French practice tests: official papers, level checks and drills

A French practice test can be three different things: an official sample paper from an exam body, a level check that gives an unofficial estimate, or a short drill on one skill. This page sorts them, says where the official material is, and shows how to sit a paper under the real conditions. For every TEF Canada file, see the TEF Canada sample test page. For the TCF Canada examples, see the TCF Canada practice test page. For the difference between a level check and a certificate, read French proficiency test.

Where are the official French language practice papers?

French language practice test material from an exam body is the closest you can get to the real paper. For TEF Canada, the exam body lists sample papers on its preparation page [1]. For Canadian immigration, the exam to match is the one you will sit. IRCC accepts 2 French tests for Express Entry: TEF Canada and TCF Canada [3].

For TCF Canada, DELF and DALF, see our guides linked in the table. This page states no fact about those exams.

What does the TEF Canada exam body offer for practice?

The TEF Canada preparation page, run by Le français des affaires, lists sample papers for all 4 sections [1]. IRCC names CCI Paris Ile-de-France as the body that administers TEF Canada [3]. They sit under the heading “Find out more about the tests”, with sample papers and replays from preparation workshops [1].

Under “Train yourself”, the same page lists a Tutoriel d’entraînement TEF for each section, a training book (Livre d’entraînement) and an online preparation called PrepMyTEF [1]. It also says some test centres offer TEF preparation courses [1].

The listening sample is the only one with a separate audio download, the Bande-son [1]. Download both parts.

Is a level check the same as an official exam?

No: a level check gives an estimate, and only an approved exam gives a result IRCC accepts. IRCC’s Express Entry page says you must prove your language skills by taking an approved language test [3].

One government example shows the difference. The Public Service Commission of Canada runs second language tests for the federal public service [8]. It also offers self-assessment tests for written expression and reading comprehension, to try before you take the official tests [4]. Its page lists French level tests, online and on paper [4]. The page says they give an idea of the level (A, B or C) you could attain on the official test, and that they differ from the official tests in length and question types [4]. Its hub page says they give you an idea of the level you could obtain on its reading and writing tests [8].

The Commission is plain about what they are not. Its questions and answers say the self-assessment questions are not protected, the content is public, and they are practice tests meant for use before the official tests [5]. The unofficial results cannot be used in a selection process [5].

These self-assessments belong to the public service’s own tests. The pages opened for this article do not link them to NCLC levels or to IRCC [3][4][8]. For placement checks in general, and which official exams exist, see French proficiency test.

What practice drills are on this site?

This site has two short drills. Both are practice drills, not official tests, and neither gives a TEF, TCF or NCLC level.

• French conjugation practice. A typing drill for 9 common verbs in three tenses. Each answer is copied from a university dictionary, and that page names it.
• French listening practice. Your browser says a number in French and you type the digits, in four ranges from 0 to 9,999.

Use them between practice papers, on one skill at a time. A drill score is not an exam score.

How do you sit a practice paper under exam conditions?

Copy the timings and rules on the exam body’s own page. For TEF Canada, they are on its examination page [2].

Set up the rest of the room the same way:

1. Use a timer for each section. Set it to the official time in the table [2], and stop when it rings.
2. No dictionary or notes. The exam allows no dictionary or other reference material, and no scrap paper or notes in reading, listening and speaking [2].
3. Phone off. On the day, phones and other devices must be switched off [2].
4. Play each recording once. Read the questions and all the answer options first, then answer as you go, as the exam body advises [6].
5. Type the writing. Reading, listening and writing are on a computer, with a virtual keyboard for accents [2]. Count your words against the 80 and 200 minimums [2].
6. Find a partner for speaking. The examiner plays the person you call in section A and a friend you try to convince in section B [7]. The exam body also advises timing yourself when you practise [7].
7. Sit all 4 sections on one day if you are preparing for immigration. The exam body says all tests must be taken on the same day for the certificate to be recognised by the Canadian authorities [2].

What does a practice score tell you?

A practice score shows how you did on that paper, on that day. It is not a result. IRCC reads levels only from results of an approved test [3]. The score tables on IRCC’s page apply to those results, not to a mock [3].

As a general observation, the most useful part of a mock is the list of what went wrong. Note which section ran out of time, which question types you skipped, and which recordings you lost. Then practise those, and sit another paper later.

Common mistakes

• Practising a format you will not sit. IRCC names 2 French tests for Express Entry [3]. Match your practice to the exam you have booked.
• Timing a TEF Canada mock with TEF IRN figures. The listening section differs [6].
• Practising listening without the audio. The TEF listening sample comes with a separate Bande-son [1].
• Treating a self-assessment as a result. The Public Service Commission calls its results unofficial [5].
• Reading a drill score as a level. Our drills are practice, not official tests.
• Relying on a guide for exam facts, including this one. The exam body’s and IRCC’s pages change. Compare their dates with the date at the top of this page.

See also: the AP French exam.

Sources