TCF Canada Writing: Three Tasks and NCLC 7

Short answer

TCF Canada expression écrite is one collective test with three tasks. You write a message, then a report or story with a comment, then a comparison of two viewpoints plus your own opinion. France Éducation international gives the whole writing test 60 minutes. It does not publish a separate time for each task.

As of 3 November 2026, the TCF Canada page sets the word counts at 60–120, 120–150, and 120–180. A text outside the count for a task, a missing task, an off-topic text, or handwriting that cannot be read on paper can be marked « A1 non atteint ». This is a study guide, not a scored sample and not immigration advice. Apprendr is not affiliated with IRCC, France Éducation international, or TCF Canada.

TEF Canada is a different exam. Its two writing jobs are in TEF Canada writing Section A and TEF Canada writing Section B. For the rest of either test, use the TEF Canada and TCF Canada study guide. For the reading half of an NCLC 7 profile, use TEF and TCF reading practice.

When the two task 3 documents are already on a Canadian site, select them instead of retyping them. Add Apprendr to Chrome.

The three tasks

Checked on 3 November 2026 against TCF Canada. The writing test has three tasks:

Task 1. A message that describes, narrates, and/or explains. It is addressed to one or more people, and the instruction says what their role is. 60 words minimum, 120 words maximum.
Task 2. An article, a letter, a note, or a similar text, for several readers. You report an experience or tell a story, and you add comments, opinions, or arguments for a purpose the instruction names (the page’s examples are to make a claim, or to reconcile). 120 words minimum, 150 words maximum.
Task 3. A text for a newspaper, a website, a colleague, a manager, or a similar reader. Two documents give two views of one social question. You compare those views and give your own opinion on the theme. 120 words minimum, 180 words maximum.

The same page says you are assessed on whether you can:

communicate a message clearly
give the information that was asked for
describe, narrate, and explain
justify a choice, a position, or a decision
link ideas and keep the text coherent
compare two points of view
state your opinion and argue it
use vocabulary and structures that fit the task
reformulate

The session procedure says you must answer all three tasks and respect the minimum and the maximum word count. On paper, you write in the booklet. The draft paper is destroyed and is not marked. The same page adds one more way to land on « A1 non atteint »: copying one or more sentences from the subject or from a document.

The April 2025 invigilator memo (version F) tells the room, for TCF Canada as for TCF tout public and TCF Québec, that expression écrite lasts 60 minutes, and that each of the three exercises must meet the minimum word count or it will not be marked. The candidate page is the one that also publishes the maximum. Stay inside both ends of the range.

Time and length

	Task 1	Task 2	Task 3	Whole writing test
What you write	A message	A report or story, plus a comment	A comparison of two documents, plus your opinion	All three
Words	60–120	120–150	120–180	Each task has its own range
Time	Not published	Not published	Not published	60 minutes

France Éducation international does not publish a minute split. The figures above are from the TCF Canada page and from the invigilator memo’s 60-minute line for TCF Canada. A longer answer is not a higher score: past the maximum, the copy can miss the required count.

How to use the hour

This order is a practice plan. It is not a clock from the provider.

Read all three instructions before you write. Task 3 includes two documents, so that reading is part of the 60 minutes.
Write task 1 first. It is the shortest text, and it is a message to a named kind of reader.
Write task 2 next. Finish the story or the report, then add the comment the purpose asks for. Do not stop at the narrative.
Leave the largest share of the hour for task 3. You have to show both views, then your own, inside 120–180 words.
Count the words on each task before you stop, and reread agreements and accents. The draft does not count.

Where NCLC 7 fits

NCLC 7 is a level on an IRCC table. It is not a feeling you get from a clean paragraph, and this guide does not award it.

French results are reported on the NCLC scale. English results are reported on the CLB scale. IRCC’s language-test page (modified 16 October 2026) says so in those words. A TCF Canada writing mark is not relabelled as a CLB on that page.

France Éducation international reports TCF Canada writing as a mark out of 20, and also as a CEFR level from « A1 non atteint » to C2. That is on Comprendre mes résultats au TCF. IRCC’s TCF Canada tables use that kind of writing mark. On the Federal Skilled Worker, Federal Skilled Trades, and Canadian Experience Class tables, NCLC 7 for writing (expression écrite) is 10–11.

The same page does not use one row for every level above that:

NCLC	Writing mark	Where that row is written
7	10–11	Federal Skilled Worker, Federal Skilled Trades, and Canadian Experience Class (TEER 0 and 1)
8	12–13	Those same tables
9	14–15	Federal Skilled Trades, and Canadian Experience Class (TEER 0 and 1)
9 and above	14+	Federal Skilled Worker, first official language. That table does not split 9 from 10
10 and above	16–20	Federal Skilled Trades, and Canadian Experience Class (TEER 0 and 1)

On the Federal Skilled Worker table, NCLC 7 is 4 points per ability for the first official language. Writing is one of the four abilities. The second official language adds 4 points only if every ability is at least NCLC 5; on that TCF Canada row, writing is 6+.

