What does TCF Canada include?
Editorial note — September 30, 2026: this article was published in 2020 and is retained as an archive. The format, retake and score-review deadlines, fees and document procedures may have changed. Check with the exam provider and your test centre before registering. TCF Canada: official guidance · TEF Canada: official guidance
Last time I broke down every part of the exam TEF Canada
⠀
Today we are talking about the second exam for immigration to Canada 💁🏼♀️TCF Canada.
It also has 4 required parts:
LISTENING (35 min, 39 questions)
✔️Choose which of the 4 audio messages matches the picture.
✔️We listen to the question and 4 answer options.
✔️We listen to the message, read the question, choose an answer.
READING (60 min, 39 questions)
✔️Read an advertisement, announcement, postcard, invitation or sign, then choose the answer to the question from 4 options.
✔️We read a short text - an excerpt from news, a story, an article, a fable. We choose an answer to a question or several.
SPEAKING (12 min)
✔️A: a short interview in which you need to talk about yourself, what you love, about work, education, your travels, etc. (2 min). No preparation.
✔️B: ask questions to the examiner in order to collect information on a given topic, for example, about the service provided (preparation - 2 minutes, dialogue - 3.5 minutes).
✔️C: answer the examiner’s question in detail, express your point of view on a “sore” topic, give arguments in support. Monologue for 4.5 minutes.
WRITING (60 min)
✔️A: write a message to explain, describe or tell something to someone (60-120 words).
✔️B: write an article, a short letter, a note, a story describing personal experience. Share your opinion, give arguments (120-150 words).
✔️C: compose a text in two parts. In the first, present two points of view (40-60 words), which can be given in mini-texts of up to 90 words. In the second - express your opinion on two points of view (80-120 words). Only 120-180 words.
TCF sets limits on the minimum and maximum number of words in the writing section. Going outside them lowers your score. Well, during the listening session in TCF, news is heard not only from France, but from Canada and even Africa. We must be prepared for this.
All parts of the exam are taken in one day. The result will take about a month or even longer, especially if you submit a paper version.
You can retake the test after 30 days. But TCF is held in St. Petersburg or Moscow, for example, only 2-3 times a year. That's why some people go abroad to take it. What can you do to get extra points for your case?