TCF for the general public (TP)

TCF-TP (SO) COMPUTER FRENCH PROFICIENCY TEST: The TCF is a French language test recognized by the Ministry of National Education. The TP TCF is for «All public».

Attention: Our next TCF TP session will take place on May 29, 2024, at 2.00 p.m.

To register, download the registration form TCF TP.

For our bank details, please click here.

For any request for information concerning the test, please send us an email at: contact@stralang.com

At the end of the test, a provisional certificate is issued.

In the current pandemic context, we will apply the following hygiene measures the day before and the day of the exam:

The hydro-alcoholic gel is available at the entrance to the premises; all candidates will need to disinfect their hands before signing the payroll and settling in the room designated for the test.
Wearing a mandatory mask.
All equipment is disinfected before each pass.
A social distance of 1.50m will be respected between each person.
No guide will be allowed on the premises for any reason.

We have sent you all an email for confirmation. We thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

*At the end of the test, a provisional certificate is issued.

What is TCF?

This is a language-level test in French intended for anyone who does not speak French and who wants, for professional, personal, or academic reasons, to evaluate and validate their knowledge of French in a simple, reliable, and fast way.

Personal: This test allows you to evaluate your knowledge of French (comprehension or oral or written expression) with the possibility of improvement; it is a kind of linguistic photograph of the level in French at the time the candidate takes the exam.
Professional: provides objective information that the candidate can send to an institution for recruitment, certification, or promotion.
Universities: provides, in accordance with international standards, a reliable assessment of language skills to be taken into account for admission to a higher education institution (universities, large schools, art schools, architecture schools, trade schools, etc.)

Three compulsory and two optional examinations:

Three compulsory examinations

Oral comprehension
Proficiency in language structure
Written comprehension

Two optional exams:

1. Oral expression
2. Written expression
3. The three compulsory examinations (76 questions*)

*The computerized version of the test includes 91 questions. The 15 additional questions of the computerized test will not be taken into account for the calculation of the final score. They enable France International Education to assess the validity of the questions. The duration of the computerized test is essentially the same as the one on paper (ten additional minutes).

Questions are multiple-choice, including 76 questions in total. Only one out of four answers for each question is correct. Questions are presented in an order of increasing difficulty, ranging from an A1 level to a C2 level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL).

Oral comprehension (29 questions, 25 minutes)

The questions are meant to evaluate your ability to understand French, in particular:

current words and expressions in daily communication (dialogues, interviews, discussions, telephone conversations, etc.);
the essential information in messages and public announcements;
information on people, facts, or events on the radio or in television programs, related to the news or to personal, professional, or educational subjects;
reports on tangible or abstract topics;
all kinds of dialogues delivered in a standard flow.
The recordings, and extracts from Radio France Internationale (RFI) station, in particular, are representative of oral communication that you may hear in France or in a francophone country.

Language structure proficiency: grammar and vocabulary (18 questions, 15 minutes)

- The questions assess your ability to identify and select the correct wording in syntactic and lexical structures.
- The questions are always associated with communication situations in French or in a francophone context.

Written comprehension (29 questions, 45 minutes)

These questions will test your ability to understand:

very simple familiar nouns, words, and sentences used in a daily communication situation (friendly or administrative messages and letters);
information contained in common documents (classified ads, handouts, brochures, menus, timetables, etc.);
information on people, facts, or events (personal letters);
texts in a common language that is relevant to daily life or work;
articles and reports in which the authors take a stand on tangible or abstract subjects;
long and complex factual or literary texts, academic articles;
abstract or complex excerpts from academic articles or literary documents.

These documents are representative of those you may read in France or in a francophone country.

Tips and advice to pass this examination:

– be there 30 to 45 minutes before the test begins,
– don’t forget to bring an identification document and a black pen,
– listen carefully to the exam supervisor’s instructions,
– listen carefully to the recording and questions as you will hear them just once,
– read the instructions carefully,
– read the questions carefully and use the time to think about your answers.
– if you hesitate too long, move on to the next question,
– write your answer on the answer sheet. Never write them in the booklet.

For information: Our center offers the TCF TP version only with the three compulsory tests as indicated on the registration form. The two optional tests are not included in the test.

The two optional examinations

Oral expression (interview lasting a maximum of 12 minutes)

The speaking examination is taken individually and is a one-to-one interview with an examiner.

This examination is taken individually and is a one-to-one interview with an examiner.
It comprises 3 tasks, including one with a preparation time.
These 3 tasks evaluate the candidate according to the six levels on the scale of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (from level A1 to level C2).

The interview is recorded and assessed by the examiner, then sent to the France Éducation international for a second evaluation.

Description of the tasks:

Task 1: Interview without preparation.
Duration: 2 minutes.
The objective of the task: Candidates demonstrate that they can have an exchange with a person that they do not know (the examiner).
Task 2: Prepared interactive exercise.
Duration: 5 minutes 30 seconds (of which 2 minutes are given for preparation. The candidate is allowed to take short notes).
The objective of the task: Candidates demonstrate their ability to obtain information in a modern daily life situation. The roles of the examiner and of the candidate are specified in the instructions.
Task 3: Expressing a point of view without preparation.
Duration: 4 minutes 30 seconds.
The objective of the task: Candidates demonstrate their ability to speak in a spontaneous, continuous, and convincing manner by answering a question asked by the examiner.

Candidates are evaluated on the basis of their ability to:

– talk about themselves, their personal environment, their job, and family;
– ask questions in relation to the given communication situation;
– give their opinion and explain the advantages and disadvantages of a project, argue against or in favor of it;
– present a clear and structured argument in an appropriate style, in relation to the context;
– present complex subjects in a detailed and structured manner, and develop and conclude on them.

Written expression (60 minutes)

This examination comprises three tasks presented in increasing order of difficulty.

Description of the tasks:

Task 1: Writing a message addressed to one or several recipients whose role(s) was/were specified in the instructions to describe, recount, and/or explain facts.
The number of words expected: 60 words minimum/120 words maximum.
Task 2: Writing an article, a letter, a note, etc. intended for several recipients to report on an experience or to tell a story. Reports and accounts shall be accompanied by commentaries, opinions, or arguments, depending on the objective (e.g. to claim, to reconcile, etc.)
The number of words expected: 120 words minimum/150 words maximum.
Task 3: Writing a text (for a newspaper, a website, to a colleague or manager, etc.) that compares two points of view on a social reality described in two short and simple documents of approximately 90 words each. The candidate takes a stand on the topic highlighted in the two documents.
The number of words expected: 120 words minimum/180 words maximum. i.e. between 40 and 60 words for the 1^st part of the task and between 80 and 120 words for the 2^nd part of the task.

Candidates are evaluated on the basis of their ability to:

– communicate a message clearly;
– provide the requested information;
– describe, recount, and explain;
– justify a choice, an opinion, a decision, etc.
– connect ideas and remain coherent;
– compare two points of view;
– express their opinion and argue in favor of it;
– use vocabulary and language structures adapted to the relevant task;
– summarize and reword.

How much is it?

The test costs €100, to be paid by bank transfer, check, or cash to the Institute.

Please note!

From March, 1rst, all candidates who chose the optional oral expression test will have to provide a photo ID. They shall attach it to the registration form or send it to us by e-mail. The photo must be in a JPG, BMP, or PNG format and the resolution must be at least 300 pixels per inch, for a minimum dimension of 248 X 349 pixels and a maximum size of 4 MB.

Do not hesitate to contact us at contact Stralang or call us directly at

+ 33 (0) 3 88 31 48 38 for any additional information.

Official France Education international website.