Guide TEF Canada
TEF Canada speaking section B: present and persuade (10 min)
TEF Canada speaking section B lasts 10 minutes: you present an ad to a friend (played by the examiner), then try to convince them to take part. The examiner has prepared counter-arguments.
Key facts
- Length: 10 minutes. Material: an ad. Typical instruction: you tell a friend about it, present it, then try to convince them.
- The examiner prepares counter-arguments and follow-up questions.
- What the official sample says is assessed: presenting, building an argument, keeping up an informal exchange; and for both sections, reacting naturally, vocabulary, syntax, pronunciation.
- Whole test: 2 sections, 15 minutes, face to face with an examiner; everything is recorded on a tablet (Passeport app) for a second rater.
- Scoring: the examiner rates on the spot, then a second rater listens to the recording. The level is converted into a score; for IRCC, NCLC 7 = 310 to 348 (“ancien score”).
Official sources: Official TEF sample — speaking (PDF) · TEF 2026 centre manager handbook (PDF) · Le français des affaires — TEF Canada · 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.
- Objections one after another. Price, time, tiredness, “why me?”: after two answers you run out of arguments and repeat yourself.
- Reciting stock replies. Some candidates learn lists of comebacks; in the exam the objection never comes exactly as planned.
- Forgetting the ad. The best arguments are in the details: price, times, what is included.
- Friendly register. It is a friend: tu, natural phrasing, a little humour. Too formal a tone sounds wrong here.
Official sources: Official TEF sample — speaking (PDF) · TEF 2026 centre manager handbook (PDF)
How to practise
- Present the ad in 30 seconds: what, where, when, how much, why you are keen.
- For each objection: acknowledge (“Je comprends”), answer with a detail from the ad, offer a solution (“Je te prête…”, “On peut partager…”).
- Practise with our examiner: a sceptical friend who raises objections one by one and only gives in to real arguments.
Original practice topics
84 topics written for this site, with pointers and, for writing, two model answers.
FAQ
How long is TEF Canada speaking section B?
10 minutes, against 5 minutes for section A.
Official source: Official TEF sample — speaking (PDF)
Do I have to actually convince the examiner?
The official sample assesses how you present, argue and keep the exchange going. What counts is the quality of your arguments and reactions, not a final “yes”.
Official source: Official TEF sample — speaking (PDF)
Tu or vous in section B?
The instructions have you talking to a friend: tu is natural. The official sample refers to an informal exchange.
Official source: Official TEF sample — speaking (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.