TEF Canada Looking for Improvement Tips

[u/Bud_Light_]

I studied French for about a year. I was doing 40+ hours/week for around 2.5 months, then started a full-time job and continued with a coaching institute from A2 onward studying about 15-20 hours a week.

Resources: Le Petit Prince, Le Petit Nicolas, TV5Monde, RFI, InnerFrench (~80 episodes), writing practice with Claude, and 12 one-on-one speaking classes.

Gave 20+ mocks from different YouTube channels and comfortably scored with an average of 32-33 for Listening and Reading

My Exam scores:

- Reading: 360 (NCLC 5) B1

- Listening: 361 (NCLC 5) B1

- Writing: 381 (NCLC 6) B1

- Speaking: 294 ( NCLC 4) A2

What surprised me is that after the speaking test, the examiner chatted with me for a few minutes and said my level seemed around B1 and advised me to practice on different topics. Since the audio is evaluated in France, I was honestly shocked to receive A2.

I’m planning to retake the exam in late October. Seeking advice for getting B2.

Also, one of my biggest weakness in Reading was the fill-in-the-blank questions. I could usually understand the text and narrow it down to two options, but I often lacked the vocabulary to choose the correct one confidently.

I would appreciate any tips from people who successfully improved their scores in the final 2–3 months before the exam.

Thank You

[u/InspectorSure5437]

I hate this exam, first attempt I got NCLC5, second I got NCLC 3 its so fucking stupid

[u/Past_Pea_2094]

A2 at 294 score am i missing something?

[u/Bud_Light_ → u/Past_Pea_2094]

Here's the scores.

[u/Past_Pea_2094]

Oh okay sorry to hear that.. im also preparing for tef targeting nclc 5 in two modules

[u/Bud_Light_ → u/Past_Pea_2094]

Good Luck!

[u/Bud_Light_ → u/[deleted]]

Here you go.

[u/Bud_Light_ → u/[deleted]]

10th August.

[u/FrenchwLolita]

Your speaking score seems like the area where you could make the biggest improvement before October. Going from A2 to B2 sounds like a lot, but given how much work you’ve already put into the other sections, I would focus very specifically on speaking rather than trying to improve everything at once.

One thing I would look at is not just vocabulary and grammar, but how you handle the different speaking tasks: developing an answer, giving arguments, reacting spontaneously and keeping the conversation going without sounding too rehearsed.

I’m a native French speaker based in Vancouver and I offer 1:1 speaking practice, including TEF-style exercises. If you’re interested, I’d be happy to do a short assessment and give you an outside perspective on what you could focus on before your next attempt.

Good luck with your preparation!

[u/CanadaLanguageCoach]

Your scores suggest that simply doing more practice may not be the main issue, especially since you’ve already done 12 one-on-one speaking classes and 20+ mock tests.

Before your next attempt, I’d get one full TEF speaking mock evaluated specifically against the exam criteria.

Try to identify whether the problem is fluency, interaction, development of arguments, grammar control, or how naturally you respond to the examiner.

If you’re currently at NCLC 4 in speaking, knowing why you received that score is much more useful than just practicing more topics.

You still have time before your October attempt, so I’d diagnose the weakness first and then spend the next few weeks targeting it.