What the free practice test includes
With a free Atelier du TCF account you get tests 1 to 5 in Compréhension orale (CO) and tests 1 to 5 in Compréhension écrite (CE). Each one has 39 multiple-choice questions, just like the exam.
- In the exam format: 39 questions, 4 options, one correct, with difficulty rising as you go.
- Estimated score at the end: finish the whole test and you see a score from 100 to 699 and the matching CLB level.
- Translation in your language: after answering, open the explanation in English, Portuguese or Spanish to understand the mistake.
- A taste of the other tools: 2 writing corrections and 2 speaking assessments per month, also free.
The questions are Atelier's own, set out in the same format as the TCF Canada. The official test is written and administered only by France Éducation international.
How it works, step by step
- Create your free accountIt takes about 2 minutes and does not ask for a credit card.
- Pick CO or CE and one of tests 1 to 5Start with the one you find harder: that is the one that will decide your CLB.
- Take the whole test in one goThe estimated score only shows up once you answer all 39 questions.
- Check your score and CLBAnd look at where your mistakes cluster: early in the test (easier questions) or at the end.
- Review with the translationOpen each mistake, read the explanation in your language and note the type of trap.
How to read your result
The practice test score is an estimate, not your exam score. Use it as a thermometer, against the IRCC cut-offs:
| CLB | Compréhension orale | Compréhension écrite |
|---|---|---|
| 10 and above | 549 to 699 | 549 to 699 |
| 9 | 523 to 548 | 524 to 548 |
| 8 | 503 to 522 | 499 to 523 |
| 7 | 458 to 502 | 453 to 498 |
A single result can mislead you: a bad day, a topic you happened to know well. Take two or three tests and look at the average and the trend. If you are about 20 points below CLB 7, the fix is usually test technique. If you are 80 below, it is time to strengthen your French itself.
How to get the most out of it
- Treat it like test day: phone on silent, headphones for CO, no dictionary and no stopping halfway.
- Respect the time: 35 minutes for CO and 60 for CE. In CE, do not spend 5 minutes on an early question and run out of time for the last ones.
- Review more than you answer: the gain comes from understanding why you got it wrong. Sort your mistakes by type: vocabulary, numbers and dates, irony, a misread question.
- Space your tests out: one a week gets you further than five in one weekend, because it leaves time to fix what came up.
- Do not memorize answers: redoing the same test right away inflates your score and hides where you really are.
What about writing and speaking?
CLB 7 is required in all four skills, and Expression écrite and Expression orale are the ones that hold most people back. With the free account you can already write a tâche and get feedback based on the official criteria (2 per month), and record yourself speaking for an assessment (2 per month).
If writing is your worry, read the Expression écrite guide, with what each tâche asks for and sample answers. And if you want to understand the whole exam first, start with how the TCF Canada works.
Paid plans unlock all 40 CO and CE tests, unlimited corrections and live classes with Naliel Paixão and Mayara Torres.