Goal: Build a realistic study plan based on your actual level and the time you have each day.
Step 1: run a diagnostic
Before planning, measure where you stand in each of the four skills. For listening and reading, do a full practice set under timed conditions. For writing, write one task within the word limits of your TCF version and get feedback on it. For speaking, record yourself on one task and listen back.
Then note one result per skill and compare it with the level your application requires. The biggest gap shows you where to start.
Results: listening B2, reading B2, writing B1, speaking B1. Target B2 in every skill: writing and speaking come first.
Target NCLC 7: 470 in reading is already enough, but 8 out of 20 in writing gives NCLC 6. Writing needs most of the work.
Step 2: choose a plan that fits your time
20 minutes every day is better than three hours on Sunday. Choose the plan you can keep up over time, not the one that looks most ambitious.
| Time per day | What one session covers |
|---|---|
| 10 minutes | About ten comprehension questions, or one written paragraph, or one recorded 2 minute spoken answer. |
| 20 minutes | A block of questions, then reviewing your mistakes and their explanations. |
| 30 minutes | One complete writing task within the word limits, or half a comprehension practice set with correction. |
| 45 minutes | A whole comprehension section under timed conditions, or two writing or speaking tasks with review. |
Step 3: plan your week
Give about half your sessions to your weakest skill, and spread the rest over the other three so you do not lose your level. Keep one session a week under real conditions: timer, a single listening, no dictionary.
20 minute plan, weak writing: Monday, Wednesday and Friday, writing; Tuesday, listening; Thursday, speaking; Saturday, a timed reading practice set.
45 minute plan, weak speaking: three sessions of recorded speaking, one listening session, one full practice set at the weekend.
Step 4: track your progress
- Measure again every two or three weeks, on practice sets you have never done.
- Keep a mistake notebook: writing down the rule behind a mistake takes one minute and stops you from making it again.
- Reread your old texts: spotting your own mistakes is a good sign of progress.
- If a result stalls, change your method (reading the options before listening, planning your text) rather than the amount you do.
The last few days
Just before the exam, stop trying to learn new rules. Do one more practice set under the exact conditions of your TCF version, reread your mistake notebook and check the word limits for each task.
A common mistake
✗ "I'm good at comprehension, so I mostly do multiple choice questions: that's where I improve fastest."
✓ "I give half my sessions to writing, my weakest skill, and keep a bit of comprehension every week."
Each skill is assessed separately: a point gained in your weakest skill is often worth more than one more point where you are already at the required level.
Frequently asked questions
Where should I start my TCF revision?+−
Should I do mock tests?+−
How long must I wait between two attempts at the TCF IRN?+−
What should I do the day before the exam?+−
Practice exercise with answers
1. Where should you start your revision?
2. You have 20 minutes a day. Which rhythm works best?
3. Your weakest skill is speaking. What share of your sessions should it get?
Next step
Put this lesson into practice
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