The TCF Canada writing section has three tasks: a short message (Task 1), an article about an experience (Task 2) and a text that compares two opinions and gives yours (Task 3). You type all three on a computer, and a clear plan for each task earns you more than rare vocabulary does.
What are the three TCF writing tasks?
The three TCF writing tasks go from practical to abstract: a message, then a story with your opinion, then a real argument. Each task speaks to a different reader, so you have to switch registers fast. Write to a close friend like you're writing to a government official, and you lose easy points.
| Task | What you write | Typical reader | Tone | Usual length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A short message: invite, inform, ask, thank | A friend, a neighbour, a colleague | Friendly (tu) or polite (vous) | 60 to 120 words |
| 2 | An article or blog post about an experience | Readers of a blog, a newsletter, a website | Lively and personal | 120 to 150 words |
| 3 | A text that sums up two opposite views, then argues | A general reader | Neutral and structured | 120 to 180 words |
Those word ranges are the ones most TCF prep sites quote, and they're the brackets to train with: 60 to 120 words for Task 1, 120 to 150 for Task 2 and 120 to 180 for Task 3. Before exam day, check them once in the candidate guide from France Éducation International, the body that runs the TCF.
The model answers below are about 75, 130 and 150 words, right inside those brackets. Each task is longer than the one before, so give Task 3 the biggest share of your time. The TCF tasks also differ from the TEF writing test, so train for the exam you've actually booked.
Typing your answers: QWERTY keys and French accents
At Alliance Française Vancouver, you type the writing section on a QWERTY computer, and a virtual keyboard on the screen supplies the French accented letters. Nobody writes by hand, so typing speed and accents are part of your preparation.
Clicking an on-screen é takes longer than typing a plain e, and over three texts those seconds add up. Know which letters you'll need most:
- é: été, café, préféré
- è: très, problème, j'achète
- à: à Vancouver, déjà, voilà
- ç: ça, français, commençons
- ê and â: fête, être, gâteau
- ù: où (where), a different word from ou (or)
Practise in a plain text editor with spell check turned off, so you catch your own accent mistakes. Writing is also part of a long sitting: Alliance Française Vancouver holds listening, reading and writing one after another in the same room, so train to write well when you're already tired.
If you still need to book your session or check what ID to bring on test day, look at our article on where to take the TEF or TCF in Vancouver.
Task 1: a short message with a clear purpose
Task 1 asks for a short message with one clear purpose, such as inviting a friend, giving news or asking for information. The prompt lists what you must include, and the safest plan is to answer each point in order.
- A greeting that fits who you are writing to, such as Salut or Coucou for a friend, or Bonjour Madame for someone you do not know.
- Why you're writing, in one sentence.
- Each detail the prompt asks for, one at a time.
- A question or a proposal, so the reader has something to answer.
- A closing that matches the greeting: Bises for a friend, Cordialement for a formal message.
Vous venez d'emménager dans une nouvelle ville. Écrivez un message à un ami pour l'inviter chez vous. Décrivez votre logement et proposez des activités.
You've just moved to a new city. Write a message inviting a friend to visit. Describe your home and suggest some activities.
| French model answer | English translation |
|---|---|
| Coucou, | Hi there, |
| Je t'écris pour te donner une bonne nouvelle : je viens d'emménager à Vancouver ! Mon nouvel appartement est petit, mais il est très lumineux et il se trouve à cinq minutes de la plage. | I'm writing to give you some good news: I've just moved to Vancouver! My new apartment is small, but it's very bright and it's five minutes from the beach. |
| Est-ce que tu veux venir me voir le week-end prochain ? On pourrait faire du vélo dans Stanley Park, puis dîner dans un petit restaurant français que j'ai découvert près de chez moi. | Would you like to come and see me next weekend? We could go cycling in Stanley Park, then have dinner at a little French restaurant I found near my place. |
| Dis-moi vite si tu es libre ! | Let me know soon if you're free! |
| Bises, à très bientôt | Hugs, see you very soon |
Every point in the prompt gets its own sentence: the move, the home, the invitation and two activities. The tu form never changes, and the question at the end gives your friend a reason to reply.
Task 2: an article that tells a story and gives your opinion
Task 2 asks you to tell readers about something you did or saw, then say what you thought of it. You're writing for a blog, a newsletter or a website, so a short title and a lively, personal tone help.
