Changes to TCF
I carefully studied the document in full: the rules are becoming noticeably stricter.
Alena Kopalina
Preparing for TCF
Articles by Alena Kopalina: Preparing for TCF.
New TCF rules
A new version of the Manuel du candidat was published in April 2026. Reading through it today, I noticed a new passage highlighted in red.
How to build arguments
Speaking on the spot can certainly be stressful. But your response still needs a clear structure, even when you are improvising…
TCF writing topics
I finally took the time to analyse the writing tasks from the past year and group them into broad topic areas.
A certificate is not a guarantee of peace of mind
A case worth knowing about — to stay informed, not to panic. A former student gave me permission to share her story without identifying her. It is an unusual situation that may be useful to anyone preparing for exams or who has already taken them. She received an invitation to apply from IRCC, gathered her documents, submitted the application and waited for it to be processed.
Why does your speech fall apart?
Why does your writing fall apart even when it contains no errors? One student and I once joked that my corrections were competing with ChatGPT, after he sent me a text thoroughly edited by AI. Everything looked flawless: the vocabulary was good, and so was the grammar.
AI in the TCF
What do we know about artificial intelligence used in the TCF? Since May 2024 😳😳😳 — a whole year already — in the TCF writing section…
Changes to TCF writing tasks
As they often do, the TCF test designers have introduced another small change. It is interesting and useful, but, as usual, they did not think to tell anyone about it.
Prepared material for Tâche 3
If you’re preparing for the TCF, you probably already know this: to handle Tâche 3 and keep speaking for 4.5 minutes, it helps to go beyond your own opinion and discuss other views on the topic — at least the opposing one.
Follow-up questions in the TCF
How to answer TCF follow-up questions: practical tips. Many candidates know that in Tâche 3 of the TCF speaking section…