TCF Canada speaking task 1 (entretien dirigé) is a 2-minute conversation about yourself, with no preparation. The examiner asks you to introduce yourself, then follows up with questions about your family, work, studies, hobbies, home and plans. It tests whether you can talk naturally with someone you don't know.
It's the shortest of the three tasks, but it sets the tone for the whole test. A clear, relaxed task 1 lets the examiner hear your range early. This guide explains what examiners score, gives you a 5-step plan for your self-introduction, and shows model answers (ours, not official) at NCLC 5, 7 and 9.
- Length of task 1
- 2 min
- Preparation time
- 0
- The whole speaking test (3 tasks)
- 12 min
- Speaking score for NCLC 7
- 10/20
How speaking task 1 works
The speaking test is individual and face to face with an examiner. France Éducation international (FEI), the test owner, describes it in three tasks:
- Task 1, guided interview (entretien dirigé): 2 minutes, no preparation. You show you can exchange with someone you don't know: the examiner.
- Task 2, interaction (exercice en interaction): 5 minutes 30, including 2 minutes of preparation. You ask questions in a role-play.
- Task 3, point of view (expression d'un point de vue): 4 minutes 30, no preparation. You argue an opinion.
In FEI's official sample, the examiner starts the test by reading the general instructions. They tell you the conversation is recorded, that it will be marked twice (once at the centre and once at FEI), and that you can ask them to repeat or rephrase a word or a question at any time. They then ask your first and last name.
Task 1 then opens with this line from the official sample:
« Voici la première tâche. Cette partie de l'épreuve dure 2 minutes. Est-ce que vous pouvez vous présenter ? »
After your introduction, the examiner asks follow-up questions. FEI's sample lists the themes they can draw on:
- civil status, personality and languages spoken; family; friends
- education and studies; work or university life
- daily activities and habits; skills, tastes and interests
- a past event or activity; living conditions (place, housing, weather…); personal objects
- plans and wishes; travel; public institutions and associations
Try the real timing now. Press start and introduce yourself out loud for the full 2 minutes.
TCF Canada practice timer
Entretien dirigé
Voici la première tâche. Cette partie de l'épreuve dure 2 minutes. Est-ce que vous pouvez vous présenter ?
2:00
Timings from France Éducation international. Task 2 includes 2 minutes of preparation.
What examiners are listening for
FEI groups its speaking criteria into three families:
- Linguistic: range and control of vocabulary, grammatical accuracy, ease, pronunciation and overall fluency.
- Pragmatic: interaction, how you structure what you say, coherence, and how far you develop each topic.
- Sociolinguistic: whether your language suits the situation. Here that means polite, natural vous with someone you've just met.
In practice, for task 1 that means:
- Develop, don't list. "J'ai deux enfants" is a fact. "J'ai deux enfants, de six et neuf ans, et le week-end on va souvent au parc" is a developed answer.
- Use more than the present tense. Talk about your past (j'ai étudié, je travaillais) and your future (je vais, je voudrais, j'aimerais).
- Answer the question you were asked, then add one detail or reason. Short, precise answers beat long, rambling ones.
- Keep going. Two minutes passes quickly. Silence is wasted time.
A 5-step self-introduction that adapts
You can't memorise task 1, because the follow-up questions depend on what you say. You can prepare a plan. Aim for about 45 to 60 seconds of introduction, and leave the rest of the time for the examiner's questions.
Who you are
Name, where you're from, where you live now. One detail that makes it personal: Je viens de Pune, une grande ville près de Mumbai.
What you do
Your job or studies, and one sentence on what it involves or why you like it. Use a past tense for your background: J'ai fait des études de…
Your everyday life
Family, home, a typical week. A comparison helps: Ici, c'est plus calme que…
What you enjoy
One or two hobbies, with a reason or a short story: Le mois dernier, j'ai…
Your plans
Why you're learning French and what comes next. Future and conditional: J'aimerais m'installer au Canada pour…
Each step is a door. The examiner will usually walk through one of them with a question, so open doors you're happy to talk about.
