Mastering the Tefaq Listening Section with Free Resources and Effective Strategies
I. Introduction
In April of 2021, I took the Tefaq listening exam at McGill University testing center in Montreal, Quebec and achieved a B2 mark.
But just like you, I found preparing for the Tefaq listening exam to be quite challenging. But don't worry! There are ways to make it easier and cheaper (and even will not cost you a dime at all!).
I created this guide to collate some of the free things I use and some good ways to get better at understanding and practicing the listening part of the Tefaq test.
II. Breakdown of Exam Sections
There are 4 parts of the exam and you should finish it in 40 minutes:
- A. Understanding a dialog with photo descriptions - 8 questions
- B. Understanding public announcements - 26 questions
- C. Understanding surveys and radio interviews - 16 questions
- D. Understanding short isolated sentences - 10 questions
However, as of December of 2023, you should practice for the new tefaq listening exam format
III. Free Resources for Preparation
This is the official listening exam simulator for TEF:
Can I use TEF materials?
Yes, I did it before and it worked! I used TEF simlulators online as both exams are kind of thesame.
TEF Canada and TEFAQ are similar in many ways, as they both assess French language proficiency and are officially recognized by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and the Ministry of Immigration, Francisation and Integration of Quebec (MIFI).
However, there are some differences between the two:
Purpose:
- TEF Canada: Used for applications for Canadian citizenship or certain applications for permanent residence in Canada.
- TEFAQ: Used to obtain the Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ) for subsequent application for permanent residence in Quebec.
Test Format:
Both tests have similar formats with mandatory sections for oral comprehension and oral expression, and elective sections for written comprehension and written expression. The time allocated for each section is also the same for both tests.
Content:
The content of the test questions and subjects covered, is likely to be similar for both TEF Canada and TEFAQ since they assess the same language skills.
Below is a collection of free videos online that helped me prepare for the Comprehension Orale part of the exam.
#1 - TEF / TEF Canada Compréhension orale - 1
#2 - TEF / TEF Canada Compréhension orale - 2
#3 - TEF / TEF Canada Compréhension orale - 3
#4 - TEF / TEF Canada Compréhension orale - 4
#5 - TEF / TEF Canada Compréhension orale - 5
#6 - Pratique TEFAQ Compréhension orale
#7 - Pratique TEFAQ Compréhension orale
#8 - Pratique TEFAQ Compréhension orale
#9 - Pratique TEFAQ Compréhension orale
IV. Strategies for Success
There are 60 questions in total or 360-point equivalent. You should aim for more than 40 correct answers. In my case, I made sure Sections A and B (the easy parts) are all correct because that is already 34 correct answers in total, so I just need to get half of Section C right, and maybe a little bit of Section D.
I did a practice test at the same time on the day of my actual exam. I found this a good technique when I took a professional licensure exam in my country several years ago. In this way, I will be used to being in a "French listening mode" at that specific time of day, which will help my readiness for the real exam.
All in all, I think I did more than 15 listening mock exams on my own.
Anyway, for my results: I got 223/360, just enough to get B2.
I also created a free tefaq speaking exam simulator here.
V. Test Day Techniques
Make sure you don't skip anything as you can't go back to the previous pages. I don't know if this is true now, but that was what I remember during my time.
VI. Conclusion
Starting to prepare for the Tefaq listening part might feel a little scary at first, but if you work hard, plan smart, and use the right stuff (and you can get it for free like I did), you can totally do it!
As of December of 2023, there is a new format for tefaq listening exam.
Just keep practicing!
Good luck on your exam!