Yes, you can prepare for the TEF Canada in 30 days, as long as you start close to your target. A month gives you about 55 hours. That's enough to learn the TEF's unusual format, beat its fixed clocks and rehearse sections A and B of writing and speaking until they feel routine. It won't turn intermediate French into advanced French: one school's estimate puts B1 to B2 at 200 to 250 hours of classes.
So day 1 is a timed mock test. If it puts you at or within one NCLC level of your target in every skill, follow the 30 days below. If not, use week 1 to learn the format, then move to a longer plan and a later date.
- of tests on one day, in a fixed order
- 2 h 55
- reading and listening questions, 4 options each
- 40 + 40
- writing sections A and B, each on its own clock
- 25 + 35 min
- speaking sections A and B with the examiner
- 5 + 10 min
Is 30 days enough for you?
Your day-1 mock decides. Convert each section using the "Équivalence ancien score", the column IRCC uses for Express Entry, not the /699 score.
| Your day-1 mock shows | What 30 days can do | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| NCLC 7+ in all four skills | Build a margin, remove surprises | Follow the plan, book now |
| NCLC 6 in one or two skills | Close the gap with targeted drills | Follow the plan: this is who it's for |
| NCLC 6 in three or four skills | Possible but tight | Follow the plan, review your date on day 15 |
| NCLC 5 or below in several skills | Teach you the format, not the level | Do week 1, then switch to a 12-week plan |
TEF Canada → NCLC for Express Entry (Équivalence ancien score)
| NCLC | Listeningout of 360 | Readingout of 300 | Writingout of 450 | Speakingout of 450 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10+ | 316–360 | 263–300 | 393–450 | 393–450 |
| 9 | 298–315 | 248–262 | 371–392 | 371–392 |
| 8 | 280–297 | 233–247 | 349–370 | 349–370 |
| 7 | 249–279 | 207–232 | 310–348 | 310–348 |
| 6 | 217–248 | 181–206 | 271–309 | 271–309 |
| 5 | 181–216 | 151–180 | 226–270 | 226–270 |
| 4 | 145–180 | 121–150 | 181–225 | 181–225 |
The gaps aren't the same size everywhere. NCLC 6 in writing or speaking covers 271 to 309, and NCLC 7 starts at 310. In reading, NCLC 6 is 181 to 206 and NCLC 7 starts at 207. If you're further away, the free 12-week NCLC 7 study plan and our timeline from zero to NCLC 7 are the better place to start.
The TEF Canada in the order you'll take it
Le français des affaires runs the tests in this order, all on the same day. Your mock tests should follow it too, because stamina is part of the test.
| Order | Section | Format | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reading (compréhension écrite) | 40 questions; you can move freely between them | 60 min |
| 2 | Listening (compréhension orale) | 40 questions; each audio plays once, starts automatically, no going back | 40 min |
| 3 | Writing (expression écrite) | A: continue a news story, 80+ words. B: argue your view, 200+ words, 3+ arguments | 25 + 35 min |
| 4 | Speaking (expression orale) | A: phone call to get information. B: convince a friend | 5 + 10 min |
Three TEF facts drive this plan. Reading lets you skip and come back, but listening never does. Writing has two separate clocks, so you can't borrow minutes from Section A for Section B. And writing has minimum word counts only: no maximum to fear, but a short text can't show enough.
Your daily routine
Plan on 90 minutes on weekdays and 3 hours on Saturday and Sunday, about 13 to 14 hours a week.
- 20 min reading. A timed set in TEF reading practice, done in a single sitting.
- 20 min listening. A block of TEF listening practice. Before each audio, read the question and options in the seconds you're given.
- 30 min writing or speaking, alternating. One section a day in TEF writing practice or TEF speaking practice.
- 20 min error log. Every mistake from today, corrected, plus five phrases to reuse tomorrow.
Shift time to your weakest skill. The French bonus depends on your lowest score, not your average.
Week 1 (days 1–7): diagnose and learn the format
Start with TEF Canada mock test 1 on day 1, in the real order, in one sitting.
| Day | Focus | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Full mock test | All four sections in order, timed. Convert with the ancien score table. |
| 2 | Read the results | Find your two weakest skills. Sort missed reading questions by part. |
| 3 | Reading | Learn the five parts. Practise the gap-fill questions (8–17) against the clock. |
| 4 | Writing Section A | Continue two short news stories, 80+ words each, in 25 minutes each. |
| 5 | Listening | Practise using the seconds before each audio to read the question. |
| 6 | Speaking Section A | Prepare a bank of 15 polite questions. Run a 5-minute call. |
| 7 | Rest + review | Reread the error log. No new material. |
Our TEF Canada reading tips and listening tips explain each part before you drill it.
