---
title: "TCF Speaking Task 1: Example Questions & Model Answers | OralPrep Guide"
description: "A worked example of TCF speaking Task 1 (entretien dirigé): the real questions examiners ask, model answers by level, and the official grading scale."
lang: "en"
slug: "tcf-speaking-task-1-example-model-answer"
pubDate: 2026-07-04
alternates:
en: "tcf-speaking-task-1-example-model-answer"
es: "tcf-expresion-oral-tarea-1-ejemplo-respuesta-modelo"
fr: "tcf-expression-orale-tache-1-exemple-corrige"
---
The first two minutes of your TCF set the tone for the whole interview — and they are graded like everything else. The moment you sit down in front of the examiner, with zero preparation time, Task 1 begins: the *entretien dirigé* (directed interview), your very first contact with a corrector who is listening for vocabulary, grammar and fluency while you simply talk about yourself. Many candidates underestimate this task because it looks "easy" — no document to comment on, no role play to run. That is exactly what makes it a trap: with no imposed structure, the temptation is to answer in short, flat sentences. This guide breaks down what is really being assessed in these 2 minutes, with commented example answers.
Quick summary (July 2026): Task 1 = 2 minutes, no preparation. The examiner asks you about yourself, your family and your professional environment. Official objective: "le candidat fait preuve de sa capacité à échanger avec une personne qu'il ne connaît pas (l'examinateur)" (the candidate demonstrates their ability to interact with someone they don't know). The interview is recorded and evaluated through independent double-marking, like the other 2 tasks.
## How Task 1 works
Task 1 is the first of the 3 tasks that make up the TCF speaking test (EO), which lasts 12 minutes in total. There is no preparation time: the interview starts as soon as you sit down opposite the examiner, who asks questions at a natural conversational pace. Unlike Task 2 (where you are the one asking the questions) or Task 3 (a spontaneous argued talk on a topic chosen by the examiner), Task 1 is a classic interview: the examiner leads, and you answer and develop your ideas.
The official objective, as stated in the candidate manual, is that "le candidat fasse preuve de sa capacité à échanger avec une personne qu'il ne connaît pas (l'examinateur)" — the candidate shows they can exchange with someone they don't know. In practice, this means talking about yourself, your family and your professional environment: your background, your job or studies, your family, your town.
The whole interview is recorded. As with Tasks 2 and 3, two correctors assess your performance independently and in double-blind: the examiner who conducts your interview assigns a first level, then a second corrector, trained by France Éducation international (FEI), listens to the recording remotely and assigns their own level without knowing the first score. If there is a significant gap between the two, a third correction settles it. For the full picture of all 3 tasks and how the final score is calculated, see our guide on the [TCF speaking test structure and criteria](/blog/en/tcf-speaking-test-structure-criteria).
## The questions examiners really ask
There is no published official list, but the themes of Task 1 are consistent from one session to another. Here are the most frequent questions, grouped by topic (in French, as they are actually asked, with an English translation):
**Introduction**
- « Bonjour, pouvez-vous vous présenter ? » (Hello, can you introduce yourself?)
- « Vous venez d'où exactement ? » (Where exactly are you from?)
- « Parlez-moi un peu de votre famille. » (Tell me a little about your family.)
**Studies / work**
- « Que faites-vous dans la vie : vous étudiez ou vous travaillez ? » (What do you do: are you studying or working?)
- « Qu'est-ce que vous aimez dans votre travail ou vos études ? » (What do you like about your job or studies?)
- « Depuis combien de temps faites-vous cela ? » (How long have you been doing this?)
**Daily life / hobbies**
- « Qu'est-ce que vous faites pendant votre temps libre ? » (What do you do in your free time?)
- « Comment est votre ville ou votre quartier ? » (What is your town or neighbourhood like?)
- « Vous vivez seul(e) ou avec d'autres personnes ? » (Do you live alone or with other people?)
**Plans**
- « Quels sont vos projets pour les prochaines années ? » (What are your plans for the next few years?)
- « Pourquoi apprenez-vous le français ? » (Why are you learning French?)
- « Envisagez-vous de voyager ou de vous installer dans un pays francophone ? » (Are you considering travelling or settling in a French-speaking country?)
The examiner chooses follow-up questions based on what you say: mention a brother, and they may ask where he lives; mention a career plan, and they may probe the details. So the conversation never follows this exact order — what matters is giving developed answers to whatever comes up, not reciting a list of prepared replies.
## Worked example: 4 questions, two levels of answer
Here are four of the most common questions, each with two possible answers: a flat answer, typical of an A2/B1 level, and a developed answer, typical of B2. The factual content is similar — it is how you say it that changes everything.
### 1. Introducing yourself
> « Bonjour ! Pour commencer, est-ce que vous pouvez vous présenter ? »
>
> (Hello! To start, could you introduce yourself?)
