When preparing your immigration application to become a
permanent resident in Canada, remember that results from a language test is one
component that must be included. As a bilingual nation, your language test can
be in English, French, or in both languages to allow you to earn as many
language proficiency points possible to contribute towards your overall
immigration points score. While test results from one language can contribute
up to a maximum of 16 points, adding the second language can add a maximum of
an additional 6 points to your score.
If you want to do a language test in French, whether as your
primary language test, or as an addition to English language test results, one
option is the TCF Canada exam. If you are settling in a province or territory other
than the province of Quebec (which has its own language requirements) the TCF
Canada is a French language exam accepted by Immigration, Refugees and
Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
It’s a good idea to complete your TCF Canada registration as
soon as possible so that you know when your exam is and can prepare for it. TCF
Canada registration can be done through France Education International at https://www.ciep.fr/tcf-canada/coordonnees-centres-passation
where you select your current country of residence from the drop down box to
find the region you want to write your exam in, then contact your preferred
test provider to complete your TCF Canada registration. Most providers, like
Ashton Testing Services, offer online registrations so test-takers can see
available dates and complete their registration entirely online.
What the TCF Canada
Exam Entails
Once you know what’s expected from the TCF test format
you’ll be better able to establish how much time you’ll need to study and what
areas to put more focus on. The test is made up of four parts: Listening
Comprehension, Reading Comprehension, Speaking and Writing. The listening
section consists of 39 multiple choice questions as does the reading section.
There are three speaking tasks which increase in difficulty as the test progresses
and the three writing tasks also progress in difficulty in the same way.
When your test results are calculated, you can pick up your
official certificate from the TCF test centre where you took the exam. Don’t
expect a “pass” or “fail” when you receive your results. Instead, the
certificate will include the score you achieved which you can look up in the
Canadian Language Benchmark table to see what level your results align with.
Depending upon the immigration stream or program you wish you apply through,
you must achieve a certain level. To know if you’ve earned a high enough level
for immigration find out about the level you need through your immigration
consultant or the IRCC
website.
If you did not achieve the required level or want to do
better on the test to obtain a higher score, you may retake the test, but you
must have at least 30 days between each attempt at the TCF exam and, you will
need to rebook the new exam and pay the fee for taking it each time you book.
Great Ways to Prepare
for Your TCF and Earn a Better Score on the Exam
The most obvious way to do better on your TCF Canada exam is
to practice your French language skills. This is something everyone should do,
even if they already feel confident with their French. The TCF test is based on
everyday standard, conversational French so there won’t be any academic French
or difficult concepts, but you must be able to think and respond in French
during the timed test. Therefore, even if French comes easily to you in
conversation, but not as much in reading, you’ll want to apply your study time
more to reading of everyday French and relaying the information you read to
others or making notes of the points you learned to somewhat mimic the process
of the exam.
Ways to practice include finding friends, family members and
colleagues you can practice your French with. Plan practice sessions for busy
areas like coffee shops and restaurants so that you must focus on what your
French-speaking partner says while you learn to tune out distractions. This is
important because you will be taking the exam at the same time as others are
doing their exam in the same room. During your practice sessions, when your
partner finishes speaking in French, have them ask you questions about what
they said, or tell them what you understood from what you heard. This will
assist you with both listening and speaking.
You will also want to seek out French newspapers, magazines
and blogs or websites. Spend time reading and listening to this information and
make notes of what you understand. Re-read or re-listen to them to see if what
you made notes about were the important elements. Additionally, if you enjoy
reading, ensure the books or other resources you choose are in French. Reading
French will enhance your abilities to understand the proper use of the language
and you’ll be doing it when you read for pleasure making it both an enjoyable
and educational time.
Finally, be sure that the French you are practicing is
Canadian French. While the written forms of Canadian (or Quebec) French and
Metropolitan (or standard European) French are fairly similar, the informal
spoken forms are vastly different. In all cases, you must be familiar and
comfortable with Canadian French as this is what the TCF test is based on.
There are also a range of resources available to help you at
the France Education International site. You’ll find books, websites,
recordings and sample exams throughout the resource sections that will help you
study the right information and get to know the exam beforehand so that you
know what to expect.
If you feel comfortable with your French language skills,
you’ll want to take the TCF Canada exam for your Canadian immigration
application. You may be taking it as your primary language exam or perhaps
you’ll take it to increase your language score. Be sure to practice your skills
beforehand to obtain your best result.