Week 2 (days 8–15): learn sections A and B
| Day | Focus | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Writing Section B | One 200+-word opinion text with three arguments, in 35 minutes. |
| 9 | Speaking Section B | Present a document and argue for 10 minutes against a friend who never agrees. |
| 10 | Listening, questions 21–40 | Radio columns, interviews and reports only. Note each speaker's position. |
| 11 | Reading, questions 23–40 | Administrative documents and press articles, timed. |
| 12 | Writing A + B | Both sections back to back: 25 minutes, then 35 minutes. |
| 13 | Speaking A + B | Both sections back to back, recorded. |
| 14 | Weekend block | Reading and listening half-papers, then your error log. |
| 15 | Mock test 2 | A second full mock, in order. Compare with day 1. |
For day 15, use TEF Canada mock test 2. Our TEF writing examples and speaking examples for sections A and B show what a full answer looks like.
Week 3 (days 16–22): fix what mock 2 showed
| Day | Focus | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | Weakest skill | Redo the questions or sections you lost points on in mock 2. |
| 17 | Writing | Two new Section B topics, timed. Check you have three distinct arguments. |
| 18 | Speaking | Two new Section B documents. Prepare answers to five objections. |
| 19 | Weakest skill | A second targeted session. |
| 20 | Reading + listening | Back to back, like the real test, with no break between them. |
| 21–22 | Weekend block | Writing A + B and speaking A + B, timed, plus your error log. |
Week 4 (days 23–30): rehearse, then taper
| Day | Focus | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | Light review | Reread the error log and your phrase bank. |
| 24 | Mock test 3 | Full mock, in order, at the same time of day as your real test. |
| 25 | Decide | Keep or move your date. Fix the single biggest problem from mock 3. |
| 26 | Writing + speaking | One Section B of each. Nothing new. |
| 27 | Reading + listening | Short timed sets. Stop while it's going well. |
| 28 | Logistics | Check your convocation, ID and route to the centre. |
| 29 | Rest | A walk, a podcast in French, an early night. |
| 30 | Exam day | Follow your checklist. |
On day 24, sit TEF Canada mock test 3. Then read our guide to TEF Canada exam day and print the exam day checklist.
Section by section: TEF-specific drills
Reading: use your freedom to move
You can navigate freely inside the reading test, so don't let one hard question eat five minutes. Do a first pass, flag anything slow, then come back. The paper has five parts: everyday documents (questions 1–7), sentences and texts with gaps (8–17), quick reading of texts and graphs (18–22), administrative and professional documents (23–32) and press articles (33–40). The gap-fill part rewards grammar, so a week-2 review of connectors and pronouns pays off here.
Listening: the seconds before the audio are yours
Audio starts automatically, plays once and you can't go back. The official sample gives you between 5 and 20 seconds before each document and 10 to 30 seconds after, depending on the part. Use the time before to read the question and underline what you're listening for.
Street-interview questions (micros-trottoirs) are a classic trap. In the official sample, you choose whether the speaker is totally for, for under certain conditions, totally against or has no opinion. Listen for the condition: « Moi, je suis pour, à condition que les commerces restent accessibles en voiture. » That's "for, under certain conditions", not "totally for".
Writing Section A: move the story forward
You get the start of a news story (fait divers) and must continue it in at least 80 words, over several paragraphs. Le français des affaires advises against copying or summarising the beginning: bring new information. Write in the past, in a neutral, journalistic third person. For example, after a prompt about a dog found on a river island: « Selon les pompiers, l'animal s'était échappé pendant une promenade avec ses maîtres. Ceux-ci avaient aussitôt prévenu les autorités, mais les recherches avaient été interrompues à cause du mauvais temps. »
Writing Section B: three real arguments
You react to a statement in a newspaper with at least 200 words and at least three arguments. A letter format is allowed but not required. Plan for 5 minutes, write for 25, and keep 5 to reread. Practise against the clock here:
« Les écrans devraient être interdits dans les restaurants. » Écrivez au journal pour dire ce que vous en pensez. Développez au moins trois arguments.