**Flat answer (A2/B1)**
> « Bonjour. Je m'appelle Karim. J'ai vingt-quatre ans. Je viens d'Algérie. J'habite à Lyon. Je travaille dans un restaurant. »
>
> (Hello. My name is Karim. I'm twenty-four. I'm from Algeria. I live in Lyon. I work in a restaurant.)
**Developed answer (B2)**
> « Bonjour ! Je m'appelle Karim, j'ai vingt-quatre ans et je suis originaire d'Alger, en Algérie. **Je vis** à Lyon **depuis** maintenant deux ans, où je suis arrivé pour poursuivre mes études. **Actuellement**, je travaille à temps partiel dans un restaurant tout en terminant un master en gestion. **Ce qui me plaît**, c'est de pouvoir mêler les deux : le contact avec les clients le soir et les cours le matin. Je suis quelqu'un d'assez sociable, donc ce rythme me convient plutôt bien, **même s'il** est parfois fatigant ! »
The flat answer stacks five short present-tense sentences with no connectors and no development — a list of facts, not an exchange. The developed answer covers the same information but links it together (**depuis**/since, **actuellement**/currently, **ce qui me plaît, c'est**/what I like is), adds a concrete detail (the master's degree) and a spontaneous nuance (**même s'il** est parfois fatigant/even if it's tiring sometimes) — exactly what the pragmatic criterion calls "développement thématique" (thematic development).
### 2. Studies or work
> « Que faites-vous dans la vie : vous étudiez ou vous travaillez ? »
>
> (What do you do: are you studying or working?)
**Flat answer (A2/B1)**
> « Je travaille. Je suis vendeuse dans un magasin. C'est un travail normal. »
>
> (I work. I'm a shop assistant. It's a normal job.)
**Developed answer (B2)**
> « **En ce moment**, je travaille comme vendeuse dans un magasin de vêtements, **mais** ce n'est pas vraiment le métier que je veux faire toute ma vie. **En fait**, j'ai suivi une formation de comptabilité l'année dernière, et j'espère changer de secteur **d'ici** un an ou deux. **Ce qui me plaît** dans mon poste actuel, c'est le contact avec la clientèle, **mais** je rêve d'un travail plus technique, avec moins de stress lié aux horaires. »
The word "normal" in the flat answer says nothing precise — a classic sign of A2-level vocabulary. The developed answer contrasts the present with a future plan (**mais**/but, **en fait**/actually, **d'ici**/within), uses precise vocabulary ("secteur", "clientèle") and qualifies its own opinion, which shows both grammatical accuracy (subordinate clauses) and fluency.
### 3. Free time
> « Qu'est-ce que vous faites pendant votre temps libre ? »
>
> (What do you do in your free time?)
**Flat answer (A2/B1)**
> « Je regarde la télé. Je fais du sport. Je vois mes amis. »
>
> (I watch TV. I do sport. I see my friends.)
**Developed answer (B2)**
> « **Ça dépend** beaucoup des jours, **mais en général**, je fais du sport deux ou trois fois par semaine — **surtout** de la course à pied, ça me permet de décompresser après le travail. Le week-end, j'essaie de retrouver mes amis, on va **souvent** au cinéma ou on organise un dîner chez l'un ou l'autre. **Depuis peu**, je me suis aussi mise à la cuisine, et **honnêtement**, j'y prends de plus en plus de plaisir. »
Three activities listed side by side with no frequency or detail: the typical structure of an A2 answer. The developed answer specifies frequency ("deux ou trois fois par semaine"), justifies a choice ("ça me permet de décompresser"), and adds a spontaneous piece of information (**depuis peu**/recently) that shows the candidate is genuinely improvising, not reciting a list.
### 4. Future plans
> « Quels sont vos projets pour les prochaines années ? »
>
> (What are your plans for the next few years?)
**Flat answer (A2/B1)**
> « Je vais continuer à apprendre le français. Je veux trouver un bon travail. »
>
> (I'm going to keep learning French. I want to find a good job.)
**Developed answer (B2)**
> « **Alors**, à court terme, mon objectif, c'est **surtout** de passer ce TCF et d'atteindre au moins le niveau B2, **parce que** j'en ai besoin pour une demande d'immigration. **Si tout se passe bien**, j'aimerais m'installer au Québec **d'ici** deux ou trois ans — j'ai de la famille là-bas, et le marché du travail dans mon domaine, l'informatique, semble assez dynamique. **Après**, je ne sais pas encore exactement où je serai dans dix ans, **mais** ce qui compte pour moi, c'est de continuer à progresser, aussi bien professionnellement que personnellement. »
"A good job" is a typical example of vague A2/B1 vocabulary. The developed answer justifies the goal (**parce que**/because), qualifies it with the conditional (**si tout se passe bien**/if all goes well, "j'aimerais"), uses precise vocabulary ("marché du travail", "domaine") and owns the uncertainty without freezing up ("je ne sais pas encore exactement") — a clear sign of the spontaneity and fluency that sets B2 apart.