Model answers at NCLC 5, 7 and 9
These are our own model answers, written for an illustrative candidate (not a real person) to show what changes from level to level. They aren't official FEI material, and nobody can promise a score from a written text: pronunciation and fluency matter too. Speaking is scored out of 20: on IRCC's table, 6/20 is NCLC 5, 10–11/20 is NCLC 7 and 14–15/20 is NCLC 9.
Around NCLC 5: clear and simple
Examinateur : Voici la première tâche. Cette partie de l'épreuve dure 2 minutes. Est-ce que vous pouvez vous présenter ?
Candidate : Bonjour. Je m'appelle Priya. Je viens d'Inde, de la ville de Pune. J'habite à Pune avec mon mari et ma fille.1 Je suis comptable dans une petite entreprise. J'aime mon travail, mais c'est loin de ma maison.2 Le week-end, j'aime faire la cuisine et regarder des films. J'ai commencé le français il y a deux ans parce que je veux habiter au Canada.3 L'année prochaine, je vais demander la résidence permanente.4
Examinateur : Pourquoi le Canada ?
Candidate : Parce que ma sœur habite à Moncton. Elle est contente là-bas. C'est une ville calme et il y a du travail.
Why it works
- 1Simple, correct sentences covering name, origin and home: the basics are there.
- 2A connector (mais) links two ideas: a small sign of structure.
- 3Passé composé and a short reason: the candidate goes beyond the present tense.
- 4A simple future with aller + infinitive and a clear goal.
What would lift this answer: longer answers to follow-ups, more variety of tenses, and a detail or example in each step.
Around NCLC 7: developed and connected
Candidate : Bien sûr. Je m'appelle Priya, j'ai trente-quatre ans et je viens de Pune, une ville qui se trouve à environ trois heures de Mumbai1. Je suis comptable. Avant, je travaillais pour une grande banque, mais il y a trois ans, j'ai rejoint une petite entreprise de logiciels.2 Le travail est plus varié et l'ambiance est beaucoup plus détendue, donc je suis plus heureuse.3 Je suis mariée et nous avons une fille de sept ans. Pendant mon temps libre, je fais de la randonnée. Le mois dernier, par exemple, nous sommes montés jusqu'à un vieux fort dans les collines, et ma fille a marché toute seule pendant quatre heures !4 J'apprends le français depuis deux ans, parce que j'aimerais m'installer au Canada avec ma famille, peut-être au Nouveau-Brunswick.5
Examinateur : Pourquoi le Nouveau-Brunswick ?
Candidate : Ma sœur y vit depuis cinq ans. Elle dit que les gens sont très accueillants et que la vie est moins chère que dans les grandes villes. En plus, c'est une province bilingue, donc mon français me servirait tous les jours.6
Why it works
- 1A relative clause (qui) adds detail naturally.
- 2Past background with the imparfait and passé composé, used correctly.
- 3A comparison (plus… que) and an opinion: the candidate develops instead of listing.
- 4A short personal anecdote makes the hobby concrete.
- 5Plans with the conditional (j'aimerais) and a reason linked to Canada.
- 6The follow-up answer gives a reason, a detail and a feeling: well developed for 20 seconds.
Around NCLC 9: natural, precise and nuanced
Candidate : Avec plaisir. Alors, je m'appelle Priya, je viens de Pune, en Inde, et j'y vis toujours avec mon mari et notre fille.1 Je suis comptable de formation, et je m'occupe aujourd'hui de la gestion financière d'une start-up qui développe des logiciels pour les hôpitaux.2 Quitter une grande banque pour une petite structure, c'était un vrai pari. J'ai perdu en sécurité, mais j'ai gagné énormément en autonomie, et je ne le regrette pas.3 En dehors du travail, je suis passionnée de randonnée, bien que je n'aie pas toujours le temps d'en faire autant que je le voudrais4. Quant au français, je l'ai commencé il y a deux ans un peu par curiosité, et c'est devenu un projet de vie. Si tout se passe bien, nous aimerions nous installer au Nouveau-Brunswick d'ici deux ans, et j'espère y travailler dans le secteur de la santé.5
Examinateur : Ce n'est pas trop difficile d'apprendre le français en travaillant ?
