TEF Canada Speaking Section A and B: Examples, Structure and Self-Study Guide

Summary: The TEF Canada Speaking exam is 15 minutes of live, face-to-face interaction with a human examiner — and it is the section that most candidates underestimate. This guide provides real examples of Section A and Section B prompts, breaks down the evaluation rubric, explains what examiners are specifically looking for in each section, and gives you a structured self-study framework to practice both sections independently, without a tutor, from anywhere.

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Why the TEF Canada Speaking Section Is Different from Every Other Exam

Most language exams test speaking through recorded responses — you speak into a microphone, and a scorer evaluates the recording later. The TEF Canada is different.

TEF Canada Speaking is a live conversation with a trained human examiner. You sit across from (or on video with) an examiner, respond in real time, and adapt based on their reactions. This format rewards a different set of skills than recorded-response tests:

• Emotional regulation under the pressure of being observed
• Turn-taking fluency — knowing when to speak, when to pause, and when to ask for clarification
• Spontaneous argument construction — especially in Section B, where the examiner actively challenges your position

This cannot be trained purely through grammar books or apps. You need live, timed, adversarial practice.

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Section A: Demande de Renseignements (5 minutes)

What Section A Tests

In Section A, you receive a printed document — typically a job advertisement, a rental listing, a service brochure, or a product announcement — and are given a brief preparation period (typically 5–10 minutes before the exam begins). You then ask the examiner (who plays the role of the company representative or service provider) a series of formal questions about the document.

The examiner answers your questions. You are not evaluated on understanding their answers — you are evaluated on the quality of your questions.

What Examiners Look For in Section A

• Quantity: Did you ask enough questions to fill the 5-minute window? (Target: 8–12 well-constructed questions)
• Relevance: Are your questions logically derived from the content of the document, not random?
• Grammatical precision: Are your questions in the correct interrogative structure? (Using est-ce que, subject-verb inversion, or quel/quelle correctly)
• Formality: Are you using the vous form throughout? (Never tu in Section A)
• Variety: Do you use different question structures, or do you repeat the same format for every question?

Section A Example — Job Advertisement Prompt

Prompt document (example):

“

Offre d'emploi: Assistant Marketing, Société Horizon Solutions. Poste en CDI. Rémunération non spécifiée. Télétravail partiel possible. Bac+3 minimum requis. Expérience de 2 ans souhaitée. Envoyer CV + lettre de motivation à [email protected]

”

High-scoring Section A questions:

1. "Pourriez-vous m'informer sur la rémunération proposée pour ce poste ?" (salary — information not in the ad)
2. "Quels sont les horaires de travail habituels pour cet assistant marketing ?" (working hours)
3. "Est-ce que le télétravail est accordé dès le début ou après une période d'essai ?" (remote work conditions)
4. "Quelles sont les perspectives d'évolution pour ce poste ?" (career progression)
5. "Y a-t-il des avantages sociaux liés à ce contrat, comme une mutuelle ou des tickets-restaurant ?" (benefits)
6. "À qui serai-je amené à rendre compte dans le cadre de mes fonctions ?" (reporting hierarchy)
7. "Quelle est la durée de la période d'essai ?" (trial period)
8. "Quand prévoyez-vous de commencer les entretiens ?" (interview timeline)

What makes these questions strong: They use vous-form conditional (pourriez-vous) for politeness, cover information genuinely missing from the document, vary question structure (direct question, est-ce que, embedded question), and are logically sequenced.

Section A: The Most Common Mistakes

• Asking questions already answered in the document. This signals poor reading comprehension.
• Repeating the same question format: "Est-ce que vous avez…? Est-ce que vous faites…?" — monotonous and scores poorly on variety.
• Using tu instead of vous: This is an automatic penalty in a formal professional context.
• Running out of questions before 5 minutes. Prepare at least 15 questions; use 10–12 of the strongest ones.

Self-Study Method for Section A

1. Find a job ad, apartment listing, or service brochure in French (newspapers, French websites, or prep materials)
2. Set a 2-minute preparation timer — read the document and annotate what information is missing
3. Set a 5-minute speaking timer
4. Speak aloud, asking each question into your phone recorder as if addressing the examiner
5. Review the recording: Did you use vous? Did you use inverted questions and est-ce que alternately? Did you fill the 5 minutes?

