TEF and TCF Canada Speaking Topics: Sample Questions and Prompts

Typical TEF Canada and TCF Canada speaking topics are everyday and practical: renting a flat, enrolling in a course, joining a gym or club, booking a trip, plus a few opinion questions about work, cities, technology and learning. Below are sample prompts for each task type, with what a strong answer does.

These prompts are our own, written to match the task types described by the test owners (see TEF Canada format and TCF Canada tasks). They are not real exam questions, and the exams do not publish their topics in advance.

Which topics go with which task?

Task	Typical situation	What you must do
TEF Section A	An ad for something to rent, join, buy or book	Ask about ten questions, follow up on vague answers
TEF Section B	An ad for an activity or programme	Present it, then convince a friend who objects
TCF Task 1	Directed interview about you	Talk about your life and plans in full sentences
TCF Task 2	An everyday situation where you need information	Ask clearly, react, follow up (2 minutes to prepare)
TCF Task 3	A question on society or daily life	Give and defend an opinion for about 4 minutes 30

What are sample prompts for TEF Section A?

You phone the advertiser and ask questions. Practise with ads like these:

1. A 4½ for rent in Montréal. Ask about rent, what is included (heating, parking), lease length, deposit and when you can visit.
2. An evening French course. Ask about level, schedule, class size, materials, registration and cancellation.
3. A gym or pool membership. Ask about hours, contract length, what is extra, a trial visit.
4. A used bike for sale. Ask about age, condition, why it is sold, price and whether it can be negotiated.
5. A summer camp for children. Ask about ages, hours, supervision, meals, cost and the registration deadline.
6. A part-time job ad. Ask about hours, pay, tasks, training and the start date.

The skill to rehearse is not the list of questions; it is the follow-up when the answer is partial. If the advertiser says the price depends on the plan, your next sentence is Ça dépend de quoi, exactement ?

What are sample prompts for TEF Section B?

You present an ad and convince a friend who pushes back. Practise with prompts like these:

1. A weekend trip to Québec City. Your friend says it costs too much.
2. A beginner's climbing class. Your friend says they are not sporty.
3. A volunteering programme at a food bank. Your friend says they have no time.
4. A community garden plot. Your friend says they already tried and failed.
5. A cultural pass for museums. Your friend says they can visit when they like anyway.

Structure that works: two or three sentences presenting the ad, your invitation (Je te propose de...), then for each objection a short acknowledgment, a reason and a concrete example. Keep an unused argument in reserve for the end.

What are sample prompts for TCF Task 1?

Expect questions about you. Practise out loud:

• Pouvez-vous vous présenter ?
• Qu'est-ce que vous faites dans la vie ?
• Pourquoi voulez-vous vivre au Canada ?
• Décrivez une journée typique.
• Quels sont vos projets pour les prochaines années ?

Answer in two or three sentences with a reason each time, and use different tenses: what you did, what you do, what you plan.

What are sample prompts for TCF Task 2?

Everyday information-gathering, with 2 minutes to prepare. Practise with:

• Opening a bank account as a newcomer.
• Registering a child at a school or a daycare.
• Booking an appointment at a clinic or a community centre.
• Enrolling in a swimming or language class.
• Renting a room from a landlord.

Use the preparation time to write four or five things you need to find out, and decide to stay in vous.

What are sample prompts for TCF Task 3?

You give your point of view on a question. Practise with statements like these:

• Le télétravail est meilleur pour les employés et pour les entreprises.
• Il vaut mieux vivre en ville qu'à la campagne.
• Les enfants passent trop de temps devant les écrans.
• Les transports en commun devraient être gratuits.
• On peut apprendre une langue aussi bien en ligne qu'en classe.

Answer in four parts: opinion, two reasons, one example each, a nod to the other side (Certes, certains pensent que...), then a conclusion. Time yourself: four and a half minutes feels long until you try it.

How do you use these prompts?

1. Pick one prompt and set a timer for the real task length.
2. Answer out loud without pausing the clock.
3. Record yourself and listen back for repeated errors and long gaps.
4. Repeat the same prompt the next day and try to improve one thing.

The point is volume. A learner who does thirty timed tasks has seen thirty sets of surprises; one who read thirty model answers has not. See TEF prep: tutors, classes or self-practice for why.

Where Cadentia fits

Cadentia's free timed Section A call gives you an ad written in a Canadian setting, a five-minute clock and an AI examiner who plays the advertiser, with partial answers and a catch in the ad. Afterwards you see which criteria you hit and missed, quoted from your own words. It gives no score and is not an official TEF or TCF resource; Cadentia is not affiliated with CCI Paris Île-de-France or France Éducation international.

Take the free timed test →