TCF Task 2 Roleplay: How to Handle Any Scenario They Throw at You

What Happens in Task 2

You get a card with a scenario. Something like: "You just moved to a new city and your internet isn't working. Call the service provider to resolve the issue."

Then you have a conversation with the examiner for about 5.5 minutes. They play the other person — the customer service rep, the landlord, the office clerk, whoever the scenario calls for.

It's not a monologue. It's a real back-and-forth. The examiner will respond to what you say, sometimes helpfully, sometimes not. Your job is to handle the situation like a real person would.

The 4 Scenario Categories

Almost every Task 2 scenario falls into one of these:

1. Information Requests

You need to find something out. Calling a school about enrollment, asking a city office about a permit, inquiring about a community program.

Your job: Ask clear, specific questions. Don't just say "Je voudrais des informations." Say "Je voudrais savoir quels documents sont necessaires pour l'inscription."

2. Complaints

Something went wrong and you need it fixed. A package never arrived, your neighbor is making noise at 2am, a charge on your bill doesn't look right.

Your job: Explain the problem clearly, stay polite but firm, and push for a resolution. This is where register matters — you need to sound upset enough to be taken seriously, but not so aggressive that you drop into informal French.

3. Negotiations

You want something adjusted. A better price on a service, a change in schedule, a different arrangement for something. The examiner will resist a little, so you need to offer reasons.

Your job: Give real justifications, not just "parce que je veux." Use conditional tense: "Serait-il possible de...", "Je me demandais si on pourrait..."

4. Arrangements

You're organizing something practical. Scheduling an appointment, arranging a delivery, setting up a meeting. These are the "easiest" scenarios in terms of conflict, but you still need to fill 5.5 minutes.

Your job: Cover all the practical details — date, time, place, what to bring, what happens if plans change.

Opening the Conversation

The first 30 seconds set the tone. Here's what works:

Good opening:

"Bonjour, je vous appelle au sujet de [topic]. En fait, [brief context of 1-2 sentences]. Est-ce que vous pourriez m'aider ?"

Example:

"Bonjour, je vous appelle au sujet de mon abonnement internet. En fait, ca fait trois jours que je n'ai plus de connexion, et j'ai deja essaye de redemarrer la box plusieurs fois. Est-ce que vous pourriez m'aider a resoudre ca ?"

That's it. Context + problem + request. Don't overthink it.

Keeping the Conversation Going

The biggest risk in Task 2 isn't saying something wrong — it's running out of things to say. Here's how to avoid that:

Ask follow-up questions. When the examiner tells you something, don't just say "D'accord." Ask about the details:

• "Et concretement, comment ca se passe ?"
• "Est-ce qu'il y a des frais supplementaires ?"
• "Combien de temps ca prend en general ?"

React before responding. Instead of jumping straight to your next question, acknowledge what they said:

• "Ah d'accord, je comprends."
• "Bon, c'est quand meme ennuyeux."
• "Ca me rassure un peu."

Add context from your "situation." Make up details that fit the scenario. If you're calling about an apartment, mention that you have a specific move-in date. If you're complaining about a service, mention how long you've been a customer.

Closing the Conversation

Don't just stop talking. Wrap it up:

"Tres bien, je crois qu'on a fait le tour. Juste pour etre sur : [repeat key info]. C'est bien ca ? Parfait, je vous remercie pour votre aide. Bonne journee."

Summarizing what was agreed on shows you were listening and it's exactly what you'd do in real life.

How Task 2 Is Scored

Four things matter:

Criterion	Weight	What it means
Information Gathering	30%	Did you get the information you needed? Did you ask enough questions?
Linguistic Accuracy	30%	Grammar, conjugation, prepositions. This is the "accuracy gate" — bad grammar caps your score
Communication Effectiveness	25%	Did the conversation flow? Could the other person follow you easily?
Formal Register	15%	Did you maintain vous, polite forms, and professional tone throughout?

The one that catches people off guard is Formal Register. It's only 15%, but dropping a tu or using slang can pull down your overall impression. Stay in vous the entire time. Use pourriez-vous instead of pouvez-vous when making requests. End with je vous remercie, not just merci.

Three Things That Separate B1 from B2 in Task 2

1. Reacting naturally. B1 speakers tend to go question-question-question like a checklist. B2 speakers react to answers, comment on them, and then transition to the next topic naturally.

2. Using conditional tense. "Je voudrais savoir...", "Serait-il envisageable de...", "J'aurais aime comprendre..." — these are B2 markers that examiners notice immediately.

3. Handling unexpected turns. Sometimes the examiner says something you didn't expect — a policy that blocks what you want, a detail that changes the situation. B2 speakers adapt. B1 speakers freeze or repeat their question.

Practice Strategy

Reading about scenarios is useful, but speaking French in your head and speaking it out loud with someone responding to you are completely different things. The conversation aspect — reacting, adapting, following up — only develops through actual practice with realistic scenarios and real-time responses.