TEF Canada Expression écrite: how it works, scoring and practice
Two tasks share one 60-minute pot. Section A: continue a factual news story — a fait divers — in at least 80 words, worth roughly 25 minutes of your hour. Section B: express and justify an opinion in letter form, at least 200 words, worth roughly 35. One clock, two very different registers: narrative reporting for A, structured argument for B.
How Expression écrite is scored
The section reports on the 0–699 scale; IRCC places NCLC 7 for TEF writing at 428–471. The word minimums are floors, not targets — under-length responses are penalised, but padding hurts the quality marks that actually move the score. Section B carries the greater weight of time for a reason: a 200-word argued letter with a clear position, justification and letter conventions is the heavier assessment object, and starving it to polish an over-long Section A is the section's classic self-inflicted wound.
The IRCC reality check: all four TEF Canada sections are sat the same day in a fixed order, and IRCC converts each one to NCLC separately — sections are never compensated against each other, so your lowest section sets what your result can do. Full tables and structure in the TEF Canada format guide; per-level thresholds in the CLB/NCLC converter.
A three-step method that survives test day
- Step 1. Split the hour before you write: roughly 25 minutes for Section A, 35 for Section B, and hold the line. The tasks are scored on quality, and quality dies when Section B gets fifteen panicked minutes.
- Step 2. In Section A, continue the story in the same journalistic voice — past tenses, factual tone, a coherent sequence of events that follows from the given opening. You are finishing a news item, not starting an essay.
- Step 3. In Section B, take a clear position in the first lines, justify it with two or three developed arguments, and close like a letter. Position, justification, conventions — that trio is the task.
The traps that cost the most marks
- Blowing the hour on Section A. Its 80-word floor makes it feel quick, which tempts perfectionism — while the 200-word letter that needs the time waits.
- Treating the minimums as targets. 80 and 200 are floors; a bare-minimum Section B with thin justification reads as thin, but padding past the point of control multiplies errors.
- Writing Section B as a school essay instead of a letter. The task asks for an opinion in letter form — openings, closings and addressee-awareness are part of what is assessed.
See the method on a fresh task
Prompt: Section A opening (to continue): « Hier matin, les habitants du quartier Saint-Roch ont découvert une montgolfière posée au milieu du parc municipal. Le pilote, un touriste allemand… » — continue the story in at least 80 words.
Approach: Continue as the journalist would: explain how the balloon came down (a sudden wind change during a dawn flight), what happened next (the pilot unhurt, firefighters securing the envelope, curious children gathering), and close the item (the balloon removed by midday, the pilot promising to return in better weather). Past tenses, neutral tone, events in sequence — and stop once the story is complete and comfortably past 80 words. The remaining half hour belongs to the opinion letter.
This example is original to TestDayTwin — no genuine TEF Canada test question appears here.
Open Expression écrite practice
Our free TEF Canada practice is built to the current post-2025 structure, with an NCLC estimate on the real /699 scale for the scored sections — and honest prep material (not a fake AI score) for the live speaking interview.
Questions candidates ask
What is Section A of TEF Canada expression écrite?
Section A gives you the opening of a factual news story — a fait divers — and asks you to write its continuation in at least 80 words, keeping the journalistic register. Budget roughly 25 minutes of the shared 60-minute section so the longer Section B letter gets the time it needs.
How many words should Section B be in TEF Canada expression écrite?
At least 200 words — that is the official minimum for the opinion letter, with roughly 35 minutes the sensible share of the hour. Treat 200 as a floor, not a target: under-length is penalised, but the score comes from a clear position, developed justification and proper letter conventions, not from word count alone.
How is TEF writing scored for immigration?
Like every TEF Canada section, writing reports on the 0–699 scale and IRCC converts it directly to NCLC — the current chart puts NCLC 7 at 428–471 for writing. Sections are not compensated: a strong writing score cannot lift a weaker speaking result, so every skill has to clear your target on its own.
How should I split the 60 minutes between the two tasks?
Roughly 25 minutes for Section A and 35 for Section B, decided before you start writing. The 80-word fait divers tempts perfectionism because it feels finishable; the 200-word opinion letter is the heavier task and suffers most when rushed. Set the split, and keep a few minutes at the end to reread both.
Related TEF Canada guides
Section structure, counts, timing and the 0–699 scale follow CCI Paris (Le français des affaires) and IRCC's equivalency charts as verified for ourTEF Canada format guide (July 2026, post-September-2025 format). NCLC ranges are IRCC's for tests taken after 10 December 2023. TestDayTwin is an independent practice site.