Claire AI
TCF Canada Prep Platform
At a glance
Likely TCF Canada writing topics 2026 for all 3 tasks, the official marking scheme (/20), B2 templates and sample answers, plus free AI essay correction.
Claire AI — TCF Canada Prep Platform Editorial Team · Updated:
The TCF Canada writing section (Expression écrite, EE) consists of 3 tasks to be completed in 60 minutes. Each task is scored on a scale of 0 to 20 by two independent graders. If their scores differ by more than 4 points, a third grader is called. Your final score is the average.
The three tasks target different CEFR levels, giving you the opportunity to demonstrate competence from basic communication (A1/A2) through advanced argumentation (B2/C2).
France Éducation International does not publish exam topics in advance, but TCF Canada writing prompts recycle a stable pool of everyday and social themes. Based on the prompts candidates reported through 2025–2026, these are the themes that recur most often — drill them and you will recognize the scenario on test day:
| Task | Most likely 2026 themes |
|---|---|
| Task 1 (short message) | Declining a party invitation, thanking a friend, rescheduling a meeting, asking to borrow something, congratulating good news |
| Task 2 (formal letter) | Complaint about an online order or noisy neighbours, request to a landlord or school administration, job or course application, reporting a problem to a city service |
| Task 3 (text comparing two viewpoints) | Remote work, AI and education, environment and transport, screens and children, city vs countryside life, learning a second language |
How to use these themes: do not memorize essays — memorize structures and connectors (see the templates below), then practice one prompt per theme with our free AI writing correction to fix grammar and register before test day.
Looking for a specific upcoming session? The themes above are the stable, year-round pool. For a month-by-month list built on recurrence statistics — which task combinations are most likely in a given month, with the underlying data and hit rates — see our this month's writing and speaking list. Note the two are different things: themes tell you what kind of prompt to expect; the monthly article estimates which prompt.
Two graders mark your three tasks against the same three competences (linguistic, pragmatic and sociolinguistic); a disagreement over 4 points triggers a third. Two implications matter most:
For the exam-level picture — the 60 minutes of writing time across all three tasks, how each task is timed, and what examiners weigh most — see the TCF Canada exam guide.
Word count: 60–120 words. Time allocation: 10–12 minutes.
You are asked to write a short message in an everyday context: a note to a friend, a response to an invitation, a message to a colleague, or a simple request. The prompt specifies the situation and what information to include.
A solid Task 1 response follows this structure:
Greeting — Salut Julie, (informal tu, first name only)
Opening line — Merci pour ton message, ça m'a fait plaisir ! or Je t'écris pour te parler de samedi.
Element 1 (the reason) — Malheureusement, je ne pourrai pas venir parce que j'ai un cours ce jour-là.
Element 2 (the feeling) — Je suis vraiment désolé(e), j'aurais adoré être là.
Element 3 (the proposal) — Est-ce que tu serais libre dimanche ? On pourrait déjeuner ensemble.
Closing — À très bientôt, + your first name
Each block maps to one prompt requirement. Before writing, list the prompt verbs — expliquer, remercier, proposer — because they are the marking checklist.
"Your friend has invited you to their birthday party next Saturday. You cannot attend because you have a work commitment. Write a message to explain, apologize, and suggest meeting another time."
Salut Marie,
Merci beaucoup pour ton invitation à ta fête d'anniversaire samedi prochain ! Malheureusement, je ne pourrai pas venir parce que j'ai une réunion importante au travail ce jour-là.
Je suis vraiment désolé(e). J'aurais adoré être là pour célébrer avec toi. Est-ce que tu serais libre dimanche pour qu'on se retrouve au café ? Je t'offrirai un cadeau !
Encore une fois, joyeux anniversaire ! À très bientôt,
Thomas
Word count: 120–150 words. Time allocation: 18–20 minutes.
You write a formal letter or email in a professional or administrative context: a complaint to a company, a request to a landlord, a letter to a school, or a cover letter. The prompt specifies the situation and required content.
Greeting — Madame, Monsieur,
Object line (optional but strong) — Objet : réclamation concernant la commande n° 4512
Purpose — Je me permets de vous écrire au sujet de la commande que j'ai passée le 3 mars.
Context / facts — En effet, j'ai reçu le colis le 10 mars et l'article était endommagé.
Request (conditional for politeness) — C'est pourquoi je vous demanderais de bien vouloir procéder à un échange.
Closing formula — Dans l'attente de votre réponse, je vous prie d'agréer, Madame, Monsieur, l'expression de mes salutations distinguées.
The object line (Objet :) is optional but signals administrative awareness. The reliable B2 marker here is sustained vous plus conditional politeness.
Word count: 120–180 words. Time allocation: 25–28 minutes.
