Writing a short exam message | TCF Writing

The TCF IRN Expression écrite Task 1 is a short personal message of 40 to 90 words. You receive a prompt that describes a situation and tells you exactly what to write. The IRN variant is designed for candidates applying for permanent residency in France, so the situations tend to be practical and everyday: arranging a meeting, congratulating someone, apologising, or passing on information. Getting full marks on this task comes down to one thing: reading the prompt closely and covering every required point.

What you’ll learn

Identify the required content points from an IRN Task 1 prompt
Write a 40 to 90 word message with the correct opening and closing
Use a register appropriate to the described situation
Avoid the most common errors in short personal messages

What the IRN Task 1 prompt contains

The prompt describes a situation, names the recipient (a friend, a colleague, a neighbour), and lists two or three pieces of information you must include. Read the whole prompt before writing anything. Most candidates who lose marks here did not miss words; they missed a required point.

Example IRN Task 1 prompt

« Vous avez reçu un cadeau d'anniversaire d'un(e) ami(e) que vous n'avez pas vu(e) depuis longtemps. Écrivez-lui un message. Remerciez-le/la pour le cadeau. Donnez des nouvelles de votre vie. Proposez de vous retrouver bientôt. »
"You received a birthday gift from a friend you have not seen in a while. Write them a message. Thank them for the gift. Give news about your life. Suggest meeting up soon." Three clear required points.

The 40 to 90 word range

The IRN target range is 40 to 90 words, which is tighter than the standard TCF Task 1.
A message of 40 words is about four short sentences. That is barely enough to cover three points.
Aim for 60 to 75 words: enough to be complete, not so long that you introduce errors.

Opening and closing the message

An IRN Task 1 message almost always describes a relationship between two people who know each other. Use an appropriate informal or semi-formal opening and a natural closing.

Informal opening: Salut [Prénom], Coucou [Prénom], Bonjour [Prénom]
Informal closing: À bientôt, Bisous, Amicalement, Bonne journée
Semi-formal (for a colleague or acquaintance): Bonjour [Prénom], then Cordialement or Bonne journée

Salut Fatima, Merci beaucoup pour ce livre, c'est vraiment gentil de ta part! De mon côté, tout va bien. Je viens de changer de travail et je suis très content(e) de mon nouveau poste. Il faudrait vraiment qu'on se retrouve pour prendre un café et rattraper le temps perdu. Qu'est-ce que tu penses du weekend prochain? À bientôt, Nadia
All three required points covered: thanks for the gift (book), news about life (new job), suggestion to meet (next weekend). About 72 words. Natural, friendly tone throughout.

Covering required points in a short space

With only 40 to 90 words, every sentence earns its place. Allocate one or two sentences to each required point and link them with simple connectors.

1List the required points from the prompt: 1, 2, 3.
2Write the opening (greeting).
3Write one sentence for each required point.
4If you have words to spare, expand the point that feels most natural.
5Write the closing (sign-off).
6Count the words. Adjust by cutting or expanding one sentence.

Three things that cost marks

Missing a required point entirely. This is the biggest single loss.
Mixing registers: "Cher Monsieur" followed by "Bisous, Nadia".
Padding: repeating the same idea in different words to reach the word count. This does not add marks and can introduce errors.

Phrasing that works for common situations

Many IRN Task 1 prompts describe the same categories of situation. Learning a small set of phrases for each category means less thinking and fewer errors under time pressure.

Thanking: "Merci beaucoup pour…", "Je te remercie vraiment de…", "C'était très gentil de ta part."
Congratulating: "Félicitations pour…", "Je suis vraiment content(e) pour toi!", "Bravo, c'est une super nouvelle!"
Apologising: "Je suis vraiment désolé(e) de…", "Je m'excuse pour…", "Pardonne-moi, j'aurais dû…"
Giving news: "De mon côté, tout va bien.", "Je viens de…", "Ces derniers temps, je…"
Suggesting a meeting: "Il faudrait qu'on se retrouve.", "Qu'est-ce que tu dirais de…?", "Ça te dit de…?"

How to practise this

Practice routine for IRN Task 1

Write one message a day using a different situation: thank you, apology, congratulations, news, invitation.
Aim for exactly 65 to 75 words. Working within the range trains you for the real exam.
After writing, check: opening present? All required points covered? Closing present? Register consistent?
Try writing the same prompt twice, once as an informal message to a friend and once as a semi-formal note to a neighbour. Notice what changes.

Key takeaways

IRN Task 1 is a 40 to 90 word personal message. Aim for 60 to 75 words to cover every required point comfortably.
Read the prompt carefully and list the required points before writing a single sentence.
Match the opening and closing to the situation described in the prompt.
One to two sentences per required point is enough. Do not pad.