Anyone take the TEFaQ after 1 French class?

[jayf]

Hello All,

I'm attempting to immigrate to Quebec from the United States. I have received my full 6 points for English on the IELTS test (scored 9.0 in Speaking/Listening) but per my lawyer I need to score A1 on the TEFaQ to submit my application. He said this is the bare minimum and I should be able to accomplish this after 1 French class.

I am working very hard on this. I am just about to finish up my French 101 class at the Alliance Francaise. Before this class, I had zero experience in French. These past 2 months are the only French experience I have. I have also been doing all of the assigned homework, reading the book, reading French newspaper websites, and doing a couple hours of Rosetta Stone every day.

I have a hard time understanding more than the very basics of French, as you would understand being as though I've only had 1 course.

Do you think the attorney is correct stating that I should be able to score A1 after 1 class? Has anyone else done it?

I'm registered for a TEFaQ at the end of this month.

After I submit my application if I score an A1 I hope to continue taking courses to get me to an A2 level before my interview. That would put my point level into a very good area.

Any input or conversation regarding this would be appreciated.

Merci beaucoup!!

 

[mute_man]

I knew One who applied but got refused due to Cap reached.

it's not that tough, best of luck.

 

[bonjourquebec]

as per my understanding, one needs to take at least module 4 to take A1 level exam. you may also want to try online study to further increase your knowledge in french.

thanks.

 

[jayf]

Thanks for the replies.

I will have completed all of Rosetta Stone French 1 (all 4 units) by the time of the exam as well. I will have completed French 101 at the Alliance Francaise, where there are 3 levels for beginning (101, 102, 103).

As much as I'd like to take all 3 levels of A1 at the Alliance, it's not really an option. I have to take it now or else I'll lose my work experience points due to time elapsed. So I have to give it a shot.

I'm hoping I can pull off an A1 in speaking.

Can I ask this about the speaking part: Do they give you a piece of paper about what the topic is or do they verbally speak it to you? Because they give you 10 minutes to prepare for the speaking part I was wondering that.

 

[SF2005]

Jayf,
I recently purchased the book 250 TEF exercises and I would advice you do the same. It gives you a good idea as to whether or not you are ready for the test.

Just my two cents so you don't rush into a decision.

SF2005

 

[jayf]

Thanks so much SF. I will check it out.

I will be taking the TEFaQ whether I think I'm ready or not. If I score just an A1 on listening/speaking it would put me at 61/59 on the point scale for CSQ. Without it I'd be at 59 but still in big trouble obviously without at least an A1.

I'm working extremely hard in class, Rosetta stone, newspapers, everything I can do to get at least an A1 on the exam. I will keep everyone posted on how it goes.

I take the exam in 15 days. The reason I have to take it now is because I will lose 6 points on July for my education becoming too old. If that happens obviously it puts me into a spot where I need to get to an intermediate level of French which will be extremely difficult living in the USA. So hoping for the best in 15 days.

Thanks for the advice and support regarding similar situations.

Jay

 

[jayf]

I took the TEFAQ today after preparing for hours and hours every day for the past couple of months.

Needless to say, I'm not feeling very great right now.

Going into the exam I thought my biggest challenge was going to be the Speaking (Orale Expression) part of the exam. That ended up being fine. I had a nice conversation with the instructors. The 10 question exercise was easy I would say and the role play was not bad.

After the orale expression I had a lot of confidence but it was quickly deflated when I took the Comprehension Orale - Listening section. It was EXTREMELY difficult for me. I maybe understood about 10 questions on the entire exam. I only needed to score an A1 (28 pts+) and I don't even think I did that.

I did the 250 TEF exercises book but the TEFaQ questions were nothing like those. They were using vocabulary I had never learned in my A1 or A2 studies and even the questions with the drawings were very hard.

I am now pessimistic that I will even reach an A1 in Listening which is really deflating because that will end my chance at Canada since my education is just about to become too old.

Did anyone else have this bad feeling after taking the listening?

Also for the scoring system, it says the listening test is out of 360 pts (0-27) 0 pts. (28-81) 1 pt

How does that work? How can there be 360 pts when there's only 60 questions? The overview said 3 pts for correct, -1 for incorrect. 60 x 3 = 180 not 360.

 

[shahid-h]

Hi jayf

I have my TEFAQ test on Thrs, 29th Mar and I'm just as nervous as you were if not more.

The rules have changed slightly as well for Quebec immigration as of last week. My application is ready only awaiting to take the test and submit it.

I'm visiting Montreal for a week next week as wel to attend IT job fair and also to do some research.

I would be very interested and obliged if I can hear from you. I obviousley have some questions about the French test as I'm also new to learing the language. Can you PM me or are we able to exchange email / fone numbers on here ?

I hope to hear from you soon as it's only couple of days for my test. I'm interested in knowing what questions you were asked? what topic did your 15 mins talk was based on? etc etc

Any help would be very much appreciated.

Look forward to your reply.

 

[Frenchfaster]

You can find more information on how to prepare for the TEFaQ exam on this site: frenchfaster.com
The TEFaQ is not an easy French exam, it needs a very specific preparation, especially for the listening.
Learn from the TEFaQ experts. Online TEFaQ courses available at: frenchfaster.com

 

[Pak_UK]

Hey Guys,

Those who attempted the exam.. pls share your results.

I need your help as well.. can any provide me some study material for TEFaq as well.


Many Thanks

 

[hardik_shah]

Hello Friends,

I have started my procedure for immigration and the attorney has advised me clear any of exams for french proficiency, according to him, it is mandatory even if you have enough score of 55.

Is he correct?

Please share your views and info you have.

