The best way to get ready for the CELPIP test is to practise with questions in the real format, with a timer, and then compare your answer with a good one. This page gives you a practice question for every Speaking task and both Writing tasks, with a link to full sample answers for each. At the end, you'll find how Listening and Reading work and how to practise them.
Please note: these practice questions and sample answers are my original teaching examples, written in the CELPIP-General format. They are not official CELPIP questions, and the sample answers have not been scored by CELPIP.
How to Use This Page
- Set a timer for the real time (it's in each section below).
- Answer first, out loud for Speaking and typed on a computer for Writing.
- Then open the sample answers and compare: did you answer the exact question? Did you have two developed ideas? Did you use the time well?
- Do one more question of the same task the next day. Every task page has extra practice questions.
Speaking Practice Questions (Tasks 1–8)
Task 1: Giving Advice (prepare 30 s, speak 90 s)
Practice question: Your friend has just moved to a new city for work and feels lonely. She doesn't know anyone there yet. Give her advice about how to meet new people.
Sample answers and 10 more Task 1 questions →
Task 2: Talking About a Personal Experience (prepare 30 s, speak 60 s)
Practice question: Talk about a time when you had to learn something new very quickly. What happened, and how did you feel?
Sample answers and 10 more Task 2 questions →
Task 3: Describing a Scene (prepare 30 s, speak 60 s)
Practice question: Look at a photo of a busy place, for example a farmers' market or a train station (any photo from your phone works). Describe the scene so that someone who can't see it can imagine it.
Task 4: Making Predictions (prepare 30 s, speak 60 s)
Practice question: Use the same photo as in Task 3. What do you think will probably happen next? Give reasons based on what you can see.
Sample answers for Tasks 3 and 4 →
Task 5: Comparing and Persuading (choose 60 s, prepare 60 s, speak 60 s)
Practice question: Your family is choosing a place for a weekend trip. Option A is a cabin by a lake. Option B is a hotel in the city. Choose one. Then your brother suggests a third option: camping in a national park. Persuade him that your choice is better than camping.
Task 6: Dealing with a Difficult Situation (prepare 60 s, speak 60 s)
Practice question: You promised to help your friend move to a new apartment on Saturday. Now your manager asks you to work an extra shift that day. Choose one: talk to your friend and explain why you can't help, or talk to your manager and explain why you can't work the extra shift.
Task 7: Expressing Opinions (prepare 30 s, speak 90 s)
Practice question: Some people think that children should learn to cook at school. Do you agree or disagree? Explain your reasons.
Sample answers and 10 more Task 7 questions →
Task 8: Describing an Unusual Situation (prepare 30 s, speak 60 s)
Practice question: You are in a second-hand store and you see a very strange chair: it looks like a giant hand. You call your roommate, who is looking for a chair for your living room. Describe the chair and say whether you think you should buy it.
Not sure how to start each answer? Use my CELPIP Speaking templates: one simple start, middle and finish for every task.
Writing Practice Questions (Tasks 1–2)
Task 1: Writing an Email (27 minutes, about 150–200 words)
Practice question: You recently bought a coffee machine online, but it stopped working after one week. Write an email to the company. In your email:
- describe the problem;
- explain how it has affected you;
- say what you would like the company to do.
Three sample emails with plans →
Task 2: Responding to Survey Questions (26 minutes, about 150–200 words)
Practice question: Your city has some extra money for one project. Which should it choose?
- Option A: more bike lanes on main streets
- Option B: longer opening hours for public libraries
Choose one option and explain why it is better. Don't write a list of pros and cons for both: make a clear choice and support it.
Three sample survey responses →
Want feedback on your own text? Paste your email or survey answer into the free writing check: you get corrections, a score and an improved version.
Listening: How to Practise
CELPIP Listening has 6 parts and 38 questions, and you hear each recording only once. The questions come after the recording, so you can't read them first. That's why note-taking matters so much.
| Part | What you hear | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Problem solving (a conversation in 3 sections) | 8 |
| 2 | A daily life conversation | 5 |
| 3 | Listening for information | 6 |
| 4 | A news item | 5 |
| 5 | A discussion (video, 3 speakers) | 8 |
| 6 | Viewpoints | 6 |
How each part works and how to take notes: CELPIP Listening part by part.
Reading: How to Practise
CELPIP Reading has 4 parts, and each part has its own timer, so you can't save time in one part and use it in another.
| Part | What you read |
|---|---|
| 1 | Reading correspondence (a letter or email, then a reply to complete) |
| 2 | Reading to apply a diagram |
| 3 | Reading for information (match statements to paragraphs) |
| 4 | Reading for viewpoints (an article and a reader's comment) |
Common traps and timing for each part: CELPIP Reading part by part.
How Many Correct Answers Do You Need?
For Listening and Reading, CELPIP publishes an approximate chart: for example, CELPIP 7 in Listening is about 27–31 correct answers out of 38, and in Reading about 24–28. The full chart for every level is in my CELPIP score chart guide.
Practise Speaking With Feedback
If you want to answer test-style questions and get feedback right away, try the practice lab: choose a topic like on the CELPIP test, answer, and see what to improve. For the words you need in every Speaking topic, get my free Vocabulary Booster.