Guide TEF Canada
TEF Canada writing section A: finishing a news story (25 min, 80 words)
TEF Canada writing section A lasts 25 minutes: you are given the start of a news story and write what happens next, at least 80 words, in several paragraphs.
Key facts
- Length: 25 minutes. Task: finish a press article (news story) whose opening is given. At least 80 words, in several paragraphs.
- What the official sample says is assessed: fit with the situation, overall structure, clear information, ability to develop and add detail, vocabulary, syntax (tenses and moods), spelling.
- Whole test: sections A and B in 60 minutes, each timed separately, on computer (Paragraphe software, on-screen French keyboard). Paper is only allowed as an exception.
- Scoring: two independent raters. For IRCC, NCLC 7 = 310 to 348 in the writing “ancien score”.
Official sources: Official TEF sample — writing (PDF) · TEF Canada — on test day · TEF Canada — results · IRCC — language test results (Express Entry)
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.
- Writing one block. The instructions ask for several paragraphs: a single block does not meet them.
- Switching style. The opening is written as a newspaper article; a first-person, diary-like continuation leaves the genre.
- News-story tenses. Passé composé, imparfait, plus-que-parfait, reported speech: this is where accuracy and syntax are won or lost.
- The keyboard. Writing is on a computer with an on-screen French keyboard: accents take time if you are not used to it.
Official sources: Official TEF sample — writing (PDF) · TEF Canada — on test day
How to practise
- Three paragraphs: what happened next, reactions (witnesses, officials, with a quote), the outcome or what follows.
- Stay consistent with the opening: places, names, a third-person news tone.
- Aim for 120–150 words: above the minimum, and short enough to proofread within 25 minutes.
Original practice topics
84 topics written for this site, with pointers and, for writing, two model answers.
- Un livre rendu à la bibliothèque avec 42 ans de retard B2
- Une toile accrochée à l'envers repérée par une écolière B2
- Des bornes-fontaines transformées en personnages de contes B2
- Un violoncelle oublié dans un autobus à quelques heures d'un concert B2
- De vieilles bobines de film découvertes dans un grenier B2
- Des cahiers de 1987 retrouvés dans un mur d'école B1
FAQ
How many words for TEF Canada writing section A?
At least 80 words, in several paragraphs, in 25 minutes.
Official source: Official TEF sample — writing (PDF)
Is TEF Canada writing done on paper?
No, on computer (Paragraphe software, with an on-screen French keyboard). Paper is only allowed as an exception, with approval, for candidates who cannot use a computer.
Official source: TEF Canada — on test day
Is there a maximum word count?
The official sample sets a minimum (80 words) with no maximum. Time (25 minutes) is the real limit.
Official source: Official TEF sample — writing (PDF)
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.