NCLC 7 is the floor for some programs and not for others. On the same IRCC page:

Federal Skilled Worker, French as the first official language: NCLC 7 in all four abilities. The second official language minimum is NCLC 5.
Canadian Experience Class: NCLC 7 in all four abilities for TEER 0 or 1, and NCLC 5 for TEER 2 or 3.
Federal Skilled Trades: NCLC 5 for French speaking and listening, and NCLC 4 for French reading and writing. On the trades table, NCLC 4 writing is 4–5.

For Express Entry, the test result must be less than 2 years old when you complete your profile and when you submit the application for permanent residence. IRCC says an application with expired results will be refused. France Éducation international states a different clock on the attestation itself: the attestation is valid for 2 years from the date the results are issued, and that date is printed on it. Read both dates. They are not the same sentence.

French-language category draws

IRCC’s category-based selection page (modified 16 October 2026) lists French-language proficiency among the current categories. To be eligible for that category you must have French-language test results at a minimum of 7 in all 4 abilities on the NCLC, and you must meet the instructions for that round. Writing is one of the four. A 10–11 in writing does not fill speaking, listening, or reading.

The page also says category rounds invite the highest CRS scores among people who meet the category. It does not publish a standing cut-off on this guide’s sources, and this guide does not invent one. Being eligible for the category is not the same thing as receiving an invitation.

Separate from the category, IRCC’s page for French-speaking skilled workers (modified 20 August 2025) says you can receive up to 50 additional points for French. If you have NCLC 7 or higher on all four French skills, that page says you can get 25 additional points when your English is CLB 4 or lower, or when you have no English test, and 50 additional points when your English is CLB 5 or higher on all four skills. Those points use a French test and, for the higher figure, an English test. They are not a mark this practice text can award.

Nothing in a practice paragraph predicts a 10. For what an NCLC 7 reading text looks like, see the 27 October 2026 French-draw note and the NCLC 7 reading practice page.

A structure you can reuse

The labels are a plan, not sentences you paste in. Pasting the two documents, or a sentence from them, is the copying the session page warns about.

Task 1. Who you are writing to, in one line. Then the fact, the event, or the explanation the instruction asks for. One concrete detail: a place, a time, or an object. Stop inside 120 words.

Task 2. What happened, in order. Then the comment that matches the purpose (the claim, the apology, the request). The narrative alone does not finish this task. Stop inside 150 words.

Task 3. Use this shape:

Name the shared topic and what each document wants. One or two sentences. Do not paste the documents.
Take one point from the first view and say what you accept or refuse.
Take a different point from the second view. If it repeats the first in new words, it is still one point.
State your own opinion, with one limit, and one detail that only this topic could use.

A model answer

Invented for this guide. These two documents are not a TCF item. In the exam, the documents are given to you. You write the comparison.

Document 1. A city councillor writes that municipal libraries should close on Sundays to reduce staffing costs.

Document 2. A student association writes that Sunday is often the only day people who work can use the library.

Model answer, task 3 (163 words):

Les deux documents parlent de l’ouverture des bibliothèques municipales le dimanche. Le premier, un élu, propose de fermer ce jour-là afin de réduire les dépenses de personnel. Le second, une association d’étudiants, répond que le dimanche est souvent le seul moment où les personnes qui travaillent peuvent s’y rendre.

Je comprends le souci du coût. Une ouverture sept jours sur sept demande des salaires et de l’énergie. Toutefois, fermer le dimanche ne supprime pas le besoin. Il se reporte sur les soirs de semaine, quand les salles sont déjà pleines.

Pour ma part, je me rapproche du second point de vue. Une bibliothèque n’est pas seulement un comptoir de prêt. Le dimanche, un parent peut y accompagner un enfant, et un adulte sans bureau chez lui peut y travailler au calme. La ville peut limiter l’horaire, par exemple de midi à 17 h, plutôt que d’annuler toute la journée.

C’est pourquoi je défends une ouverture courte le dimanche, et non une fermeture complète.

Why this answer fits the task

The first sentences name both views without copying either document. The session page warns that copied sentences can pull the copy down to « A1 non atteint ».
The second paragraph takes the cost argument seriously, then limits it. Toutefois does that job. The page asks you to compare the two views, not to ignore one of them.
The third paragraph is the writer’s own opinion, which task 3 requires, with one concrete picture: a parent and a child, and an adult with nowhere to work.
The last sentence could only close this subject. It also stays inside the published 120–180 words. 163 is an illustration of that range, not a length you have to hit, and not a predicted mark.

Paste the position line into Apprendr if you want the grammar at your level: Pour ma part, je me rapproche du second point de vue.

Common mistakes

Missing a task. The session page says one or more tasks left undone can be marked « A1 non atteint ». Three short texts beat one long one.
Outside the word count. Task 1 above 120, task 2 above 150, or task 3 above 180 is not a safer score. Under the minimum, the invigilator memo says the exercise will not be marked, and the candidate page says the copy can be marked « A1 non atteint ».
Copying the documents. Reformulate. The assessment list includes the ability to reformulate, and the session page names copying as a reason for « A1 non atteint ».
A story with no comment, on task 2. The page asks for a report or a narrative accompanied by comments, opinions, or arguments.
Only one side, on task 3. Comparing two views means both appear. Your opinion is extra, not a substitute for the comparison.
An introduction that fits every topic. “De nos jours, ce sujet est important” does not name these two documents. The published criteria include information that was asked for, and coherence.
Treating length or a tidy paragraph as NCLC 7. The 10–11 band is an IRCC conversion of a marked exam. The model above only shows the task shape.

