SpeakingTEF Canada9 min read
TEF Canada Speaking: Section A & B Examples
How TEF Canada expression orale works: Section A (5 min, about 10 questions) and Section B (10 min, convince a friend), with model dialogues and drills.
TEF Canada · Expression orale
TEF Canada speaking practice
Rehearse both role-plays out loud with an AI examiner: a formal phone call to get information, then a friend who never agrees with you. Get feedback and an estimated NCLC level.
- sections
- 2
- total
- 15 min
- questions in Section A
- ~10
The two sections
What you’ll say
The situations below are our own practice examples in the official format, not official test items.
- Section A · 5 min · formal
Call to get information
You read an ad and phone to find out more. Ask about ten varied questions. The examiner plays the person who answers. Use vous throughout.
Annonce : « Cours de cuisine du monde, centre communautaire de Rosemont. Inscriptions ouvertes. » Vous téléphonez pour avoir plus d’informations.
- Section B · 10 min · informal
Convince a friend
Present a document to a friend and try to convince them. The examiner plays the friend and, by design, will never agree. Use tu and keep the conversation going.
Annonce : « Randonnée et camping en Gaspésie, 5 jours, groupe de 10. » Votre ami(e) préfère rester en ville. Convainquez-le (la) de vous accompagner.
Useful phrases
Phrases that keep you talking
Section A: opening the call
Say who you are and why you’re calling.
Bonjour, je vous appelle au sujet de votre annonce pour les cours de cuisine.
Section A: varied questions
Mix question forms so it doesn’t sound like a list.
Pourriez-vous me dire… ? Est-ce qu’il faut… ? J’aimerais savoir si… Combien coûte… ?
Section B: presenting the document
Start with what it is and why you thought of your friend.
Tiens, regarde ce que j’ai trouvé ! Ça m’a tout de suite fait penser à toi.
Section B: answering objections
Acknowledge, then turn it around.
Je comprends, mais justement… Tu ne crois pas que… ? Et si on essayait quand même ?
Strategy
Speak with confidence in both sections
Cover what the ad doesn’t say
Price, dates, schedule, place, level, equipment, how to register, cancellation. That’s ten questions ready.
React to every answer
In Section A, a short reaction (D’accord, et…) makes it a real call, not an interrogation.
Prepare five arguments for Section B
Health, money, fun, discovery, time together. You’ll need more than three in 10 minutes.
Expect a “no”
The friend is meant to resist. That’s not a sign you’re failing: answer the objection and bring a new argument.
Switch register
Formal vous in A, friendly tu in B, as each role calls for.
Ask for repetition if needed
« Pardon, vous pouvez répéter ? » is natural and keeps the conversation going.
Common mistakes
What costs points in TEF speaking
Asking the same type of question
Ten “Est-ce que…” questions in a row. Vary forms and topics.
Running out of arguments
Section B lasts 10 minutes. Three arguments are rarely enough when the friend keeps saying no.
Using “vous” with a friend
Section B is informal. Staying formal sounds unnatural in the role.
Target
Speaking score for NCLC 7
For Express Entry, NCLC 7 in speaking is an ancien score of 310 out of 450. For citizenship, the test owner asks for at least NCLC 4 in speaking and listening. Your interview is recorded for a second rating. Taking the other test? See TCF Canada speaking practice, or all TEF Canada practice.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Sources
Last verified Oct 5, 2026 against canada.ca and Le français des affaires (CCI Paris Île-de-France), the TEF Canada test owner. How we check facts
Citizenship8 min read
French Test for Canadian Citizenship: TCF or TEF?
Proving CLB 4 French for citizenship: who must test (18–54), which TCF and TEF versions count, the B1 rule and a checker for your existing result.
Your next step
Try a timed speaking section
In the TEF Canada format, scored, with an estimated NCLC level at the end. No account needed.