TCF Canada exam day
The running order of the day, format by format, with the source of every line. Where we do not know, we say so.
This page is informational and not official: it does not replace your convocation or your centre's instructions. Durations and rules vary by centre and can change. Estimates are marked as estimates.
Last updated : · Jump to reports by city
Computer or paper
| Computer-based | Paper-based | |
|---|---|---|
| Order of the sections | Listening (39 questions, 35 min), reading (39 questions, 60 min), writing (3 tasks, 60 min). Speaking is a separate appointment. Official source FEI | The same sections and durations; the order and the times are set by your centre. Not established: ask your centre |
| Arrival | A candidate whose exam started at 6:00 arrived around 4:45. Estimate: plan at least an hour of margin, and read the time on your convocation. Candidate account, unverified GBLC North York, 2026-06 | The reporting time is on the convocation: follow it. Not established: ask your centre |
| ID | One candidate reports that a passport was required. Check your convocation for the list of accepted documents. Candidate account, unverified 2026-03 | Same approach: the convocation lists the accepted documents. Not established: ask your centre |
| In the room | Reading passages can appear as images you click to enlarge. One candidate says you can go back to your listening answers during reading, with no replay. Another saw the software freeze. Candidate account, unverified San Francisco, 2026-09, GBLC North York, 2026-06, 2026-03 | Answers go on a sheet; how sound and time are handled depends on the centre. Not established: ask your centre |
| Keyboard | No spell-check. Centres often use a Canadian Multilingual (CSA) or US-International keyboard: practise on one of them. One account mentions an accent box on the right of the screen. Candidate account, unverified 2026-09, GBLC North York, 2026-06 | No keyboard: you write by hand. Not established: ask your centre |
| Headphones | Headphones are used for listening (each clip plays once). The model and the volume depend on the centre. Candidate account, unverified GBLC North York, 2026-06 | Headphones or shared audio, depending on the centre. Not established: ask your centre |
| Breaks | At one centre: a break of about 5 minutes between two sections, and the oral as a separate appointment (you could leave and come back about 10 minutes before). This is not a general rule. Candidate account, unverified GBLC North York, 2026-06 | Ask your centre. Not established: ask your centre |
| Speaking | An individual, face-to-face interview with an examiner: three exercises, 12 minutes including 2 minutes of preparation. It is recorded for a second marking. Official source FEI | The same format: face to face with an examiner, 12 minutes. Official source FEI |
| Results | Estimate: 15 business days to 5 weeks after the exam, depending on the centre. This is not a promised date: only your centre or France Éducation international (FEI) can give the exact day. Estimate, not official | The same range is announced; some candidates wonder whether paper is slower. Not established: ask your centre |
What circulates and is not confirmed
- "The oral is webcam-recorded with AI proctoring and results come in 7 to 10 days": a well-ranked article claims it, but France Éducation international's page describes an individual, face-to-face interview with an examiner, and so does every 2026 first-hand account we read. We do not repeat the claim.
- "Are the Task 2 and Task 3 prompts on paper or only read aloud?": candidates ask, and there is no official answer we could find. We do not say either way; ask your centre.
Rehearse the day
The mock exam has an "Exam day" mode: listening, reading, a 5-minute break that stops the clock, writing, then speaking as a separate appointment.
What candidates report, city by city
Candidate reports on their centre's logistics, reviewed before publication. They are not official information and may have changed.
No report is published yet. They appear here after a review.
Took the TCF Canada? Add your centre's logistics
City, format, arrival time, keyboard, headphones, break. Never the subjects or questions: they are refused. The report is reviewed before it is published; never write your name, email or phone number.
Frequently asked questions
Is the TCF Canada speaking test face to face?
Yes according to France Éducation international's page: an individual face-to-face interview with an examiner, three exercises, 12 minutes including 2 minutes of preparation, recorded for a second marking.
When do the TCF Canada results arrive?
Generally 15 business days to 5 weeks after the exam, depending on the centre. This is not a promised date: only your centre or France Éducation international (FEI) can give the exact day.
How long are the sections?
Listening: 39 questions in 35 minutes. Reading: 39 questions in 60 minutes. Writing: 3 tasks in 60 minutes. Speaking: 3 exercises in 12 minutes.
Changelog
- October 10, 2026 : First version: running order, ID, keyboard, headphones, break and results, split by format. Claims without an official source are marked "account" or "to confirm".
Sources
Accounts are candidates' stories: they describe one centre on one day, not a rule.
Scores are an AI estimate, not an official result.