TCF writing tasks: Explained
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TCF Canada Expression écrite is 60 minutes for three writing tasks:
| Task | What you write | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Tâche 1 | A message to a specific person or people: describe, tell or explain something | 60–120 |
| Tâche 2 | An article, letter or post for several readers, telling an experience with your comments and opinions | 120–150 |
| Tâche 3 | A short text comparing two opinions from two documents, then giving your own position | 120–180 |
There is no separate time limit per task. You manage the 60 minutes yourself.
The most important rule: stay inside the word range
According to France Éducation international, the whole writing paper may be marked “A1 not achieved” (A1 non atteint), the lowest possible result, if:
- the completed tasks don’t respect the word limits;
- the writing is off-topic;
- one or more tasks aren’t completed;
- the writing isn’t legible (on paper).
That’s regardless of how good your French is. One task outside its word range can cost you the entire paper, not just that task.
The computer-based TCF Canada shows a word count on screen as you type, so you don’t need to count by hand. Just keep an eye on it before you move to the next task.
Source: France Éducation international, TCF Canada (“Written skills”).
Tâche 1: a message with a purpose
You write to the recipient named in the instructions: a friend, a neighbour, a colleague, a company. The instructions tell you what the message must do, for example invite, ask for information, or explain a change of plan.
What matters most:
- Cover every point the instructions ask for. Missing one is the easiest way to lose a level.
- Match the recipient. Tu and a casual tone for a friend, vous and a polite structure for a business. Greeting and sign-off should fit too.
- Be clear and finished. A short, complete message beats a long one that drifts.
Tâche 2: tell an experience, with your opinion
Usually an article or a forum post for several readers, less often an email to people you know. In the real exam, topics tend to fall into two groups:
- Travel: a short trip, something that went wrong while travelling, a complaint to a travel agency.
- Doing things with other people: volunteering, a community event, a hike or weekend away with friends.
You might also be asked to share an experience on a forum, or to answer someone’s question using your own experience.
What matters most:
- Tell the story in order, with past tenses used correctly (passé composé for events, imparfait for background).
- Don’t just narrate. The task asks for comments and opinions: what you thought, what you’d recommend, whether it was worth it.
- Write for the format. An article has a title and addresses readers; a forum post sounds like one.
Tâche 3: compare two opinions, then argue your own
You get two short documents with opposing views on a social topic. The instructions split your answer into two parts, for example:
- Present both opinions in your own words (around 40–60 words).
- Give your own position on the general theme (around 80–120 words).
What matters most:
- Cover both documents. Summarising only one, or writing a general essay that ignores them, misses the task.
- Use your own words. Copying sentences from the documents doesn’t show your French.
- Take a clear position and support it with arguments and, ideally, an example.
- Respect the two-part split and both word sub-ranges. They’re part of the instructions.
What the assessors look for
France Éducation international lists what the writing paper assesses. You need to:
- communicate a message clearly, and provide the information requested;
- describe, tell and explain;
- justify a choice, position or decision;
- link ideas so your text is coherent;
- compare two points of view, and express and defend your opinion;
- use vocabulary and structures suited to the task;
- rephrase an idea (which is why copying from the Tâche 3 documents doesn’t help you).
For how those judgements become a level and a score, see how TCF Canada writing and speaking are scored.
Managing the 60 minutes
What worked for me: under 10 minutes for Tâche 1, 15–20 minutes for Tâche 2, and the rest, about 30 minutes, for Tâche 3. Tâche 3 needs the most thinking (two documents to read, summarise and answer), so keep Tâche 1 short and don’t let it eat into that time.
Mistakes that keep answers below B2
- Writing outside the word range. This isn’t just a lower level: the whole paper may be marked A1 not achieved.
- Ignoring part of the instructions, especially in Tâche 1.
- In Tâche 3, giving an opinion without fairly presenting both documents.
- Using the wrong register for the recipient.
- Lists of simple sentences with no connectors (cependant, par conséquent, d’une part… d’autre part).
Common questions
How long is the TCF Canada writing test?
60 minutes for all three tasks. There is no separate time limit per task.
What happens if I write too few or too many words?
France Éducation international may mark the whole writing paper "A1 not achieved", the lowest result, regardless of the quality of your French. Stay inside the range for every task: 60–120, 120–150 and 120–180 words.
Do I have to complete all three tasks?
Yes. Leaving a task unfinished is another reason the paper may be marked A1 not achieved.
Is Tâche 2 always an email?
No. In practice it's more often an article or a forum post telling an experience, with your comments and opinions.