You are given a topic and asked to express and defend your opinion. Topics are typically social issues: technology in education, remote work, environmental policy, cultural diversity, urban planning.
Introduction — Aujourd'hui, le télétravail fait l'objet de nombreux débats. (topic) Pour ma part, je suis convaincu(e) qu'il présente plus d'avantages que d'inconvénients. (position)
Argument 1 + example — Tout d'abord, le télétravail améliore l'équilibre de vie. Par exemple, il supprime les trajets quotidiens, ce qui libère du temps pour la famille.
Argument 2 + example — De plus, il réduit les coûts pour les entreprises. En effet, elles peuvent diminuer la surface de leurs bureaux et investir ailleurs.
Concession + rebuttal — Certes, certains pourraient argumenter que l'isolement nuit au travail collectif. Cependant, des outils numériques permettent de maintenir les échanges.
Conclusion — En conclusion, le télétravail mérite d'être développé, à condition d'être encadré. Il est donc essentiel de trouver un équilibre.
The progression topic → position → argument → argument → concession → conclusion is what graders recognise as B2 structure. Two developed arguments beat four vague ones.
Including a counterargument demonstrates B2 competence. It shows you can consider multiple perspectives and use complex sentence structures (bien que + subjonctif, même si + indicatif). Graders specifically look for this nuance.
The official TCF writing marking scheme evaluates three dimensions, each equally important — graders award your /20 score against this grid:
| Function | Connectors |
|---|---|
| Adding information | de plus, en outre, par ailleurs, également, aussi |
| Cause / Reason | car, parce que, puisque, en effet, étant donné que |
| Consequence | donc, par conséquent, c'est pourquoi, ainsi, de ce fait |
| Contrast / Opposition | mais, cependant, toutefois, néanmoins, en revanche, pourtant |
| Concession | bien que (+ subj.), même si, certes...mais, malgré |
| Ordering ideas | tout d'abord, ensuite, enfin, d'une part...d'autre part |
| Concluding | en conclusion, pour conclure, en somme, en définitive |
| Giving examples | par exemple, notamment, en particulier, comme |
Under time pressure, a fixed skeleton removes the blank-page problem. This is the spine of a Task 3 response:
De nos jours, la question de [TOPIC] suscite de nombreux débats. Certains affirment que [VIEW A], tandis que d'autres soutiennent que [VIEW B]. Pour ma part, je suis convaincu(e) que [YOUR POSITION].
Tout d'abord, [ARGUMENT 1]. En effet, [EXPLANATION]. Par exemple, [CONCRETE EXAMPLE]. Cela montre bien que [LINK BACK].
De plus, [ARGUMENT 2]. Ainsi, [CONSEQUENCE]. Comme le montrent [EXAMPLE], cet aspect renforce [LINK BACK].
Certes, certains pourraient objecter que [COUNTERARGUMENT]. Cependant, [REBUTTAL], car [REASON].
En conclusion, [RESTATE POSITION]. Il est donc essentiel de [CALL TO ACTION].
The same skeleton flexes down to Task 2 (keep purpose and closing formula, drop the concession) and to Task 1 (opening line, two facts, closing).
These are the most frequent mistakes that cost candidates points:
Templates carry you to the door — deduction errors are what keep you out of NCLC 7. Memorise the patterns below and check every response against them before the clock runs out.
The section is a race against the clock. Use this allocation, which totals the full hour with a small buffer:
| Stage | Minutes | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Read all three prompts | 3 | Underline the required elements in each task and choose a Task 3 position before writing anything |
| Task 1 — plan | 2 | List the greeting, the three content points and the closing |
| Task 1 — write | 8 | Write the message in one pass; do not polish yet |
| Task 1 — check | 1 | Verify every prompt element is present; spot-check accents |
| Task 2 — plan | 3 | Jot the object line, the facts, and the request |
| Task 2 — write | 13 | Keep the vous form and the conditional throughout |
| Task 2 — check | 2 | Confirm the closing formula and that register never slips |
| Task 3 — plan | 4 | Fix your position and write two arguments plus one counterargument as bullets |
| Task 3 — write | 20 | Follow the skeleton; one idea per paragraph |
| Task 3 — check | 3 | Re-read for agreement, tense consistency and connector variety |
Two habits protect the plan: choose your Task 3 position while reading the prompts (deciding under pressure is where minutes vanish), and check each task as you finish it rather than saving one global proofread for the end.
To achieve NCLC 7 (B2) in writing, you need a score of approximately 10–11 out of 20. Use our free NCLC score calculator to convert every skill to its NCLC level. This means:
Writing shares the 0–20 scale with speaking and moves in whole points: the gap between 9/20 (NCLC 6) and 10/20 (NCLC 7) is one point — often one prompt element or one register choice. Treat NCLC 7 as the floor.
The templates only pay off once they are automatic. Work through them in this order: