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Canada · French test

TCF speaking test and TEF Canada expression orale

Both are face to face with an examiner. Alliance Française de Calgary says the TCF speaking test for Canada takes about 12 minutes, 2 of them for preparation, over three tasks, and Alliance Française de Toronto lists it as marked out of 20. TEF Canada’s expression orale is two role-plays, 5 minutes and then 10, recorded so a second examiner can mark it. Speaking matters twice over: it counts for Express Entry, and with listening it’s one of the two skills citizenship looks at.

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Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

What happens in the TCF speaking test?

You sit one to one with an examiner for three tasks. Alliance Française de Calgary says it takes about 12 minutes, 2 of them for preparation. It’s scored from 0 to 20, and IRCC’s chart turns that mark into an NCLC level.

Approved centres don’t describe each task on their pages. France Éducation international’s Manuel du candidat and sample tasks do; the Université de Sherbrooke links to both.

Université de Sherbrooke: manual and sample tasks ↗TCF Canada score chart →

TEF Canada section A: ask for information

Five minutes. Each section is a role-play based on an ad, a small ad, a job offer or a leisure activity. In section A the examiner plays the person who can answer your questions, and the typical instruction asks for about ten questions. CCI says to be curious, ask follow-ups and rephrase answers to get details.

TEF Canada section B: convince a friend

Ten minutes. You present the activity to a friend, played by the examiner, and try to persuade them, giving your opinion with examples. CCI’s teaching lead says the examiner will never agree with you in this part, so don’t be thrown when they push back.

How speaking is marked

For TEF Canada, the examiner at the centre gives the first mark and a second examiner marks the recording. Both use grids covering communication, vocabulary, grammar and fluency. CCI bans reciting memorized texts.

TCF Canada speaking is marked out of 20. Alliance Française d’Ottawa says writing and speaking are the only TCF tests that can be re-marked, for a fee.

Results and re-marking →

Practise out loud

CCI’s advice: practise speaking out loud as if the examiner were in front of you, time yourself to find your pace, and listen to French radio, films and series. Vary your vocabulary, and remember the other person doesn’t know the topic.

CCI: TEF speaking samples (PDF) ↗CCI: TEF speaking workshop (video) ↗
Sources: University of Victoria · Alliance Française de Toronto · Alliance Française de Calgary and 9 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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