TEF practice test: official sample papers and mock timings

A TEF practice test starts with the exam body’s own material, and this page lists every TEF Canada sample paper and piece of practice material it publishes, what each one contains, and how to sit it as a mock test under the real timings [1][2]. For the exam as a whole (who runs it, scoring, results, registration), read the TEF Canada guide. To turn a practice score into a level, use the TEF Canada score chart. Not sure TEF is the right exam? Read TEF vs TCF Canada. For every official practice paper and the drills on this site in one place, see French practice tests.

Where are the official TEF sample papers for TEF Canada?

The official TEF Canada sample material sits on one page: the TEF Canada preparation page on the exam body’s site, lefrancaisdesaffaires.fr [1]. The page groups it under “Find out more about the tests” and “Train yourself” [1]. Everything in the table below is listed there.

The preparation page does not say whether any of these cost anything [1]. The sample papers and tutorials are hosted by the exam body; the training book and the online platform are links to other publishers [1].

What is in each TEF Canada exam sample?

Each TEF Canada exam sample covers one section, and together they cover all 4 [1]. The files are titled “Exemples d’épreuves TEF”, which means examples of TEF papers [1]. The preparation page does not describe them as full-length papers or as mock exams [1]. Open each one to see how many items it has.

The listening sample is the only one with 2 parts: the question paper and a separate audio download [1]. Download both.

The writing and speaking samples are examples of those 2 sections [1]. In the real exam, each of them has a section A and a section B, set out in the timing table below [2].

Is there official TEF practice online?

The official answer to a TEF practice test online, or a TEF Canada practice test online, is the set of 4 training tutorials, one per section, hosted on the exam body’s site [1]. The exam body’s listening article describes its tutorial as a tutorial on the format of the section [4]. Next to the tutorials, the preparation page links 4 recorded preparation workshops and 5 preparation articles [1].

None of these is described as a timed simulation or as a TEF practice test that gives a score [1]. The exam body also lists a training book and an online preparation platform from other publishers, without saying whether they cost anything [1].

How do you take a TEF mock exam at home?

A TEF Canada mock test at home works best when it copies the real timings and rules, and those come from the exam body’s examination page [2]. Set these times with a timer.

For immigration, all 4 sections are sat on the same day for the certificate to be recognised by the Canadian authorities [3]. The exam body gives no total time; adding its 4 section times gives 2 hours 55 minutes [3]. For citizenship, only listening and speaking are sat, which adds up to 55 minutes [3].

To make the mock close to the real day:

• Use no dictionary or notes. Reference material is not allowed, and there is no scrap paper in reading, listening or speaking [2].
• Play each listening recording once. Do not pause or rewind, and do not change an answer once you move on [2][4].
• Type your writing. The real writing section is on a computer [2]. Count your words against the 80 and 200 minimums [3].
• Get a partner for speaking. In section A the examiner plays the person you ask for information; in section B, a friend you try to convince [5]. The exam body also advises keeping track of time when you practise speaking [5].
• Sit all 4 sections on one day if you are preparing for immigration, since the exam body requires all 4 on the same day [3].

A mock gives you practice, not a result. IRCC accepts only results from an approved test, booked with an agency it has approved [6]. The TEF Canada score chart shows what a real score would mean.

What about mock exams on other websites?

Practice material on other websites is not from the exam body. The material on the exam body’s preparation page is the reference for what the real sections look like [1]. If an unofficial mock has different question counts or timings from the table above, the table is the one the exam body publishes [2][3].

For how to plan your study around these papers, read how to prepare for TEF Canada. The listening section, with its once-only audio, has its own guide in TEF Canada listening, and the speaking tasks are covered in TEF Canada speaking.

Common mistakes

• Practising listening without the audio file. The listening sample comes as a PDF and a separate audio download [1].
• Replaying recordings in a mock. In the real section each recording plays once [2].
• Handwriting the writing tasks. The real writing section is typed on a computer [2].
• Timing a mock with TEF IRN figures. TEF IRN is a different, shorter version [4]. Use the TEF Canada times [2][3].
• Treating a mock score as a result. IRCC accepts only results from an approved test [6].
• Relying on a guide for exam facts, including this one. Check the exam body’s pages against the date at the top of this one.

Sources