Guide TCF Canada
TCF Canada writing task 2: the 120–150 word article or letter
TCF Canada writing task 2 asks for an article, letter or note of 120 to 150 words for several readers: you report an experience and comment on it (opinion, arguments), with a clear purpose.
Key facts
- Instructions: a text for several readers (article, letter, note) reporting an experience or a story, with comments, opinions or arguments, serving a purpose (for example to complain or to reconcile). 120 to 150 words.
- Whole test: 3 tasks in 60 minutes. On paper or on computer depending on the centre.
- Word count: a word = any group of characters between two spaces (“c'est-à-dire” counts as 1).
- May be rated “below A1”: word count out of range, off topic, task not done, sentences copied from the prompt or documents, memorised text, answer left on the scratch paper.
- Scoring: two independent raters give each task a CEFR level, combined into a score out of 20 (10–11/20 = NCLC 7). On computer, the first rating may be done by the FIDELIA marking-assistance system; the second is still human.
Official sources: TCF candidate handbook (version Q, Sept. 2026) · France Éducation international — TCF Canada · Official writing sample test
Practise now
No sign-up. An NCLC estimate as a range, never an official result.
Where candidates get stuck
What comes up most often in the candidate accounts we have read.
- Only a 30-word margin. Between 120 and 150 words, it is easy to overshoot when telling a story. Count before you copy out or submit.
- Telling without concluding. The story takes all the space and the opinion is one sentence at the end. But the prompt also asks for comment and a purpose.
- Narrative tenses. Passé composé for actions, imparfait for the background: an approximate mix costs a lot in accuracy.
- Forgetting the readers. A post on the intranet or in the neighbourhood paper addresses a group: greeting, tone, sign-off.
Official sources: TCF candidate handbook (version Q, Sept. 2026) · France Éducation international — TCF Canada
How to practise
- A three-block plan: what happened (4–5 sentences), what you think about it (2 arguments), what you ask for or suggest.
- Aim for about 135 words to stay in the middle of the range.
- Compare your text with our two model answers (NCLC 7 and NCLC 10) on the same topic: that is where you see what separates two levels.
Original practice topics
100 topics written for this site, with pointers and, for writing, two model answers.
- L'entreprise ou l'organisme de Sherbrooke où vous travaillez, faites un stage ou êtes bénévole a… B2
- Chaque mois, le bulletin de votre quartier, à Trois-Rivières, publie des témoignages d'habitants… B2
- Sur un forum consacré aux vacances, plusieurs membres affirment qu'il faut partir loin pour… B2
- La bibliothèque de votre quartier, à Moncton, a organisé le défi « Une semaine de loisirs sans… B2
- Le centre communautaire de votre quartier, à Gatineau, a récemment réduit ses heures d'ouverture… B2
- Le Centre communautaire des Érables, à Sherbrooke, organise des ateliers de cuisine collective… B2
FAQ
How many words for TCF Canada writing task 2?
Between 120 and 150 words. Outside that range the task could be rated “below A1”.
Official source: TCF candidate handbook (version Q, Sept. 2026)
Do I need a title?
The official documents do not require one. If the prompt asks for an article, a short title can help; it counts towards the word total since it is part of your text.
Official source: Official writing sample test
Can I reuse words from the prompt?
A few keywords, yes. Copying whole sentences from the prompt may lead to a “below A1” rating. Rephrase in your own words.
Official source: TCF candidate handbook (version Q, Sept. 2026)
Read next
TCF TEF Study is independent: neither France Éducation international nor CCI Paris Île-de-France has reviewed this content. Facts come from the official pages cited; check them before you register, as the test owners can change them. Updated 22 October 2026.