What is the word limit for each TCF Canada writing task?
Checked November 1, 2026
Task 1 is 60 to 120 words, task 2 is 120 to 150 words and task 3 is 120 to 180 words. Respect both the minimum and the maximum on every task, because a task without the required number of words could be rated “A1 non atteint”.
| Task | What you write | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A message to describe, narrate or explain, to recipients whose status is given | 60–120 |
| 2 | An article, letter or note for several recipients, reporting an experience or telling a story with comments, opinions or arguments | 120–150 |
| 3 | A text comparing two points of view on a social issue from two documents, then giving your own opinion | 120–180 |
All three tasks share the same 60 minutes. France Éducation international (FEI) says the following about word counts.
- Each task states “minimum X mots/maximum Y mots”. The manual says you must write all three tasks within the minimum and the maximum.
- A task that misses the required number of words, a task left undone, off-topic writing, sentences copied from the prompt and a memorized text can all lead to a writing result of “A1 non atteint” (below A1). FEI says “pourrait” (could), not “will”.
- FEI does not publish a specific penalty for going over the maximum, and it does not say how words are counted. Do not treat the limit as a target to cross.
- For task 3, the older CIEP handbook gives 40–60 words for the comparison and 80–120 for the opinion. The September 2026 manual does not repeat this split, so use it as a guide for your plan and not as a current rule.
When you practise, check your word count with a plain word counter and stay a margin inside each limit. Aiming for the middle of each range works well, for example 80 to 110 words in task 1.
Each task in detail is in the TCF Canada writing guide.