How to Use the TCF Canada Writing Practice Tool

The FrenchWrite TCF Canada Writing Practice tool gives you random authentic-style prompts for all three expression écrite tasks, paired with a full French writing editor — accent toolbar, live word counter, and task-specific goal tracker. No account, no login, nothing to install. Select a task, read your subject, and start writing immediately.

What Is the TCF Canada Expression Écrite?

The TCF Canada (Test de Connaissance du Français pour le Canada) is administered by France Éducation International and accepted by IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) as proof of French-language proficiency for permanent residence and citizenship applications. The expression écrite is one optional module, scored on the CECR scale from A1 to C2 and evaluated by trained assessors using official scoring grids.

Many immigration pathways — Express Entry, the Federal Skilled Worker Program, and several Provincial Nominee Programs — award additional CRS points or require minimum CLB levels in written French. Knowing exactly how each task is structured and practising under realistic conditions is the most reliable way to push your score into the higher CLB bands.

The 3 Official TCF Canada Expression Écrite Tasks

Tâche 1 — Message court (A2–B1 · 60–120 words · ~10 minutes)

You write a short informal or semi-formal message to someone you know — a friend, a neighbour, a colleague, or a family member. The consigne specifies the situation, the recipient, and which information the message must include: an invitation, a recommendation, a request for information, a thank-you, a schedule change, an apology, or an announcement. The register must match the recipient: tu for friends and family, vous for managers or service providers.

Tâche 2 — Narration / Récit (B1 avancé–B2 avancé · 120–150 words · ~20 minutes)

You recount a past personal experience. The format is always specified in the consigne — it could be a blog article, an email to a friend, a forum message, a diary entry, or a letter. You never choose the format yourself; the consigne tells you what to write. The only constant is that you narrate what happened — events, feelings, and sequences in the past — without giving opinions or making arguments. Use the passé composé for completed actions and the imparfait for background context, states, and emotions.

Tâche 3 — Texte argumentatif (C1–C2 · 120–180 words · ~30 minutes)

You receive two short documents (each ~70–90 words) presenting opposing viewpoints on a social topic — remote work, social media, electric vehicles, diet, education, urban living, and similar debates. Your text must follow a precise two-part structure:

• Give your text a title.
• Partie 1 (40–60 words): a neutral introduction summarising both documents. Express no opinion here. Connect the two viewpoints with a contrast connector: cependant, en revanche, toutefois, néanmoins, or pourtant.
• Partie 2 (80–120 words): your personal opinion with supporting arguments. Use phrases like selon moi, à mon avis, je pense que, or je suis convaincu(e) que.

How to Use the Tool: Step by Step

1. Select a task card. Open the TCF Writing Practice tool. Three cards appear — Tâche 1, Tâche 2, and Tâche 3. Click the one you want to practise. The card highlights and the word-count goal bar activates automatically with the correct target for that task (120, 150, or 180 words).
2. Get your subject. Click Get a writing subject. A random prompt from the subject bank appears instantly. For Tâche 1 and Tâche 2, you see a single consigne describing the situation and what to write. For Tâche 3, you see the topic question, Document 1, Document 2, and the required text structure. Read everything before you write a single word.
3. Write your response in the editor. The text area below the prompt is your writing space. Use the accent toolbar to insert any French character — é, è, ê, ë, à, â, î, ï, ô, ù, û, ü, ç, œ and guillemets « » — with a single click or tap. On mobile, place your cursor in the text area first, then tap the accent button.
4. Track your word count. The stats bar updates in real time. The goal card beneath it shows a progress bar that fills as you approach the task target. The bar turns green once you hit the minimum. If you want to aim for the upper end of the word range, the bar adjusts accordingly.
5. Get a new subject or export. Click New subject inside the prompt card to fetch a different prompt without losing your writing. Once done, use Copy to copy your text to the clipboard, or Download to save a .txt file. Use Clear to reset the editor for a fresh session. Your text auto-saves to browser localStorage — close the tab and reopen it and your draft is still there.

Writing Tips for Each Task

Tâche 1 — Message court

• Open and close your message properly. Use a greeting (Salut, Bonjour, Cher/Chère) and a sign-off (À bientôt, Cordialement, Bises). These framing elements are part of what's expected.
• Cover every point in the consigne. The evaluator checks that all required information is present. A missing element costs marks even when the French is otherwise excellent.
• Match the register to the recipient. Tu forms for friends and family; vous for managers, neighbours you don't know well, or services. Casual vocabulary is fine for friends; avoid slang for semi-formal recipients.
• Stay within range. 60–120 words. Too short suggests omitted content; too long suggests you drifted off topic or padded unnecessarily.

Tâche 2 — Narration / Récit

• Follow the specified format exactly. If the prompt says rédigez un message sur un forum, write a forum post — not a letter or a blog article. The format is an instruction, not a suggestion.
• Use the right tenses. Passé composé for the sequence of completed events; imparfait for background states, emotions, and descriptions. Controlling both tenses correctly is one of the clearest B1/B2 markers evaluators look for.
• Structure your narrative with temporal connectors. D'abord, ensuite, puis, après, finalement, à la fin. Open by setting the scene; close with a reflection or how the experience ended.
• Do not argue or express opinions. Tâche 2 is a narration. Sentences like je pense que or à mon avis do not belong here and may reduce your score.

Tâche 3 — Texte argumentatif

• Read both documents fully before you start writing. You need to understand the exact position each document takes before you can summarise them neutrally in Part 1 and then argue a position in Part 2.
• Keep Partie 1 strictly neutral. Summarise both viewpoints without editorialising or signalling agreement with either. A common mistake is letting your opinion slip into Part 1 — evaluators treat this as a structural error.
• Use one contrast connector between the two positions. Cependant, en revanche, toutefois, néanmoins are all correct. One is enough — stacking multiple connectors sounds unnatural.
• Commit to a clear position in Partie 2. Avoid saying les deux points de vue se valent or trying to balance both sides equally. Choose one and support it with at least two distinct arguments.
• Use the first person confidently. Selon moi, à mon avis, il me semble que, je suis convaincu(e) que signal your personal position. They are expected in Part 2.

After finishing a Tâche 3 response, paste your text into the French word counter to verify your count precisely and check the Top Words table — it shows which terms you repeat most, which is useful for noticing when you have fallen back on the same connector or vocabulary throughout your response.

For the verb forms you need in your writing — subjonctif in subordinate clauses, conditionnel for hypothesis, imparfait for narration — the French verb conjugator covers every tense and mood. To confirm the gender of a noun before writing le or la, the French gender checker covers over 40,000 French nouns.

Also preparing for TEF Canada? TEF has a different two-section structure: Section A asks you to continue the opening paragraph of a news story (fait divers) in journalistic style — a task with no equivalent in TCF Canada — and Section B is a 200-word minimum opinion essay without TCF's prescribed two-part neutral-summary format. Practice both TEF sections on the TEF Canada Writing Practice tool.

Frequently Asked Questions