0 wordsMinimum: 200 words (no maximum)
200 more to reach the minimum
Counting rule: we count words separated by spaces, so "l'homme" counts as one word. Counts on the exam may differ slightly; aim for the middle of the range.
Speaking Section A: ask about ten questions
You phone about an ad and the examiner answers. The instructions ask for about ten questions, in a formal register (vous). Vary the forms: « Pourriez-vous me dire si le logement est meublé ? », « Le loyer comprend-il les charges ? », « Quels documents dois-je fournir ? »
Speaking Section B: expect a "no"
You present a document to a friend (tu) and try to convince them. Le français des affaires warns that your interlocutor will never agree with you, so the test is how well you keep arguing. Build a bank of responses: « Je comprends ton hésitation, mais… », « Justement, c'est pour ça que… », « Et si on essayait juste une fois ? » Rehearse with the official 10-minute timing:
TEF Canada practice timer
Argumenter pour convaincre
10:00
Timings from Le français des affaires (CCI Paris Île-de-France). The TEF publishes no separate preparation time for speaking, so the timer runs straight away.
How to review a mock in 45 minutes
A mock only helps if you learn from it. The day after each one, spend 45 minutes on this:
- Reading (10 min). Sort your wrong answers by part. If most sit in questions 8–17, your problem is grammar, not reading speed.
- Listening (10 min). Replay only the audios you missed. Did you miss the information, or misread the question in the seconds before? Those need different fixes.
- Writing (15 min). Count your words and arguments. Underline every verb in Section A: are your past tenses consistent?
- Speaking (10 min). Listen to your recording. Count your questions in Section A, and the times you answered an objection in Section B instead of repeating yourself.
Write the three biggest problems at the top of your error log. They're your plan for the next week.
Three traps that cost TEF candidates points
- Using the wrong score column. Your attestation shows a /699 score and an "Équivalence ancien score". IRCC uses only the second for Express Entry, and warns that entering the wrong one can lead to refusal. Our NCLC 7 on the TEF Canada guide walks through it.
- Practising sections one at a time only. On the day you'll take reading, listening and writing back to back on a computer, then speaking. At least two of your mocks should run in that order.
- Typing accents for the first time on the day. Writing is on a computer with a virtual keyboard for accents. Type your practice texts on a computer from week 1, with every accent.
When to keep your date, and when to move it
On day 25, look at mock 3. If you're at NCLC 7 everywhere, or within a few points in one skill, keep your date. If you're more than one level short anywhere, ask your centre whether you can move to a later session.
If you do need a second attempt, Le français des affaires requires 20 days between two sittings, and results arrive in 1 to 10 working days. An appeal is only for serious anomalies during the test, so don't plan on a re-mark. Find sessions on the TEF Canada exam dates page and map your dates here:
Exam date planner
Pick your test and date to see your countdown, when to sit full mock tests, and the key dates after the exam.
Choose a test date to build your timeline.
Results delays and retake rules come from the test owners; your centre may differ. Mock-test dates are our suggestion.
Why NCLC 7 in all four matters
The French bonus in Express Entry and French-language category draws both need NCLC 7 in all four skills. IRCC's CRS criteria give 25 additional points, or 50 with CLB 5 or higher in all four English skills. One section at NCLC 6 and the bonus is zero. See what that's worth with the NCLC converter and the CRS calculator, or start from the TEF Canada practice test hub.
Taking the TCF Canada instead?
The TCF Canada has a different order, three writing tasks with maximum word counts and a 12-minute speaking test. Our TCF Canada 30-day plan follows the same structure with TCF-specific drills.
Your next step
Check your level in five minutes
Not sure a month is enough? Take the free 10-question French level check first.
Do day 1 today
Sit the free TEF Canada mock test in the official order and convert each section to NCLC.
Train the skill that holds you back
Drill it every day in TEF Canada practice. For detailed feedback on every writing and speaking attempt, see our plans.
Our take
The TEF rewards people who know exactly what's coming: which seconds to use, which clock is running and what the examiner will do. That knowledge is learnable in a month. Real progress in French takes longer, so if your first mock is far from NCLC 7, give yourself the time rather than paying for a test you're not ready for.
Study-hour figures are Alliance Française de Lyon's course estimates, not an official standard. Test formats reflect Le français des affaires' pages and official sample booklets, and immigration rules reflect canada.ca, as checked on the date shown above. We're an independent prep site, not affiliated with IRCC, France Éducation international or Le français des affaires.