Method: TCF Canada Written Expression
The Written Expression test (expression écrite) assesses your ability to communicate in writing, in French, in increasingly demanding situations: a practical message, a story or an article, then a structured argument. It is taken in one sitting, in 60 minutes.
The format
| Task | What you are asked to write | Length | Recommended time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A message: email, invitation, notice | 60 to 120 words | 10 min |
| 2 | A story or a blog article | 120 to 150 words | 20 min |
| 3 | An argument based on two documents | 120 to 180 words | 30 min |
You manage your own time across the three tasks. The mark is out of 20 and converts into an NCLC.
The marking criteria
- Completing the task: follow the instructions, the recipient, the type of text and the length.
- Organising the text: paragraphs, logical connectors, a clear progression.
- Command of the language: precise and varied vocabulary, correct grammar, careful spelling.
A text that is too short is penalised; so is one that is too long, because it shows the instructions were not followed. Aim for the middle of the range.
Strategy for each task
- Task 1: identify who is writing, to whom and why. Use the right register (« tu » or « vous »), greet the reader, give the information asked for and end with a suitable closing phrase.
- Task 2: tell the story in the past, varying the tenses (passé composé, imparfait, plus-que-parfait) or, for an article, give a title, an introduction and a personal opinion.
- Task 3: summarise the two documents in your own words, then give your point of view with two arguments and an example. Never copy the documents.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting part of the instructions (a question asked, a piece of information to give).
- Copying sentences from the instructions or the documents.
- Writing a single block with no paragraphs.
- Leaving too little time for Task 3, which counts the most.
- Not proofreading: agreements, conjugations and accents make the difference.
Practising with Palier
Read the topics set each month, write your answer in French against the clock, then compare it with the model answer. Count your words: it is a habit to build before the exam. In the simulator, the AI feedback explains your mistakes in English, while your text and its corrections stay in French.