How are words counted in the TCF Canada writing test?
Checked November 1, 2026
France Éducation international (FEI) defines a word in its sample paper as any group of characters placed between two spaces. So « un bon sujet » is 3 words and « c’est-à-dire » is 1 word. That count decides whether each task meets its minimum and maximum (60–120, 120–150 and 120–180 words).
The definition comes from the instructions page of the sample writing paper FEI publishes for TCF tout public, TCF Québec and TCF Canada. The September 2026 candidate handbook does not repeat it, and it gives no other definition.
What the rule gives
A word starts and ends at a space. Anything joined together counts as one.
| What you write | Words under the rule |
|---|---|
| un bon sujet | 3 (FEI’s example) |
| c’est-à-dire | 1 (FEI’s example) |
| l’entreprise | 1, the apostrophe does not split it |
| peut-être | 1 |
| est-ce qu’il | 2 |
| a-t-il | 1 |
| 25 euros | 2 |
| Madame Diallo, | 2, the comma sits on the word |
The last six rows apply FEI’s definition to other cases. FEI does not list them one by one.
Why it matters
The handbook says you must complete all 3 tasks “respecting the minimum and maximum number of words required”. A task without the required number of words could be marked “A1 non atteint” (below A1). If you count « l’ » and « entreprise » as two words, you overestimate your total and can fall under the minimum without noticing. The maximum counts too, FEI speaks of the “minimum and maximum required”, so staying inside the range is the only safe rule.
What about the greeting and sign-off?
FEI does not say whether « Bonjour », an email subject line or the signature of a message count. The space rule would count them. So count them, and keep a margin under the maximum.
On paper, you write the total
In the sample paper, each task ends with a “Nombre de mots” box and the question “Did you respect the minimum and maximum number of words?”. The instructions also say to do the tasks in order, task 1, then 2, then 3. For computer sessions we found no official source saying whether the screen shows a counter, so practise counting yourself.
A quick method
- Aim for the middle of the range, for example 90 words for task 1. That leaves room on both sides.
- Count one typical line of your handwriting, then multiply by the number of lines.
- If you are close to a limit, recount the last part word by word.
The ranges for each task are on word count per task. To check a practice text, the NCLC Prep writing tool shows the word count and an estimated mark out of 20.