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Guide TCF Canada

TCF Canada speaking task 2: the interaction task (5 min 30)

TCF Canada speaking task 2 lasts 5 min 30: 2 minutes of preparation, then a 3 min 30 exchange. A card gives you a situation and the roles; you ask the examiner questions to get information.

Key facts

  • Length: 5 min 30: 2 minutes of preparation and 3 min 30 of interaction.
  • The candidate starts and leads the exchange. You may ask the examiner to repeat or clarify.
  • During preparation you may take notes on scratch paper, but not write on the topic card.
  • Whole test: 3 tasks, 12 minutes (including 2 minutes of preparation for Task 2), face to face with an examiner, recorded. Speaking cannot be taken on a computer.
  • Scoring: two raters, working separately, give each task a CEFR level (from “below A1” to C2); the levels are combined into a score out of 20. The exact combination rule and the detailed grid are not published.
  • For IRCC: 10–11/20 = NCLC 7, 7–9/20 = NCLC 6, 12–13/20 = NCLC 8, 14–15/20 = NCLC 9, 16–20/20 = NCLC 10 and above.

Official sources: TCF candidate handbook (version Q, Sept. 2026) · Official speaking sample test · France Éducation international — TCF Canada · IRCC — language test results (Express Entry)

Practise now

No sign-up. An NCLC estimate as a range, never an official result.

Take Task 2 with the AI examiner

Where candidates get stuck

What comes up most often in the candidate accounts we have read.

  • Reading out a list. The candidate fires off ten questions in a row without listening to the answers. It sounds like a form, not a conversation.
  • The blank after the answer. The examiner answers, then silence. You need to react (“Ah, c'est pratique. Et pour… ?”) and move on.
  • Tu or vous? The card sets the relationship: a friend, a neighbour, an employee. Switching register halfway is noticed.
  • Only one question pattern. “Est-ce que… ?” ten times. Vary it: inversion, “Pourriez-vous me dire…”, “J'aimerais savoir si…”.

Official sources: TCF candidate handbook (version Q, Sept. 2026) · Official speaking sample test

How to practise

  • During the 2 minutes, jot down keywords per theme (price, times, access…), not written-out questions.
  • Open with a line of context: “Bonjour, j'ai vu que… et j'aurais quelques questions.” Then a question, a reaction, a follow-up.
  • Practise with someone who volunteers nothing: our examiner only answers what you ask, and sometimes she does not know, as in real life.

Original practice topics

125 topics written for this site, with pointers and, for writing, two model answers.

See all topics (125)

FAQ

How many questions should I ask in Task 2?

We found no required number in the official TCF documents. What matters: getting the useful information, reacting to the answers and leading the exchange for the full 3 min 30. In practice that is often around ten questions with follow-ups.

Official source: TCF candidate handbook (version Q, Sept. 2026)

Can I write during the preparation time?

Yes, on scratch paper, not on the topic card. The 2 minutes of preparation are part of the task's 5 min 30.

Official source: TCF candidate handbook (version Q, Sept. 2026)

What if I don't understand the examiner's answer?

Ask them to repeat or clarify: the official instructions allow it, and it is part of the interaction. “Pardon, vous pouvez répéter le prix ?”

Official source: TCF candidate handbook (version Q, Sept. 2026)

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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.