Listening and speaking are the two skills IRCC looks at for the C16 work permit. This article suggests how to practise, based on the test formats published by the organizers.
Know the format before you practise
- TCF Canada: listening has 39 multiple-choice questions in 35 minutes, each recording is played once and difficulty increases; speaking is one-on-one with an examiner, 3 tasks in 12 minutes including 2 minutes of preparation.
- TEF Canada: 4 mandatory parts, each scored on a 699 scale. Read the description of each part on the organizer's site before you practise.
Listening
- Listen to material at natural speed: news, interviews, podcasts, public announcements.
- Listen to each clip once, note the main points, then listen again to check, just like the test where you only hear it once.
- Get used to different accents: French, Canadian (Acadian, Ontario) and African.
- Note phrases that come up often in work and service situations.
Speaking
- Prepare a structure: an opening, 2 to 3 main points with examples, a conclusion.
- Practise common tasks: introducing yourself, asking for information in a situation, presenting and defending an opinion.
- Record yourself and listen back to fix pronunciation, linking words and repeated mistakes.
- Practise with an examiner or teacher under real test timing.
On test day
- Arrive as early as the centre asks, with the ID you registered with.
- If you don't catch a question in the speaking test, politely ask the examiner to repeat it.
- Focus on answering what is asked rather than forcing difficult vocabulary.
Note NCLC 5 means communicating in familiar situations. Speaking clearly, to the point and without long pauses matters more than complex structures.
What is NCLC and how to read your scores
TEF Canada and TCF Canada
From zero to NCLC 5: a learning roadmap