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## Why the developed answers score higher
Unlike the DELF, the TCF grading scheme does not award separate points per criterion: each corrector assigns a single overall CEFR level — from "A1 non atteint" to C2 — to each of the 3 tasks, based on three families of criteria defined by the official manual (p.22):
- **Linguistic**: "étendue et maîtrise du lexique, correction grammaticale, aisance, prononciation, fluidité globale du discours" (range and command of vocabulary, grammatical accuracy, ease, pronunciation, overall fluency of speech).
- **Pragmatic**: "interaction, structuration du discours, cohérence et cohésion, développement thématique" (interaction, structuring of speech, coherence and cohesion, thematic development).
- **Sociolinguistic**: "adéquation à la situation de communication" (appropriateness to the communication situation).
A flat answer like "Je regarde la télé. Je fais du sport. Je vois mes amis." technically completes the task — it answers the question — but it demonstrates neither range of vocabulary, nor thematic development, nor fluency: three sentences placed side by side, with no connector, no example. A developed answer ticks all three families at once: more precise vocabulary, sentences linked to one another, and visible spontaneity in the nuances ("ça dépend", "honnêtement", "même si").
Once assigned to the 3 tasks, these levels are combined through a calculation rule to produce your final score out of 20, which is itself converted into a CEFR level according to the official scale:
| CEFR level | Speaking score (/20) |
|---|
| A2 | 2–5/20 |
| B1 | 6–9/20 |
| B2 | 10–13/20 |
| C1 | 14–17/20 |
Source: *Manuel du candidat TCF*, France Éducation international, April 2024, p.26 (see also the official [TCF Canada](https://www.france-education-international.fr/en/test/tcf-canada) page). A Task 1 answered consistently with flat answers drags the whole interview down, even if your Tasks 2 and 3 are stronger, because your overall level reflects performance across all 3 tasks, directed interview included.
## French phrases you can reuse
**Introducing yourself**
- « Je suis originaire de… / Je viens de… » (I'm from…)
- « Je vis à… depuis… » (I've lived in… since…)
- « Actuellement, je travaille / j'étudie… » (Right now, I work / I study…)
**Talking about your work or studies**
- « Depuis [duration], je… » (For [duration], I've been…)
- « Ce qui me plaît, c'est… » (What I like is…)
- « Ce qui est plus difficile, c'est… » (What's harder is…)
**Talking about your interests**
- « Je suis passionné(e) par… » (I'm passionate about…)
- « Ce qui me plaît vraiment, c'est de… » (What I really enjoy is…)
- « J'y consacre [frequency] environ. » (I spend roughly [frequency] on it.)
**Talking about your plans**
- « J'envisage de… » (I'm considering…)
- « Si tout se passe bien, j'aimerais… » (If all goes well, I'd like to…)
- « D'ici [duration], je… » (Within [duration], I'll…)
**Buying time / handling a blank**
- « Alors, laissez-moi réfléchir… » (So, let me think…)
- « C'est une bonne question… » (That's a good question…)
- « Vous pouvez répéter, s'il vous plaît ? » (Could you repeat that, please?)
## Typical mistakes in the directed interview
**Answering in one word.** « Oui. » « Ça va. » « Rien de spécial. » These answers give the corrector nothing to assess: no vocabulary, no structuring, no thematic development. Always develop: who, where, since when, why, how you feel about it.
**Reciting a memorised self-introduction.** The examiner spots flat intonation and mechanical pacing in a memorised text immediately. They will then ask an off-script question to break the routine — and that is exactly when many candidates freeze, having prepared scripted sentences rather than genuine ideas.
**Panicking at an unexpected follow-up.** A follow-up question that strays from your plan is not a trap — it's simply the conversation running its natural course. Asking for clarification (« Vous pouvez répéter, s'il vous plaît ? ») is a legitimate communication strategy, never an admission of failure.
**Answering a different question than the one asked.** Under stress, some candidates launch into a rehearsed topic instead of the examiner's actual question — for example talking about their holidays when asked about their plans. The "appropriateness to the communication situation" criterion directly penalises this mismatch.
## What comes next
Once the directed interview ends, the examiner moves straight into Task 2. Find our full worked examples:
- [Task 2 — Interactive exercise: worked example](/blog/en/tcf-speaking-task-2-example-model-answer)
- [Task 3 — Expressing a point of view: worked example](/blog/en/tcf-speaking-task-3-example-model-answer)
- [TCF speaking test structure and criteria](/blog/en/tcf-speaking-test-structure-criteria)
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