Hardik

 

[jayf]

Hey All,

I have gotten a few private messages asking me to share my French results. My results came in much higher than I expected. I got an A2 (advanced beginner) in listening and a B1 (intermediate) in speaking. I achieved these results after just ONE French class at the Alliance Francaise. I surprisingly exceeded my goal. Now I have achieved 7 points for French language and I will only need 1 point for adaptability in my interview if all goes as planned. I'm feeling better about my chances than I was a few months ago. I still continue to take classes at the Alliance Francaise as obviously I will need more French skills if I am selected in the end to find a good job. I've taken 4 classes and I'm on my 5th now. Right now I'm in a French class on the (A2) advanced beginner track. I should be able to move on to intermediate by the end of 2012/early 2013.

My advice is to just study study study especially the week before you take the test. The week before I took the test all I did was talk to my friend who lives in Quebec. I looked at all of the examples posted online on what the orale expression topics might be and I talked to him in French about all kinds of different scenarios, tried to argue points, etc. Talking to him every day for a week helped me greatly. When I took the exam, it was fresh in my mind which is why it's important to prepare all the way up until the day of the test. I had a pretty darn good conversation with the instructor and she spoke kind of slow so luckily I understood most of what she was saying too.

By the way, thanks to SF2005 who advised me to get the book 250 TEF exams. That is the book that came with the audio CD that really helped me with the listening portion. The scenarios on the audio CD and the scenarios on the actual exam are pretty similar.

PAK_UK private message me with your e-mail address and I will e-mail you. For some reason the forum does not allow me to send PM's

 

[Keden]

Hello JayF,

I am just curious how long it took to get your results in the mail.

My husband and I took our TEFaQ on July 6th. We received our Listening Comprehension scores right away (B1) but as you know we have to wait for the Speaking Comprehension.

We have been told it takes anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks to receive results in the mail.

Thanks.

 

[beth_ma]

Hi jayf,

I hate to pester you (and am not sure if you're still reading this forum.) I've been following your thread for awhile (prior to registering here) and was excited to see that you scored so well. (I'm also using Rosetta Stone and just started Level 2 and am amazed at how much I am learning and how well it covers speaking, listening, and reading. It has some writing though not enough, in my opinion. But, that's not necessary for the TEFaQ.) Congratulations on your great scores! I studied in Montréal for two years so that gives me some extra points, but I would still like to score at least B1 on both sections of the TEFaQ.

Would you be willing to share a bit more about the experience of the test? There is a lot online regarding the format, etc., but somehow I still feel unsure about the "reality" of the experience, if that makes sense. (If anyone else has taken it, please share too.) For example, in your speaking portions, how much does listening play in? It seems like that would be just as much a part of it as the speaking is, because your examiners will respond orally and you'll need to understand them. Or, do you they make very brief, minimal statements? And how much of the test seems to be testing skills beyond just speaking/listening? What I mean by that is ... how much tests, say, real debate skills? (I have yet to take the IELTS, but I took some practice portions and scored 8.5 as a native English speaker with two degrees from top educational institutions... the score seems in part to be about your abilities to synthesize, predict, extrapolate, etc., much like a standardized test for grad school. And some of the questions expect you to give an answer which perfectly matches one of a few acceptable responses (I can't think of an example right now, but answers can vary by the addition of an article, or an adjective, etc., and in some cases your response can be perfectly correct but not considered to be so.)) So, did it feel like your score was in part based on your ability to EFFECTIVELY convince the examiner, or just on your ability to come up with properly-structured responses? And in that section where you have to convince them of something, how much do they try to trip you up? (How much do they resist what you're saying, requiring you to exhibit reasoning skills beyond simple language skills?)

Also - the listening part - is is clear, standard French, or are there a lot of different accents, the way there are on the IELTS (or at least the practice test I took)?

Thanks for any advice!

 

[dark.n.twisted]

Hey All,

I have gotten a few private messages asking me to share my French results. My results came in much higher than I expected. I got an A2 (advanced beginner) in listening and a B1 (intermediate) in speaking. I achieved these results after just ONE French class at the Alliance Francaise. I surprisingly exceeded my goal. Now I have achieved 7 points for French language and I will only need 1 point for adaptability in my interview if all goes as planned. I'm feeling better about my chances than I was a few months ago. I still continue to take classes at the Alliance Francaise as obviously I will need more French skills if I am selected in the end to find a good job. I've taken 4 classes and I'm on my 5th now. Right now I'm in a French class on the (A2) advanced beginner track. I should be able to move on to intermediate by the end of 2012/early 2013.

My advice is to just study study study especially the week before you take the test. The week before I took the test all I did was talk to my friend who lives in Quebec. I looked at all of the examples posted online on what the orale expression topics might be and I talked to him in French about all kinds of different scenarios, tried to argue points, etc. Talking to him every day for a week helped me greatly. When I took the exam, it was fresh in my mind which is why it's important to prepare all the way up until the day of the test. I had a pretty darn good conversation with the instructor and she spoke kind of slow so luckily I understood most of what she was saying too.

By the way, thanks to SF2005 who advised me to get the book 250 TEF exams. That is the book that came with the audio CD that really helped me with the listening portion. The scenarios on the audio CD and the scenarios on the actual exam are pretty similar.

PAK_UK private message me with your e-mail address and I will e-mail you. For some reason the forum does not allow me to send PM's

Hi jayf,
Hope you could still read this post. I am facing the same dilemma you did but mine is a lot worst... I only have 3 weeks to learn french 'n take the TEFAQ exam. I'll be enrolling for french class this coming Aug 6 at Alliance Francaise. I'm hoping you could help me out... Or maybe even e-mail me some of the materials you used to study the language. I'm desperate 'n in dire need of help. Thank you for whatever help you could offer.
- J