Canada?+−
Is there a maximum word count on the TEF Canada?+−
What score would you get in writing?
Write a TCF task and get an estimated level based on the official criteria. With the 14-day free trial. How we check the correction