A routine for your next practice session
Your four-week TEF Canada study plan
Choose the skill you need to work on. Each week has a concrete task, from finding your recurring mistakes to practising with unfamiliar material. Read the full plan here, free, without signing up.
This is a suggested routine, not a promise to reach NCLC 7 in four weeks. The examples use the TEF format; TCF candidates need TCF-specific tasks and timing. Full-length mock tests are not included in these free short exercises.
Listening
Week 1
Try a short listening set. For each mistake, note whether you missed a number, an unfamiliar phrase or the speaker’s intention. Check the supporting phrase in the transcript.
Week 2
Spend 20 minutes on one new recording each day: listen and answer, check the transcript, then listen again without it. Keep a list of phrases you missed.
Week 3
Use a full-length TEF-format listening set from a preparation provider. Follow its instructions and timing, then compare your mistakes with Week 1.
Week 4
Use unfamiliar material to check your progress. Revisit recurring mistakes and keep listening regularly. A higher score on familiar questions does not establish a new NCLC level.
Reading
Week 1
Try the free reading questions. For each wrong answer, find the evidence in the text and label the cause: vocabulary, a missed detail or an inference.
Week 2
Read one short French text each day. Write a one-sentence summary and five useful phrases. Explain which sentence supports each practice answer.
Week 3
Try a full-length TEF-format reading set under its stated time limit. Separate mistakes caused by running out of time from mistakes in understanding.
Week 4
Practise with new texts and review your recurring errors. Use the old questions for explanation practice, rather than treating a repeat score as a fresh assessment.
Writing
Week 1
Write an answer to one Section A prompt and one Section B prompt before reading our samples. Check task completion, organisation, verb tenses, agreement and vocabulary.
Week 2
Alternate the two tasks. Use the annotated samples to compare your structure and argument development. Keep a short checklist of your recurring errors.
Week 3
Practise both sections using the timing and instructions in the exam-format guide. Ask a French teacher or tutor to review one answer against the task requirements.
Week 4
Rewrite a difficult answer and explain each change. Then try a new prompt without the samples. Compare the same criteria; our sample labels are illustrative, not official grades.
Speaking
Week 1
Record yourself asking for information about an everyday advert, then trying to persuade a friend. Listen for long pauses, unclear questions and arguments without examples.
Week 2
Practise one short recording a day. Prepare questions about price, dates and conditions, or develop a position with reasons and examples. Review one recurring difficulty each time.
Week 3
Practise with a tutor or language partner using the TEF speaking tasks and timing in the exam-format guide. Ask them to interrupt and ask follow-up questions.
Week 4
Record a new topic without a script. Compare clarity, fluency and how well you respond with Week 1. Get feedback from a teacher; this routine does not provide an NCLC score.
Keep a small mistake log
For each session, note the date, task, mistake, supporting evidence or correction, and what you will try next. Revisit that note before your next session. Your official NCLC level comes from official test results.