TCF Canada Writing Tips: 3 Tasks in 60 Minutes (Expression écrite)
TCF Canada writing (Expression écrite) is 3 tasks in 60 minutes, scored on a 0–20 scale. The tasks go from short to long, from simple information to argued opinion; scoring looks at whether you're on topic, whether the structure is clear, and whether your grammar and vocabulary are accurate.
What the three tasks look like
Task 1 is usually the shortest (e.g. a short message or note), Task 2 is medium (e.g. a description, an account or a letter), and Task 3 is the longest and asks you to state and justify an opinion (often comparing two viewpoints). Exact prompts and lengths follow the official samples.
Read the prompt and outline before writing
Spend a minute or two deciding "what am I answering, in how many points," so you don't drift off topic; being on-topic matters more than fancy words.
Have structures and linking words ready
Prepare a skeleton for each task: state your position → make points (d'abord / ensuite / de plus) → give an example (par exemple) → conclude (en conclusion). Linking words make your structure clear and easier to score.
Split time across the three tasks
Divide 60 minutes by task weight, giving the later tasks more time, and leave a minute or two to check verb conjugation, agreement and spelling in each.
Accurate beats fancy
Say it clearly with structures you're sure of, better than stacking complex sentences full of errors. Grammatical accuracy directly affects your level.
Common mistakes
- off-topic: not answering what the prompt actually asks;
- loose structure with no linking words;
- poor time split, so Task 3 is rushed;
- not checking basic conjugation and agreement errors.
What's the max writing score, and what is NCLC 7?
Writing is out of 20, and roughly 10 or higher maps to NCLC 7; see the score chart. For speaking see the speaking tips, and for reading the reading tips.