Candidate : Pas forcément difficile, plutôt exigeant. Ce qui m'aide, c'est d'en faire un peu tous les jours : un podcast dans les transports, une série le soir. Finalement, le plus dur, ce n'est pas la grammaire, c'est d'oser parler.6
Why it works
- 1A natural, conversational opening rather than a recited formula.
- 2Precise professional vocabulary (gestion financière, start-up) used with ease.
- 3Nuance and self-reflection: the candidate weighs a choice instead of just stating it.
- 4A subjunctive after bien que, used naturally.
- 5A si-clause (si tout se passe bien) leading to a concrete plan with a timeline, in the conditional.
- 6The follow-up answer is nuanced (pas forcément… plutôt) and turns the question into a personal point.
What changes from NCLC 5 to NCLC 9
| NCLC 5 | NCLC 7 | NCLC 9 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sentences | Short, mostly simple | Linked with connectors and relative clauses | Varied, with nuance and emphasis |
| Tenses | Present, one past, one near future | Imparfait vs passé composé, conditional | Subjunctive, si-clauses, smooth shifts |
| Development | Facts | Facts + reasons + examples | Reasons, nuance and reflection |
| Follow-ups | One or two sentences | Reason, detail and feeling | Nuanced, personal, natural |
Examiner follow-ups to practise
Practise answering these out loud in 20 to 30 seconds each, with a reason or an example every time. They're our own practice questions on FEI's published themes.
- Comment est-ce que vous passez une journée typique ?
- Parlez-moi de votre famille.
- Qu'est-ce que vous aimez dans votre travail ? Et qu'est-ce que vous aimez moins ?
- Pourquoi avez-vous choisi vos études ?
- Décrivez le quartier où vous habitez.
- Quel est le dernier voyage que vous avez fait ?
- Qu'est-ce que vous faites le week-end ?
- Où vous voyez-vous dans cinq ans ?
For a bigger bank of practice prompts across all three tasks, see our free TCF and TEF speaking question bank.
Common mistakes in task 1
- Reciting a memorised text. Examiners notice a change in rhythm the moment you go off script. Prepare ideas, not sentences.
- Answering in one word. "Oui." "Deux." Always add a reason or a detail.
- Using tu. The examiner is someone you don't know. Stay with vous.
- Staying in the present tense. Plan at least one past story and one future plan.
- Panicking over a question you didn't catch. You're allowed to ask: Pardon, pourriez-vous répéter la question ?
Practise with feedback
Speaking is a physical skill: practise out loud, under time pressure, and listen back to yourself (our guide to practising French speaking alone turns that into a daily routine). For quick reps, the TCF Canada speaking drills for each task give you fresh prompts. Our TCF Canada speaking practice lets you record answers to all three tasks and get feedback on each. Your speaking score is out of 20, and the NCLC score converter shows what it means for Express Entry. For the full test, see the TCF Canada practice test hub, or sit a complete timed TCF Canada mock exam.
Next, prepare the role-play with our TCF Canada speaking task 2 examples and the point-of-view task with our TCF Canada speaking task 3 topics and model answers. Taking the TEF Canada instead? Its speaking test has no self-introduction task, only two role-plays: see our TEF Canada speaking examples.
Our take
Task 1 is the most controllable part of the TCF speaking test. You know the themes, you know the opening question, and every answer is about your own life. Prepare five open doors, practise until you can talk for two minutes without notes, and add a reason or an example to everything you say. That's how a nervous start becomes a confident one, and it sets you up for the two harder tasks that follow.