The grammar that carries this task is the mix of two past tenses. Use the imparfait for the background (il faisait beau, the weather was nice) and the passé composé for the events (nous avons ramassé, we picked up).
- Title: short, says what happened.
- Setting: when, where, who was there.
- Events: what happened, in order.
- Opinion: what you liked and what could be better.
- Recommendation: one line to the reader.
Vous avez participé à une activité dans votre quartier (fête, marché, journée de bénévolat). Écrivez un article pour le blog de votre quartier : racontez cette expérience et donnez votre avis.
You took part in an activity in your neighbourhood (a party, a market, a volunteer day). Write an article for your neighbourhood blog: tell the story and give your opinion.
| French model answer | English translation |
|---|---|
| Une journée de nettoyage réussie au parc | A successful clean-up day in the park |
| Samedi dernier, j'ai participé à une journée de nettoyage dans le parc de mon quartier. Il faisait beau et une trentaine de voisins étaient là, des familles avec enfants et des retraités. | Last Saturday, I took part in a clean-up day in my neighbourhood park. The weather was nice and about thirty neighbours were there, families with children and retired people. |
| Le matin, nous avons ramassé des déchets autour du lac. Ensuite, la ville nous a offert un pique-nique. C'était l'occasion de parler avec des gens que je croisais tous les jours sans jamais leur dire bonjour. | In the morning, we picked up litter around the lake. Then the city gave us a picnic. It was a chance to talk with people I passed every day without ever saying hello. |
| Honnêtement, je ne pensais pas m'amuser autant. J'ai trouvé l'ambiance très chaleureuse et j'ai appris beaucoup de choses sur le recyclage. Par contre, l'organisation aurait pu être meilleure : il manquait des gants pour tout le monde. | Honestly, I didn't expect to enjoy myself so much. I found the atmosphere very warm and I learned a lot about recycling. On the other hand, the organization could have been better: there weren't enough gloves for everyone. |
| Je recommande vraiment cette activité à tous les habitants du quartier. La prochaine journée aura lieu au printemps : venez nombreux ! | I really recommend this activity to everyone in the neighbourhood. The next one takes place in the spring: come along! |
The opinion paragraph does the heavy lifting. Par contre (on the other hand) adds one honest criticism, and that small detail makes your judgement sound real rather than polite.
Task 3: compare two opinions, then defend your own
Task 3 gives you two short documents with opposite views on one topic. You write one text that sums up both views in your own words, then argues for your opinion with reasons and an example.
The plan has four steps: Open, Argue, Handle pushback, Close. Most candidates skip the pushback step, and it's the one that makes an argument sound mature.
Document 1 : le télétravail permet d'économiser des heures de trajet et d'avoir une vie plus équilibrée. Document 2 : le télétravail coupe les salariés de leurs collègues et complique la collaboration. Présentez les deux points de vue, puis donnez votre opinion.
Document 1: remote work saves hours of commuting and gives a more balanced life. Document 2: remote work cuts employees off from their colleagues and makes teamwork harder. Present both points of view, then give your opinion.
| Step | French model answer | English translation |
|---|---|---|
| Open | Le télétravail divise l'opinion. Selon le premier document, travailler à la maison fait gagner du temps, parce qu'on évite les transports, et améliore la qualité de vie. Le second document affirme au contraire que le télétravail isole les employés et rend le travail d'équipe plus difficile. | Remote work divides opinion. According to the first document, working from home saves time, because you avoid commuting, and improves quality of life. The second document claims, on the contrary, that remote work isolates employees and makes teamwork harder. |
| Argue | À mon avis, le télétravail est une bonne solution, à condition de ne pas en abuser. D'abord, il réduit le stress : avant, je passais une heure et demie par jour dans le bus. Ensuite, il permet de mieux organiser sa journée, surtout quand on a des enfants. | In my opinion, remote work is a good solution, as long as it isn't overdone. First, it reduces stress: I used to spend an hour and a half a day on the bus. Then, it lets you organize your day better, especially when you have children. |
| Handle pushback | Cependant, je comprends le risque d'isolement. Un employé qui ne voit jamais ses collègues peut perdre sa motivation, et les nouveaux employés apprennent moins vite seuls. | However, I understand the risk of isolation. An employee who never sees colleagues can lose motivation, and new employees learn more slowly on their own. |
| Close | C'est pourquoi je pense que la meilleure formule est mixte : deux ou trois jours à la maison, le reste au bureau. Ainsi, on garde les avantages du télétravail sans perdre l'esprit d'équipe. | That's why I think the best formula is a mix: two or three days at home, the rest at the office. That way, you keep the benefits of remote work without losing team spirit. |
Look at the Open row again. The documents say économiser des heures de trajet and complique la collaboration; the answer says fait gagner du temps and rend le travail d'équipe plus difficile. Same ideas, new words.
