TCF Canada Speaking Topics: Practice Subjects for All 3 Tasks | OralPrep
The TCF (Test de connaissance du français) speaking test — expression orale (EO) — never publishes a fixed list of questions, because the examiner chooses them live across its 3 tasks in 12 minutes. What you can prepare is the type of subject each task uses and the structure of a strong answer. This page is a bank of practice subjects for TCF Canada, task by task, with the two genuinely official examples flagged, a reusable answer skeleton for each task, and links to full worked models.
Quick summary (July 2026) — TCF speaking = 3 tasks, 12 min. Task 1 (guided interview, 2 min): themes about you. Task 2 (interaction, 2 min prep + 3 min 30): you ask the questions in an everyday scenario. Task 3 (point of view, 4 min 30): argue an opinion. Only 2 published subjects are official (Task 2 pet-sitting, Task 3 humanitarian activity, per the FEI handbook); all others below are practice subjects in the exam style. All subjects are in French.
Use this bank to rehearse: pick a subject you have not seen, set the timer for the task, and answer out loud without a script. Below, each task comes with a short reminder of what it demands, a table of practice subjects, and a skeleton you can reuse on any question.
Task 1 — Guided interview: themes about you
Task 1 lasts 2 minutes with no preparation. The examiner asks the questions and you answer, developing your responses about yourself, your family and your professional environment. There is no “subject” to draw — instead there are recurring themes the examiner explores. The trap is answering in one or two words; the official objective is to show you can converse, so develop every answer.
| Theme | Sample questions (practice) |
|---|---|
| Studies / work | « Que faites-vous dans la vie ? Pouvez-vous décrire une journée type ? » |
| Your city / region | « Où habitez-vous ? Qu’est-ce qui vous plaît dans votre ville ? » |
| Family / people around you | « Parlez-moi de votre famille. Passez-vous beaucoup de temps ensemble ? » |
| Hobbies / free time | « Comment occupez-vous votre temps libre ? Depuis quand ? » |
| Plans / projects | « Pourquoi passez-vous le TCF ? Quels sont vos projets ? » |
| Daily routine / travel | « Comment se déroule une semaine ordinaire pour vous ? » |
Answer skeleton (any Task 1 theme): direct answer → one detail that develops it → a concrete example or a reason → an opening that invites the next question. For instance, do not stop at « Je suis infirmier » — add where, since when, what you like about it, and one anecdote. See the full Task 1 worked example and model answer.
Task 2 — Interaction: everyday scenarios where you ask
Task 2 gives you 2 minutes of preparation (notes allowed) then a 3 min 30 dialogue. The key reversal: you ask the questions. You are given a role and a situation, and you must obtain information from the examiner, who plays the other party. The official objective is « obtenir des informations dans une situation de la vie quotidienne courante ».
The one official example, from the TCF Canada handbook, is finding someone to look after your pet while you are away. The rest are practice scenarios in the same style:
| Scenario (practice unless marked) | What you must find out |
|---|---|
| Pet care while away (official example) | Availability, experience, conditions, price |
| Renting an apartment | Rent, charges, location, lease terms, availability date |
| Signing up for a course / gym | Schedule, levels, price, trial session, cancellation |
| Responding to a job offer | Tasks, hours, contract, salary, start date |
| Organising a trip / booking | Dates, price, what’s included, refund policy |
| Enrolling a child at a school / club | Timetable, cost, materials, supervision, waiting list |
| Buying a second-hand item | Condition, age, reason for sale, price, guarantee |
Answer skeleton (any Task 2 scenario): greet and state your need → ask open questions (« Quels sont les horaires ? », « Combien ça coûte ? », « Quelles sont les conditions ? ») → follow up on each answer instead of jumping to the next point → confirm and close politely. Prepare a bank of question openers, not full sentences. See the Task 2 worked example with 10 reusable questions.
Draw a random subject and answer it out loud
Practise these subjects under real timing, then get detailed feedback on vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation and fluency, scored against official criteria.
