Guide
TCF Canada speaking task 2: how to ask
TCF Canada speaking task 2: timing, register, how to use the preparation, the question forms to use and a model exchange in French.
Updated
Quick answer
In TCF Canada speaking task 2, you play a role in an everyday situation and ask the examiner questions to get information. You have 2 minutes to prepare, then 3.5 minutes of conversation. The task counts toward one speaking score out of 20, where 10–11 is NCLC 7.
What the task asks of you
The speaking section lasts 12 minutes in all, face to face with an examiner, and task 2 is the one where the roles are reversed: you ask, the examiner answers. You receive a short scenario, such as finding out about a flat to rent, a sports club, a course or an object someone is selling. The examiner plays the other person in the scene and answers in character, usually briefly, so it is up to you to keep the conversation moving.
What is being tested is your ability to get information in French: to ask clear, varied questions, to react to the answers and to follow up when an answer opens a new point. Talking about yourself is not the goal here; a candidate who asks good questions for the whole time has done the task.
| Task | Preparation | Speaking time | What you do |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Guided interview | None | 2 min | Answer questions about yourself |
| 2. Interaction | 2 min | 3.5 min | Ask questions to get information |
| 3. Point of view | None | 4.5 min | Give and defend an opinion |
Who you are talking to: register
Read the scenario for one thing before anything else: who the examiner is playing. That decides whether you say “tu” or “vous”, and the register has to stay the same from your first word to your last.
- A stranger, a seller, an employee, a landlord or a neighbour you hardly know: “vous”, with “Bonjour Madame / Monsieur” and polite forms.
- A friend, a classmate or a family member, when the scenario says so: “tu”, with a lighter tone, but still full, correct questions.
- If the scenario gives no clue, choose “vous”: it is never wrong with someone you are meeting for the first time.
- Open the scene in role (a greeting and the reason you are there) and close it in role (thanks and a goodbye).
How to use the 2 minutes of preparation
The preparation time is short, so do not try to write sentences. Work in two passes: first decide what you need to find out, then decide how you will ask it.
- List the topics first: what exactly, when, where, how much, how it works, what is included, what happens next.
- Order them the way a real conversation would go: the basics first, the price and the practical details after.
- Next to each topic, note the question word you will need: quand, où, combien, comment, est-ce que, si.
- Plan more questions than you think you need, about ten, plus one or two follow-ups for the answers you expect.
- Prepare your first sentence in full so that you start without hesitating.
The question forms to use
A good performance does not repeat the same pattern ten times. French has several ways to ask a question, from the most spoken to the most formal, and moving between them is one of the clearest ways to show your level.
- Intonation: the statement word order with a rising voice. “Vous livrez le samedi ?” Natural and common in speech, especially with “tu”.
- Est-ce que: “Est-ce que le prix comprend la livraison ?” Neutral, safe and correct with anyone.
- Inversion: the verb before the subject. “À quelle heure ouvrez-vous ?” “Combien coûte l’inscription ?” More formal, and a sign of control.
- Indirect questions: “Pouvez-vous me dire où se trouve… ?” “Je voudrais savoir si…” After these openings, no inversion and no “est-ce que”.
- The polite conditional: “Pourriez-vous… ?” “Serait-il possible de… ?” “J’aimerais savoir…” It softens a request and suits a stranger or a professional.
A worked example
Here is an original practice scenario in the style of the task, with a model exchange. The examiner plays the neighbour.
The scenario: « Votre voisine déménage et vend ses meubles. Vous êtes intéressé(e) par sa table de salle à manger. Vous lui posez des questions pour obtenir les informations utiles avant de l’acheter (dimensions, état, prix, transport, etc.). »
Notice what the candidate does: a greeting and the reason for the visit, then questions that follow the order of a real purchase. Every form from the list above appears at least once, and the candidate reacts to each answer (“Parfait”, “D’accord”, “ça me va très bien”) before asking the next question. The price question leads to a counter-offer, which turns a list of questions into a real exchange.
Candidat : Bonjour Madame, excusez-moi de vous déranger. J’ai vu votre annonce dans le hall : vous vendez des meubles, c’est bien ça ?
Examinatrice : Oui, je déménage à la fin du mois.
Candidat : Je cherche justement une table. Est-ce que celle de votre salle à manger est encore disponible ?
Examinatrice : Oui, toujours.
Candidat : Elle mesure combien, à peu près ?
Examinatrice : Un mètre quatre-vingts. On y tient à six.
Candidat : Parfait. Pourriez-vous me dire dans quel état elle est ?
Examinatrice : Très bon état, juste quelques petites rayures.
Candidat : D’accord. Vous en demandez combien ?
Examinatrice : Cent cinquante.
Candidat : Accepteriez-vous cent vingt si je prends aussi les chaises ?
Examinatrice : Avec les chaises, oui, c’est possible.
Candidat : Et pour le transport, comment est-ce qu’on peut faire ? Quelqu’un pourrait m’aider à la descendre ?
Examinatrice : Mon fils sera là samedi matin.
Candidat : Samedi, ça me va très bien. Je peux passer la voir ce soir, vers dix-neuf heures ?
Examinatrice : Oui, sans problème.
Candidat : Je voudrais aussi savoir si vous préférez être payée en espèces ou par virement.
Examinatrice : En espèces, si possible.
Candidat : Très bien. Merci beaucoup, Madame, et à ce soir !How task 2 is scored
Task 2 is not marked on its own scale. Trained examiners assess your three speaking tasks together and give one score out of 20 for the section. For this task they look at whether you obtained the information the scenario called for, how well you managed the exchange, the range and accuracy of your vocabulary and grammar, and how clear and fluent your speech was. The official sources do not publish a weighting per criterion, so prepare all of them.
For immigration, the speaking score is read as an NCLC level: 10–11 out of 20 is NCLC 7. Because the section is scored as a whole, a weak task 2 can pull down good answers in tasks 1 and 3.
Common mistakes
Most of the points lost in task 2 come from habits that are easy to spot in practice and easy to fix.
- Talking about yourself instead of asking: the task is to get information, not to give it.
- Asking only yes or no questions, which end the conversation after every answer.
- Running out of questions after a minute because the preparation stopped at three topics.
- Not listening to the answers, and asking something the examiner has just told you.
- Mixing “tu” and “vous”, or forgetting to greet and to close the scene.
- Mixing direct and indirect forms: “Je voudrais savoir qu’est-ce que…” instead of “Je voudrais savoir ce que…”.
Frequently asked questions
How long is TCF Canada speaking task 2?
You have 2 minutes of preparation, then 3.5 minutes of conversation with the examiner. The whole speaking section, three tasks, lasts 12 minutes.
How many questions should I ask?
There is no official number. Aim to fill the time: about ten prepared questions, plus follow-ups on the answers, is a comfortable target. If you run out, go back to a topic and ask for a detail.
Should I use “tu” or “vous” in task 2?
Follow the scenario. With a stranger, a seller or any professional, use “vous”. Use “tu” only when the scenario makes the person a friend or a relative. Whichever you choose, keep it until the end.
What if I do not understand the examiner’s answer?
Ask, in French and in role: “Pardon, vous pouvez répéter ?” or “Qu’est-ce que vous voulez dire par… ?”. Asking for a clarification is part of a real conversation, and it is far better than nodding and moving on.
How can I practise task 2?
Practise with a partner who plays the role and answers briefly, under the real timing, and record yourself. On French in Pocket, Studio runs each speaking task on the official clock with an instant evaluation, and a Coach Review adds a French coach’s line-by-line comments on your recording.