What examiners look for in your writing
TCF examiners do not expect poetry. They want French they can understand on the first read, written in the correct tone. When they grade your paper, they look at six practical areas.
| Area | What a strong text shows | A common slip |
|---|---|---|
| Task done | Every point in the prompt answered | The last point of the prompt forgotten |
| Tone | One register, tu or vous, from start to end | Salut at the top, Cordialement at the bottom |
| Organization | Paragraphs and linking words | One long block with no breaks |
| Vocabulary | Precise words, few repeats | bien, bon and chose in every sentence |
| Grammar | Tenses and agreements under control | Passé composé where the background needs the imparfait |
| Spelling | Accents that change meaning written correctly | a for à, ou for où, et for est |
You don't need literary French. An examiner gives more points to clean, simple sentences than to fancy grammar that falls apart halfway through. Aim for one or two solid complex sentences in each text, not ten shaky ones.
Common mistakes in the TCF writing section
The most common mistakes are missing a point the prompt asked for, mixing tu and vous, and running out of time on Task 3. None of them is about advanced grammar, which is good news: they're quick to fix.
- One memorized template for every prompt: a canned opening that doesn't fit shows at once.
- Mixing tu and vous in the same message.
- Forgetting a point the prompt asked for, often the last one.
- Summing up both documents in Task 3 and never giving your own opinion.
- Translating from English: je suis 30 ans instead of j'ai 30 ans.
- Skipping accents to save time, so où (where) turns into ou (or).
- Spending too long on Task 1 and rushing Task 3.
If writing is the one score holding back your Canadian immigration profile, balance your study carefully. See our guide on how to retake and boost one CLB score so you do not let listening or reading slip while you fix it.
Your TCF writing score and Express Entry
In 2026, IRCC's Express Entry language test page sets a different French minimum for each program. The Federal Skilled Trades Program asks for NCLC 4 in reading and writing and NCLC 5 in speaking and listening, while the Federal Skilled Worker Program asks for NCLC 7 in all four. The TCF is an accepted test, and writing is scored as its own ability.
| What IRCC looks at (2026) | What it means for your writing |
|---|---|
| Federal Skilled Trades Program | At least NCLC 4 in writing |
| Federal Skilled Worker Program | At least NCLC 7 in writing (and in the other three skills) |
| Canadian Experience Class | At least NCLC 7 or NCLC 5, depending on the TEER category of your job |
| Extra CRS points for strong French | NCLC 7 or higher in all four skills can add up to 50 points (25 or 50, depending on your English results) |
| How long results count | Less than 2 years old when you apply |
So NCLC 4 is the floor for skilled trades only. Most candidates should check which program they qualify under and aim their writing at that program's minimum, and for many that means NCLC 7.
Keep that two-year clock in mind so your certificate doesn't expire while your profile sits in the pool. If you have questions about your immigration timing, check with a licensed consultant on the CICC register.
How we help you prepare for the writing tasks
Your writing score jumps when someone marks your practice texts while you write against the clock. In our TEF/TCF preparation, you write to exam-style prompts, your teacher corrects your homework, and mock exams cover every section of the test.
Learn French in Vancouver has taught 4,500+ students in Gastown and online since 2017. Groups have at most 14 students and meet live twice a week for 90 minutes, and each class has a WhatsApp group where the teacher shares the homework.
- Already at B1 or above: TEF/TCF prep, 3 months to aim for CLB 5 or 6 months to aim for CLB 7.
- Starting from zero: TCF exam preparation in Vancouver, 12 months from zero to CLB 7.
- Not sure of your level: the free French level test checks all four skills and tells you which class fits.
"I'm having a great experience learning French with Camille! She is patient, knowledgeable, and explains concepts very clearly. Her TEF/TCF preparation is helpful and boosted my confidence. I recommend her to anyone serious about learning French!"