NCLC 7 self-check

Use this on a practice text before you look anything up. Ticking every line does not mean the text is NCLC 7. The 10–11 band above is an IRCC conversion of a marked exam, not a list you can satisfy at home.

All three tasks are present, and each one is inside its own word range.
Task 1 names the reader and does the describe, narrate, or explain job.
Task 2 has the facts and the comment the purpose asked for.
Task 3 shows both views, then your own opinion, without a pasted sentence from either document.
Ideas are linked. One sentence limits the claim.
The last sentence of task 3 could only belong to this topic.
Handwriting on a paper rehearsal can be read. The candidate page lists illegible paper writing as a reason for « A1 non atteint ».
You counted words in the minutes you kept back.

A practice plan

Read the three task descriptions on the TCF Canada page once, including the word ranges and the « A1 non atteint » list. Then close it.
Invent three prompts of your own. Do not reuse an official subject. Task 3 needs two short views of one everyday question.
Write all three in one sitting of 60 minutes, in the order above. Count the words before you stop.
Check the text against the provider’s own list: a clear message, the information asked for, description or narration, a justification, linked ideas, a comparison, your opinion, vocabulary that fits, and reformulation.
The next day, read one article and one reader letter on Radio-Canada or Le Devoir. Close them. Write only task 3, in 120–180 words, on the question they share.
After a few of those hours, read another document on the NCLC 7 reading practice page. The comparison is easier to write when you have already seen how a Canadian text builds two views.

Practise the French the tasks are made of

Task 1 is the French of a message: who it is for, what happened, what you are asking. Task 3 is the French of a short public argument: one view, the other view, then a limit. Radio-Canada and Le Devoir publish both every day.

When the sentence is already on the page, you do not need to retype it. The Apprendr Chrome extension runs on the news site: select the line, and it explains the grammar and vocabulary at the level you set. If you are signed in, vocabulary from that explanation can be kept for review. The extension does not mark TCF Canada writing and it does not estimate an NCLC level.

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Common questions

How long is TCF Canada writing, and how is the hour split?

As of 3 November 2026, the TCF Canada page and the April 2025 invigilator memo put expression écrite at 60 minutes for three tasks. Neither page publishes a minute count for task 1, task 2, or task 3. Use the practice order above, and count words before the hour ends.

What are the word counts?

The TCF Canada page says 60–120 words for task 1, 120–150 for task 2, and 120–180 for task 3. The session page says you must respect the minimum and the maximum. The invigilator memo says an exercise under the minimum will not be marked.

What TCF Canada writing score is NCLC 7?

On IRCC’s Express Entry language-test page (modified 16 October 2026), TCF Canada writing at NCLC 7 is 10–11, on the Federal Skilled Worker table, the Federal Skilled Trades table, and the Canadian Experience Class table for TEER 0 and 1. France Éducation international reports that writing mark out of 20. The same IRCC page uses NCLC for French and CLB for English. Do not enter the writing mark as a CLB.

Does NCLC 7 in writing mean I meet the French-language category?

No. The category page requires a minimum of 7 in all four NCLC abilities, plus the instructions for that round. Writing is only one ability. The page then ranks eligible profiles by CRS. This guide does not state a cut-off, because those pages do not state one that this article could repeat as a standing rule.

How long is a TCF Canada result valid?

France Éducation international says the attestation is valid for 2 years from the date the results are issued. IRCC says that, for Express Entry, the results must be less than 2 years old when you complete your profile and when you submit the permanent residence application, and that expired results lead to a refusal. Check the date on your attestation against both rules before you rely on it.

Sources

Read on 3 November 2026:

TCF Canada, France Éducation international. Four compulsory tests; expression écrite is three tasks and 60 minutes; the word counts; the assessment list; the « A1 non atteint » cases; attestation validity of 2 years from the date results are issued.
Déroulement d’une passation du TCF. Three writing tasks; minimum and maximum word count; draft paper is not marked; copying the subject can be marked « A1 non atteint ».
Mémento du surveillant, version F, avril 2025 (PDF). TCF Canada expression écrite is 60 minutes; each of the three exercises must meet the minimum word count or it will not be marked.
Comprendre mes résultats au TCF. TCF Canada writing is a mark out of 20, with a CEFR level from « A1 non atteint » to C2.
Express Entry: Language test results, IRCC, modified 16 October 2026. NCLC for French and CLB for English; TCF Canada writing 10–11 at NCLC 7; program minimums; results less than 2 years old.
Express Entry: Category-based selection, IRCC, modified 16 October 2026. French-language proficiency category: NCLC 7 in all four abilities, plus the round instructions.
Express Entry for French-speaking skilled workers, IRCC, modified 20 August 2025. Up to 50 additional points; NCLC 7 on all four French skills.