Mocks

Tracker

Fill in a card after the Day 14 diagnostic and after every full mock. The scores and NCLC levels are worked out for you with the grid under How to fill it. The TV5 timed checks on Days 21, 42 and 50 have only 15 items: read them by position (listening-reading kit §5.1), not here.

The rules

How to fill it

Listening and reading (listening-reading-tcf.md §1):

1. Count your right answers in each band: Q1–4, Q5–10, Q11–19, Q20–29, Q30–35, Q36–39.
2. Multiply by the points per answer: 3, 9, 15, 21, 26, 33. Add them up. That is your grid score. It is the prep sites' unofficial grid, so treat it as a planning number.
3. Write, for example, "32 /39, 478, NCLC 7".
4. NCLC from the score: listening 458–502 is NCLC 7, 503–522 NCLC 8, 523–548 NCLC 9; reading 453–498 is NCLC 7, 499–523 NCLC 8, 524–548 NCLC 9. Below 458 (listening) or 453 (reading), write "below 7".
5. The simple target: 31 correct of 39 scores at least 463 under the grid, whichever 8 you miss, so 31 clears both cut-offs. With 30 it depends on which items you missed.

Writing: use the mark /20 from Claude's correction (writing-tcf.md §5) of the whole set. 9 is the top of B1 (NCLC 6), 10–11 is NCLC 7, 12–13 is NCLC 8.

Speaking: use the overall band from Claude's FEEDBACK after the full mock (voice-mode/README.md §7). If it gives a range such as 10–13, write the lower number.

Aim for 12/20 in writing and speaking. NCLC 7 is 10/20, but re-marking is suspended, so a 9 can't be appealed.

Lowest skill: the skill with the lowest NCLC. On a tie, take the one closest to falling below its cut-off: fewest points above 458 or 453, or a 10 rather than an 11. If all four are at NCLC 7 or above, still name the lowest one.

The rule after each mock

• Move 60–90 minutes a day to the lowest skill until the next mock. Take up to 30 minutes from Review (keep at least 15), and the rest from the block of your strongest skill (never below half its minutes, and never from Words). Write it in the last column, for example "Listening +75 min (Review 25, Reading 50)".
• Spend the moved time on that skill's weakest band or task: Q20–29 with LR-P1 and LR-P3, Q30–39 with LR-P5, the writing task with the lowest mark, or the speaking task the FEEDBACK rated lowest.
• If the same skill is lowest at two mocks in a row, move the full 90 minutes.
• At Day 21, also apply the TEF rule (exam-analysis.md §1.1, templates/tef-hedge.md §1). Write the decision in the row:
  • Listening lowest: book a TEF Canada sitting as your second complete attempt, and use the TEF kit.
  • Speaking or writing lowest: plan a second TCF Canada sitting at least 20 days after the first. Don't book TEF.
  • Reading lowest: either test; choose by the dates you can get.
  • Whatever you book, a sitting must clear all four skills on one report. When you have a date, use prompt P2.