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Section B: La Défense d'une Opinion (10 minutes)

What Section B Tests

In Section B, you take on the role of convincing a friend (the examiner) to do something with you — participate in an activity, adopt a lifestyle change, try a new experience. The examiner plays a skeptical, resistant friend who raises objections, expresses doubts, and occasionally gives sarcastic pushback.

You must maintain your position, counter every objection, and ultimately "persuade" the examiner by the end of the 10-minute interaction.

What Examiners Look For in Section B

• Initiative: Do you drive the conversation, or wait for the examiner to prompt you?
• Argumentation: Do you provide substantive reasons for your position, not just repetition?
• Objection handling: When the examiner pushes back, do you address their specific concern logically?
• Register: Section B is informal — you can and should use tu, contractions, and casual speech
• Fluency under pressure: The examiner's resistance is deliberately stressful — do you remain articulate?

Section B Example — Activity Prompt

Exam card (example):

“

Vous souhaitez convaincre un(e) ami(e) de vous accompagner dans un camp de randonnée de trois jours en montagne, sans téléphone. Votre ami(e) est très sédentaire et reste sceptique.

”

Opening (candidate): "Écoute, j'ai trouvé quelque chose d'incroyable pour nous deux cet été — un trek de trois jours dans les Alpes, complètement déconnecté du téléphone. Je sais que tu es plutôt canapé et Netflix, mais je t'assure que ça va te changer la vie. Tu seras tellement content d'avoir dit oui."

Examiner objection #1: "Mais je ne suis pas du tout sportif. Je ne peux pas marcher trois jours de suite."

Candidate response: "Je te comprends complètement, mais écoute — l'itinéraire est accessible aux débutants. Les guides adaptent le rythme à chaque groupe. Tu n'as pas besoin d'être un athlète, tu as juste besoin d'une bonne paire de chaussures. Et d'ailleurs, c'est l'occasion parfaite pour bouger un peu — le cardio de la randonnée est largement prouvé pour réduire le stress. T'imagines après trois jours ? Tu vas dormir comme un bébé."

Examiner objection #2: "Sans téléphone ? C'est impossible pour moi, j'ai du travail."

Candidate response: "Trois jours sans téléphone — c'est même recommandé par les médecins du travail. En fait, les études montrent que les gens qui font des 'digital detox' reviennent bien plus productifs et créatifs. Ton employeur va bénéficier de ton absence, pas l'inverse ! Et en plus, t'auras une excuse béton pour ne pas répondre aux emails le weekend."

What makes these responses strong: They acknowledge the objection empathetically before countering it. They use concrete evidence (studies, doctor recommendations) to add credibility. They maintain a warm, informal register while staying articulate. They end with humor, maintaining the relationship tone.

Section B: The Most Common Mistakes

• Repeating your initial argument without adapting to the specific objection raised. The examiner is testing whether you listen and respond, not whether you can monologue.
• Becoming defensive or aggressive when challenged. Keep the warm friend register throughout.
• Vocabulary collapse under pressure. When nervous, candidates revert to simple vocabulary. Prepare B2 expressions in advance for your topic.
• Not initiating. Some candidates wait for the examiner to lead. You must drive Section B.

Self-Study Method for Section B

1. Find a Section B prompt (PrepMyFrench speaking simulations provide authentic prompts)
2. Write a 30-second opening statement — your initial pitch
3. Prepare 5–6 potential objections the examiner might raise, along with counter-arguments
4. Practice speaking your responses aloud for 10 minutes, adapting your counter-arguments
5. Record yourself and review: Did you maintain tu? Did you stay fluent under hypothetical pressure?

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How PrepMyFrench Helps You Master TEF Canada Speaking

Studying the structure of Section A and B intellectually is useful — but you cannot truly prepare for a live examiner interaction through solo study alone. The moment the examiner challenges your position with a tone of genuine skepticism, the cognitive load is different from rehearsing in front of your mirror.

At PrepMyFrench, our AI Speaking Simulations replicate the exact TEF Section A and Section B formats:

• Section A: You receive an authentic French document and must ask timed, formal questions. The AI scores your question variety, grammatical structure, and relevance.
• Section B: You receive a scenario and defend your position as the AI generates examiner-style objections, scoring your argument quality, register, and fluency.

For candidates who want live human feedback, our Live Zoom Classes with Guillaume include weekly TEF speaking drills — running the exact exam format with real-time corrections.

Practice TEF Canada Speaking at PrepMyFrench → start with a free simulation →

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Quick Reference Cheat Sheet

Section A (5 minutes — Formal Questioning)

Section B (10 minutes — Persuasive Debate)