TCF Canada Writing Scoring Criteria + Templates 2026

By Claire AI Editorial — TCF Canada Specialists · Updated 2026-04-30

TCF Canada Writing: Overview

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).

Task 1: Short Message (A1/A2 Level)

Format

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.

Template

A solid Task 1 response follows this structure:

1. Greeting: Bonjour [prénom], / Salut [prénom],
2. Context/Reason for writing: Je t'écris pour... / Je voulais te dire que...
3. Main information (2–3 points from the prompt): Address each element the prompt asks for.
4. Closing: À bientôt ! / J'attends ta réponse. / Bises,

Example prompt

"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."

Sample response

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

Key scoring points for Task 1

• Address all elements mentioned in the prompt
• Use appropriate informal register (tu form for friends/family)
• Show basic grammar control (present, passé composé, near future)
• Stay within word count — going under 60 words will cost you points

Task 2: Formal Letter (B1/B2 Level)

Format

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.

Template

1. Formal greeting: Madame, Monsieur, (standard) or Monsieur le Directeur, (if the recipient is specified)
2. Purpose statement: Je me permets de vous écrire au sujet de... / Par la présente, je souhaite...
3. Body paragraph 1 — Context: Explain the situation. En effet,...
4. Body paragraph 2 — Request or argument: State what you want. C'est pourquoi je vous demande de... / Je souhaiterais que...
5. Polite closing formula: Dans l'attente de votre réponse, je vous prie d'agréer, Madame, Monsieur, l'expression de mes salutations distinguées.

Formal letter conventions

• Always use vous (never tu)
• Use the conditional for polite requests: je souhaiterais, pourriez-vous, il serait préférable
• Avoid contractions and colloquial language
• The closing formula (formule de politesse) is expected in formal French writing and graders look for it

Task 3: Argumentative Essay (B2/C2 Level)

Format

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.

Template

1. Introduction (2–3 sentences):
   • Introduce the topic: Aujourd'hui, la question de [topic] fait l'objet de nombreux débats.
   • State your position: À mon avis, ... / Je suis convaincu(e) que...
2. Argument 1 with example (3–4 sentences):
   • Tout d'abord, ... Par exemple, ...
3. Argument 2 with example (3–4 sentences):
   • De plus, ... En effet, ...
4. Counterargument and rebuttal (2–3 sentences):
   • Certes, certains pourraient argumenter que... Cependant, ...
5. Conclusion (1–2 sentences):
   • En conclusion, ... Il est donc essentiel de...

Why the counterargument matters

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.

Scoring Criteria: The Three Dimensions

TCF writing is evaluated on three dimensions, each equally important:

1. Linguistic Competence (Compétence linguistique)

• Grammar accuracy: verb conjugation, gender/number agreement, tense usage
• Vocabulary range: appropriate word choice, variety (not repeating the same words)
• Spelling and accents: correct orthography, proper use of accents (é, è, ê, ç, etc.)

2. Pragmatic Competence (Compétence pragmatique)

• Task completion: Did you address all elements in the prompt?
• Coherence: Is your text logically organized? Do ideas flow naturally?
• Cohesion: Do you use connectors to link ideas? (see table below)

3. Sociolinguistic Competence (Compétence sociolinguistique)

• Register appropriateness: Informal for Task 1 (tu, casual tone), formal for Task 2 (vous, formule de politesse)
• Cultural conventions: Proper greeting and closing formulas
• Audience awareness: Writing style adapted to the recipient

Essential Connectors Table

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

Common Deduction Errors

These are the most frequent mistakes that cost candidates points:

1. Gender agreement errors: *un grande maison → une grande maison; *les problème → les problèmes. Gender and number must agree across determiners, nouns, and adjectives.
2. Verb conjugation mistakes: Mixing up -er, -ir, and -re verb endings. Common errors: *ils mangent → ils manges (wrong), *je suis allé à + infinitif (confusion with aller + infinitif for near future).
3. Register mixing: Using tu in a formal letter or overly formal language in a friendly message. Each task has a clear register expectation — violating it is penalized under sociolinguistic competence.
4. Word count violations: Writing significantly under the minimum (e.g., 40 words for a 60-word minimum) will result in a reduced score. Writing slightly over the maximum is generally acceptable, but excessively long responses may lose coherence points.
5. Missing prompt elements: If the prompt asks you to do three things (explain, apologize, suggest), you must do all three. Missing one element means you haven't fully completed the task.
6. Accent omissions: In handwritten tests, missing accents on é, è, ê, and ç are counted as spelling errors. On computer-based tests, use the special character tools provided.

Score Expectations for NCLC 7

To achieve NCLC 7 (B2) in writing, you need a score of approximately 12–13 out of 20. This means:

• Task 1: Near-perfect execution (this is your easiest win)
• Task 2: Solid formal letter with proper conventions and few errors
• Task 3: A structured argument with at least 2 supporting points and a counterargument, using B2-level vocabulary and grammar

Practice Strategy

• Write one Task 3 per day. Argumentative writing improves fastest with regular practice. Use a timer set to 25 minutes.
• Memorize 3–4 closing formulas. Having these ready saves time and shows cultural competence.
• Get feedback on grammar. Our AI writing correction analyzes your text sentence by sentence, identifying grammar errors, register issues, and structural weaknesses.
• Build a connector toolkit. Memorize at least 2 connectors per function from the table above. Using varied connectors is a clear signal of B2 competence.