TOCFL Novice Practice: Listening and Reading in the Test Format, with Answers and Audio

By the end you can

• Know how TOCFL Novice works. A short listening test and a short reading test, mostly built on pictures, in Traditional characters. Page 3 explains the test and gives four survival lines with pinyin and zhuyin.
  請再說一次。 · Qǐng zài shuō yí cì. · Please say that again.
• Learn the Taiwan words the test uses. Prices in 塊, times, 禮拜六 for Saturday, and everyday Taiwan words like 便當, 飯糰, 捷運站 and 腳踏車.
  現在幾點？ · Xiànzài jǐ diǎn? · What time is it now?
• Match what you hear to pictures, prices and times. Pick the picture, the price in NT dollars or the clock time you hear, from A, B or C.
  一共五十五塊。 · Yígòng wǔshíwǔ kuài. · That's fifty-five dollars in all.
• Choose the reply to a short question. Hear questions about where you're from, your family, days, dates and what you want, and pick the answer that fits.
  你怎麼來上課？ · Nǐ zěnme lái shàngkè? · How do you get to class?
• Follow two speakers in a short dialogue. Work out what someone buys at a fruit stall, where they're going, when they meet and what tomorrow's weather will be.
  七點。我們六點半在捷運站見。 · Qī diǎn. Wǒmen liù diǎn bàn zài jiéyùn zhàn jiàn. · Seven. Let's meet at the MRT station at half past six.
• Read words, signs, price tags and opening hours. Match words and sentences to pictures, read signs like 廁所 and 請排隊, and decide whether a shop is open from its hours.
• Read short messages and notes. Answer questions on a text from a sick classmate, a note from a teacher and a plan for a Saturday trip to Tamsui.
• Sit two 10-question mini tests. A listening test and a reading test in the TOCFL Novice question types, each with a 10-minute timer, then the answers and full audio script in the key.

What’s inside

• The test: TOCFL Novice on One Page · Novice Words by Picture
• Listening: Listening 1: Look and Listen · Listening 2: Questions and Answers · Listening 3: Short Dialogues
• Reading: Reading 1: Words and Pictures · Reading 2: Signs, Prices, Times · Reading 3: Short Messages
• Mini test: Mini Test 1: Listening · Mini Test 2: Reading
• Study plan: Your Four-Week Novice Plan

How to use this book

The book's own plan on page 13 takes four weeks. Work in order, play every track from the free audio, and keep the key at the back for after you choose.

1. Week 1: The test and the words. Say the four phrases on page 3 with the audio every day. Learn the words page, then cover the English and test yourself.
2. Week 2: Listening 1 to 3. Choose first, then read the script and say each line in the pause. Say ten prices and ten times you see in your day, with 塊 and 點.
3. Week 3: Reading 1 to 3. Read every sign, price and message aloud before you answer, and read one real sign or menu a day.
4. Week 4: The mini tests. Take each mini test with a 10-minute timer, playing each track once without pausing. Redo every question you missed.
5. Before you book: Check the details. Check the latest TOCFL Novice dates and format on the SC-TOP website, then book your test.

Who it’s for

Beginners preparing for TOCFL Novice, the level below Band A, who want practice in its listening and reading question types with Taiwan Mandarin and Traditional characters.

Before you start: A few weeks of Chinese: numbers, times and simple questions. Learn pages print pinyin and zhuyin, and the key gives the full audio script. If zhuyin is new, the book points to a Zhuyin–Pinyin Bridge.

Frequently asked questions

How close is it to the TOCFL Novice test?

It practises the TOCFL Novice listening and reading question types, with pictures, prices, times, signs and short messages. SayMei wrote every question. The two mini tests are 10 questions each, so use them as a check rather than a full-length paper.

Is it in Traditional characters with Taiwan words?

Yes. Everything is in Traditional characters, and the words are the ones used in Taiwan, like 禮拜六 for Saturday, 塊 for NT dollars and 捷運 for the metro. Learn pages show zhuyin next to the pinyin.

Where is the listening audio?

On this book's page at saymei.app, free, with a QR code in the PDF. Listening lines are heard, not printed on the practice pages; the key at the back prints the full audio script.

Is this workbook free?

Yes. The whole 20-page PDF is free, and you can look through its pages here before you download. There's no card and nothing to pay.

Do I need a SayMei account?

Yes, to download the PDF, and the account is free: sign up with Google, Apple or your email address. With it we email you a copy of the workbook, keep every workbook you download on your account on all your devices, save your place in the free online practice, and you can practise speaking with Mei Lin, SayMei's AI tutor.

How do I print it?

The PDF is US Letter size. On A4 paper, choose "Fit to page" (or "Scale to fit") in the print dialog so nothing is cut off. Print the whole workbook or only the pages you need; colour looks best, and black and white works too.

Can I print copies for my class?

Yes. Print as many copies as you like for your own class or family. To share it, send this page: everyone can download their own copy.

Keep going

AP® Chinese Speaking Practice: Project Presentation and Q&A (2027 Format) · AP® Chinese Story Narration and Email Response Practice: 10 Prompts with Model Answers · GCSE Chinese Speaking Practice: Role Plays, Picture Tasks and Conversation Questions · O Level Chinese Oral Practice: Reading Aloud and Video Conversation with Model Answers · More exam practice · Browse all 294 workbooks