How can I practise TCF Canada writing on my own?
Checked November 2, 2026
Write under real conditions (all 3 tasks in 60 minutes, within 60 to 120, 120 to 150 and 120 to 180 words), review with France Éducation international’s (FEI) criteria, rewrite the same text, then have it marked by someone else from time to time. On your own, you miss your own errors, and FEI returns no annotated paper and no advice after the test.
A typical 90-minute session
- Write, 60 minutes. The three tasks of one paper, timed, on the format of your test (paper or keyboard). No dictionary and no notes, which are banned on test day. Add our own rule, no spell-checker and no model in front of you.
- Count, 5 minutes. Check each task’s word count. A task outside its range can get the paper rated “A1 non atteint” (below A1). The counting rules are in how words are counted.
- Review with a grid, 15 minutes. One pass per family of criteria (see below), not a general reread.
- Rewrite, 10 minutes. Take your weakest task and rewrite it. That is where you improve, not by piling up new topics.
The review grid
FEI assesses three families of criteria. Turn them into questions.
| Family | Questions to ask yourself |
|---|---|
| Linguistic | Are my agreements and tenses right? Did I repeat the same words? Are all my sentences built the same way? |
| Pragmatic | Did I cover every point in the prompt? Are my ideas linked by connectors? Does the text have a beginning and an end? |
| Sociolinguistic | Does the tone suit the reader (vous or tu, opening and closing formulas)? |
Write down your three most frequent errors on a card, and look for them first in every review.
Where to find topics
- FEI publishes a free writing paper valid for TCF Canada, with the official instructions for all three tasks (sample papers).
- Our practice topics follow the three-task format.
- The annotated model answers for task 1, task 2 and task 3 are for comparing after you write, never before.
Don’t memorise a text to recite it. FEI can rate a memorised text “A1 non atteint” (details).
The limit of working alone
Reviewing catches the mistakes you already know how to fix. It doesn’t tell you your mark or what separates you from the next level. About once a week, have a task read by someone who knows the target level, or have it marked here. NCLC Prep gives an estimated mark out of 20 with the NCLC range and corrects each error. It is not the official mark, but it is an outside check on whether the rewrite paid off.