80% of candidates do not proofread their work. It costs them up to 20% of their score.
You study vocabulary. You memorize linking words. You practice structuring your arguments. But on test day, you do what most candidates do: you write until the last second. And you submit without proofreading.
The hidden cost
Proofreading catches avoidable mistakes that can improve your score by 15 to 20%.
Agreement errors, missing accents and confusing 'sa/ça' weigh heavily in the grading.
Key points
- The most penalized mistakes are not the hardest: 'a/à', 'sa/ça', forgotten agreements.
- In Task 3, not following the word count split (40-60 synthesis, 80-120 opinion) caps your grade.
- 3 minutes of proofreading is enough to eliminate most surface-level errors.
Why almost nobody proofreads
The pressure of the timer pushes you to write until the end. You fear running out of words. The result: you sacrifice 3 minutes of proofreading for 2 extra sentences. But those 2 sentences full of mistakes drag down your overall score.
How to build proofreading into your preparation
By practicing with timed exercises, you learn to manage your time and keep 3 minutes at the end. Our written expression tests with corrections show you exactly which mistakes you make under pressure.
Ready to reach CLB 7?
April TCF sessions are filling up. If you are taking the test soon, start building proofreading into your practice now.
Assess your level for free and practice in the official TCF Canada format.