In the TCF exam there are three compulsory sections. Listening Comprehension, Grammar and vocabulary, and finally a reading comprehension. The questions come in the form of 80 multiple choice questions in total.
Your are given four choices for each question and of the four choices , only one answer is correct. The questions are presented in order of increasing difficulty ranging from A1 to C2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference .
TCF Listening comprehension ( 30 questions, 25 minutes)
The questions assess the candidate’s ability to:
- Identify essential information communicated in everyday communicative situations;
- Understand simple statements on familiar themes in messages , announcements , interviews, telephone conversations , etc. ) and find the topic of conversation. ;
understand the main points of clear standard speech on familiar matters encountered in work , university , leisure ;
- Understand the main ideas of complex speech on both concrete and abstract topics , familiar or not encountered in personal, social or professional life ;
following a speech on abstract and complex topics and recognize a range of idiomatic expressions ;include any type of speech at a rapid rate.
The recordings are representative of spoken communication that can be heard in France or French-speaking countries , especially in the case of extracts from Radio France Internationale ( RFI).This is good news as Radio France Internationale ( RFI) currently has listening exercises on their website specifically designed to help learners of french improve their listening.
TCF structures of the language: grammar and vocabulary (20 questions , 20 minutes)
- The questions assess the ability to find and select the correct wording in syntactic and lexical structures.
- The questions are always associated with communication situations and to French and Francophone contexts.
TCF Reading comprehension ( 30 questions, 45 minutes)
The questions assess the candidate’s ability to:
- Identify the gist of documents used in everyday communicative situations (small friendly messages or professional) ;
- Identify comprehensive and detailed information in everyday material ( advertisements, prospectuses , menus and timetables, etc.).
- Find specific information on people, facts or events ( personal letters , etc.).
identify and fine details in texts written in everyday language related to everyday life or work;
- Understand the points of view of authors on concrete and abstract topics in articles and reports ;
- Understand abstract or complex texts taken from literary or literature .
Documents are representative of what we read in France or Francophone countries. You can find good practice reading material from the following three free online newspapers :