Start TCF simulationTask 3 — Point of view: opinion subjects to argue
Task 3 is 4 min 30 with no preparation: the examiner asks an opinion question and you must build a structured, argued answer on the spot. The official objective is to speak « de manière spontanée, continue et convaincante ». The one official example is « Si vous aviez une activité humanitaire, laquelle choisiriez-vous ? Expliquez pourquoi. » The rest are practice subjects on the everyday social themes Task 3 favours:
| Theme | Practice subject |
|---|---|
| Solidarity (official) | « Si vous aviez une activité humanitaire, laquelle choisiriez-vous ? Expliquez pourquoi. » |
| Technology | « Les réseaux sociaux rapprochent-ils vraiment les gens ? » |
| Work | « Préférez-vous le télétravail ou le travail au bureau ? Pourquoi ? » |
| Lifestyle | « Vaut-il mieux vivre en ville ou à la campagne ? » |
| Education | « Faut-il apprendre plusieurs langues dès l’enfance ? » |
| Environment | « Que peut faire chacun, au quotidien, pour l’environnement ? » |
| Society | « La technologie rend-elle notre vie plus simple ou plus compliquée ? » |
Answer skeleton (any Task 3 subject) — the 5-step plan:
- Position — one immediate sentence: your choice or opinion.
- Tout d’abord… — argument 1 + a concrete example.
- Ensuite / De plus… — argument 2 + a personal example.
- Cependant… — a concession that acknowledges another view without contradicting yourself.
- C’est pourquoi / Pour conclure… — restate your position and open onto a wider thought.
The full Task 3 worked example and model monologue shows this plan applied end to end on the official question, with the connectors that carry a B2-to-C1 answer.
How to use this bank
Do not memorise answers — the examiner chooses the question live, and a rehearsed speech is audible and penalised. Instead, drill the format until it is automatic: for Task 1, develop every answer; for Task 2, reach for question openers reflexively; for Task 3, run the 5-step plan on any prompt. Rehearse a few subjects per task, out loud and under the real timing, before you fix a test date. For the full rules, timings and scoring behind these tasks, see the TCF speaking test structure and criteria guide.
What’s next
Work through the three full worked examples to see each skeleton in action: Task 1, Task 2 and Task 3. Then rehearse fresh subjects under exam timing with the TCF oral exam simulator.
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Record your answers as on exam day and get detailed feedback on vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation and fluency, scored against official criteria.
Start TCF simulationFrequently asked questions
Are these the official TCF Canada speaking subjects?
Only two are official: the Task 2 pet-sitting scenario and the Task 3 humanitarian-activity question, both from the TCF Canada candidate handbook (France Éducation international). The rest are practice subjects written in the exam style — the TCF does not publish a fixed public list of oral questions, because the examiner chooses them live.
How many speaking subjects should I practise before the exam?
There is no fixed number, but practising 5 to 10 subjects per task is enough to internalise the structure of each one. The goal is not to memorise answers — the examiner picks the question on the day — but to make the 3-task format automatic so you can improvise confidently.
Can I prepare my Task 1 answers in advance?
You can prepare the themes (your job, your city, your family, your plans) because Task 1 is always about you and your environment, but not word-for-word answers: a memorised speech is easy to spot and works against the 'spontaneous conversation' the examiner is assessing.
What themes come up most often in Task 3?
Task 3 questions are opinion prompts on everyday social themes: technology and social media, work and study choices, the environment, city versus countryside life, education, and lifestyle. You are never expected to be an expert — only to take a clear position and defend it with structure and examples.
Is the subject list the same for TCF Canada, TCF Québec and TCF Tout Public?
The 3-task format and the type of subjects are identical across variants; only the duration and status differ (for example Task 3 lasts 3 min 30 on the TCF IRN instead of 4 min 30). The practice subjects on this page work for any TCF speaking test.
In which language are the subjects and answers?
Always in French. The TCF speaking test is conducted entirely in French, so every subject, model answer and connector on this page is in French — only the explanations around them are in English.