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Free checklist · TCF and TEF
A calm, tick-as-you-go plan for test day: the ID and documents the test owners ask for, what to leave at home, how each section runs, and what happens after you walk out.
PDF · free · no sign-upChecked October 6, 2026
On TCF Canada or TEF Canada exam day, bring an original, valid photo ID (the same one you registered with) and your convocation, and arrive at the time on the convocation: neither test admits latecomers once the test has started. Phones are switched off and stored away. Only your ID, plus your convocation and a pen for the TCF, stay on the desk. Find your session in the TCF Canada dates or TEF Canada dates.
No valid photo ID, no exam. France Éducation international (TCF) says you cannot enter the room without one and refuses digital copies. CCI Paris (TEF) checks that your ID matches the one you gave at registration. Late means absent. The TCF admits nobody after the exam material is handed out or once listening starts, and the TEF admits no latecomers once the test has begun. Without a valid reason, your fee is lost.
Your ticks are saved on this device only.
Pack the night before. The desk stays almost empty, so less is better.
Your ticks are saved on this device only.
Evening
Bag packed: ID, second ID, convocation, pens. Alarm set with margin. Stop studying early and sleep.
Check-in
Not the start time of the first test. Use the bathroom and drink water before you go in.
At the door
A supervisor checks your ID and convocation. For the TCF you sign an attendance sheet and are photographed at IRCC's request. TEF candidates also agree to be photographed by centre staff.
In the room
Phone off, bag where the supervisor says. On the TCF desk: ID, convocation and a pen. On the TEF desk: your ID only.
Before you start
The supervisor explains the format, instructions, timing and cheating rules. It is your last chance to ask a practical question.
During the test
If the audio, headset or computer fails, raise your hand immediately. A problem reported after the test is much harder to fix.
The official format of each test. The TEF Canada is taken in this order (reading, listening, writing, speaking) and all four tests must be on the same day. The TCF Canada order can vary by centre: your convocation tells you.
| Section | Time | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Compréhension orale | 35 min | 39 questions |
| Compréhension écrite | 60 min | 39 questions |
| Expression écrite | 60 min | 3 tasks |
| Expression orale | 12 min | 3 tasks |
Total: 167 min · Results valid 2 years for IRCC · Retake wait: 20 days
| Section | Time | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Compréhension écrite | 60 min | 40 questions |
| Compréhension orale | 40 min | 40 questions |
| Expression écrite | 60 min | 2 tasks |
| Expression orale | 15 min | 2 tasks |
Total: 175 min · Results valid 2 years for IRCC · Retake wait: 20 days
What actually happens in each test, and the one habit that protects your score.
| Section | TCF Canada | TEF Canada |
|---|---|---|
| Listening | Nobody enters once it starts and you cannot leave during it. Each recording plays once and the question comes after it: listen for who, what and why first. | On computer, audio starts on its own and plays once. You cannot go back, so answer every question before the next audio. |
| Reading | Questions get harder as you go. Never leave a box blank: wrong answers score 0, the same as blanks. | You can move freely between questions. Do the quick ones first, note the long press articles and come back to them. |
| Writing | Stay inside each task's minimum and maximum word count, do all three tasks in order, and never use your real name: sign with a made-up one. On paper, only the booklet is marked, not your draft. | Each section has its own time limit, so you cannot borrow time from A for B. Use the on-screen keyboard for accents and check the minimum word count. |
| Speaking | Face to face and recorded. Task 2 is the only one with preparation time. Ask real questions and keep talking until the examiner stops you. | Face to face and recorded, with no notes allowed. In A, ask around ten polite questions (vous). In B, the examiner as your friend will keep disagreeing: keep giving new arguments. |
Rehearse the speaking tasks with our TCF and TEF speaking questions and keep the exam cheat sheet for the night before.
TCF Canada: France Éducation international says results come within 15 working days after it receives the session material, and you download your attestation from your TCF-Candidat account. You can ask for your writing or speaking to be re-evaluated within one month after the centre receives the attestations, and the result can go down as well as up. Read your scores with our TCF Canada results guide.
TEF Canada: CCI Paris says results come 1 to 10 working days after the test. For Express Entry, enter the "Équivalence ancien score" column, not "Score / 699". An appeal is possible within 30 days of the attestation date, but only for a serious problem during the test. Our guide on TCF Canada exam day covers the TCF day in more detail.
Both results are valid for 2 years, and both owners require a 20-day wait before you sit the same test again. Convert your scores with the NCLC score converter.
Download the PDF to print it or keep it on your phone. Prints cleanly on A4 and Letter.
FAQ
Last checked against official sources on Oct 6, 2026. Rules change: always confirm on canada.ca before you submit anything.
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A full timed TCF Canada or TEF Canada mock test, all four skills, with an NCLC estimate for each. Free, no account needed.
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