May 9, 2026
Last updated: August 3, 2026
The TEF Writing Examiner's Rubric: What They Actually Look For
PrepMyFrench Education Team
4 min read
The TEF Writing Examiner's Rubric: What They Actually Look For
Most candidates fail the TEF Writing section because they think they are being graded like they were in high school. They think "If I write a lot of words and have few mistakes, I will get a high score."
They are wrong.
The TEF Canada (and TCF) is graded using a very specific, professional rubric that prioritizes Pragmatic Competence over simple spelling accuracy. An examiner will forgive a typo, but they will never forgive a lack of structure or a failure to persuade.
At PrepMyFrench, we’ve deconstructed the official CCIP (Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie de Paris) rubric to show you what actually happens behind the scenes.