Are the sections graded out of the same number of points?

Yes, each of the three mandatory multiple choice sections is scored from 100 to 699. The written and spoken sections, when sat, are also scored from 0 to 20 and mapped onto the CEFR scale.

Can I skip the writing or speaking?

In the TCF Tout Public the writing and speaking sections are optional. You only sit them if the institution asking for your result requires them. In TCF IRN, Canada and Québec all four sections are mandatory.

TCF · Syllabus

Section by section, down to the minute.

Treat the TCF like a placement test, not a content exam. There is no fixed syllabus you can memorise. Knowing the section structure, the question count and the time pressure is the half of the prep most candidates skip.

TCF Tout Public

Adults aged 16 and over, non native French speakers

Total: 1h25 mandatory plus 1h12 optional

Section	Format	Items	Duration	Required
Listening comprehension	Multiple choice (QCM)	29	25 min	Mandatory
Language structures	Multiple choice (QCM)	18	15 min	Mandatory
Reading comprehension	Multiple choice (QCM)	29	45 min	Mandatory
Written expression	3 writing tasks	Variable	60 min	Optional
Oral expression	3 spoken tasks, face to face with an examiner	Variable	12 min	Optional

Results delivered within 15 working days for paper based exams, 10 working days for computer based QCM only.

Computer based versions include 91 items total, of which 15 are not counted in the final score.

The same sitting can be retaken after a 30 day cooldown.

TCF Intégration, Résidence et Nationalité

Foreign nationals aged 16+ applying for a residence card or French nationality

Total: 1h35 in total

Section	Format	Items	Duration	Required
Listening comprehension	Multiple choice (QCM, 4 options, 1 correct)	25	20 min	Mandatory
Reading comprehension	Multiple choice (QCM, 4 options, 1 correct)	25	35 min	Mandatory
Written expression	3 short writing exercises	Variable	30 min	Mandatory
Oral expression	3 spoken exercises, face to face with an examiner	Variable	10 min	Mandatory

Evaluates language skills up to B2 only. The IRN version does not test C1 or C2.

All four sections are mandatory, unlike TCF Tout Public where written and oral are optional.

How the score maps to a CEFR level

Each multiple choice section is scored on a 100 to 699 band. France Éducation International publishes the band cutoffs as follows.

CEFR level	TCF score band	What it signals
A1	100 to 199	Beginner user, can handle basic everyday phrases
A2	200 to 299	Elementary user, can hold a short conversation
B1	300 to 399	Intermediate user, threshold for the carte de résident
B2	400 to 499	Independent user, threshold for naturalisation and most Master's
C1	500 to 599	Advanced user, can debate complex topics
C2	600 to 699	Mastery user, near native

What to actually study

Listening

Short conversations in shops, train stations and offices
Radio news bulletins and short interviews (RFI, France Info)
Voicemails and recorded administrative messages

Reading

Press articles from Le Monde, Le Figaro, Le Parisien
Public service notices (CAF, Préfecture, Ameli)
Short essays and opinion pieces

Writing

Personal letter (60 to 120 words depending on level)
Account of an experience (B1)
Argued opinion on a social topic (B2 and above)

Speaking

Self introduction and reasons for sitting the test
Role play (booking, complaining, asking for information)
Personal opinion on a familiar topic (B1) or a societal one (B2)

Frequently asked questions

Answers anchored in the published rules from France Éducation International and the French government.

No. The TCF places you on the CEFR scale (A1 to C2). What counts as a pass depends on what you need it for: B1 for the carte de résident, B2 for naturalisation and most Master's admissions, C1 for some grandes écoles.

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