Most of my students preparing for the CELPIP test work full-time and have families. They don't have two hours a day to study. The good news: for Speaking, 20 focused minutes a day beats a long session once a week, because fluency grows from frequent, short practice.
Here is the plan I give my students, the routine for each session, and a simple checklist to judge your own recordings.
The 20-Minute Daily Routine
- Warm up (2 minutes). Read one sample answer out loud. This gets your mouth and brain into English.
- Answer task A under real timing (3 minutes). Use a timer for the preparation time and the speaking time, exactly like the test. Record yourself on your phone.
- Listen and check (5 minutes). Use the checklist below. Write down one thing to fix.
- Answer the same prompt again (3 minutes). Fix that one thing. Don't try to fix everything.
- Answer task B, a new prompt (3 minutes). Record it.
- Quick check and notes (4 minutes). Add useful phrases you were missing to a list.
The second attempt at the same prompt is the most important step. That is where improvement actually happens.
The Self-Check List
CELPIP raters score Speaking in four areas. Ask yourself one question for each:
- Content and coherence: Did I give clear ideas with reasons or examples, in a logical order?
- Vocabulary: Did I use specific words, or did I repeat good, nice, thing and very?
- Listenability: Could a stranger follow me easily: pronunciation, pace, few long pauses, and grammar that doesn't confuse the meaning?
- Task fulfillment: Did I do exactly what the task asked, in the right tone, and use most of the time?
Also check the clock: if you finished well before the time was up, your answer probably needs one more reason or example. There is no word count in Speaking; it is about developing your ideas in the time you have.
Week 1: Structure
Goal: every answer has a clear beginning, middle and end.
| Day | Task A | Task B |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | Task 1 Giving Advice | Task 2 Personal Experience |
| Tue | Task 3 Describing a Scene | Task 4 Predictions |
| Wed | Task 5 Comparing and Persuading (compare your choice with the new third option) | Task 6 Difficult Situation |
| Thu | Task 7 Opinions | Task 8 Unusual Situation |
| Fri | Your weakest task from this week | Your weakest task again, new prompt |
Focus: use a simple skeleton for each task (see the task-by-task guide). Don't worry about fancy vocabulary yet.
Week 2: Filling the Time
Goal: use at least 80% of the speaking time in every task.
Same schedule as Week 1, but after each answer ask: where could I add one more example? Most people who finish early are missing examples, not grammar. A short real-life example ("For example, last winter my car...") adds 10–15 seconds naturally.
Week 3: Precise Vocabulary and Tone
Goal: sound more natural and more precise.
- Each day, replace three general words from your recordings with more exact ones: a lot of people → most of my colleagues, it's good → it saves time and money.
- Practise tone in Tasks 1, 5 and 6: friendly with a friend, polite and firm with a manager or a company.
- Learn 5 linking phrases a week and use each one at least twice: On the other hand, As a result, That's why, To be honest, In the long run.
Week 4: Test Conditions
Goal: perform under pressure.
- Mon and Thu: full Speaking section, all 8 tasks in a row, no pauses between them.
- Tue, Wed, Fri: your two weakest tasks, two new prompts each.
- Practise recovering from mistakes: if you lose your idea, say "What I mean is..." and continue. Never stop and restart.
How to Know You Are Ready
You are probably ready to book the test when, for most tasks:
- you use nearly the full time without long pauses,
- every answer has a clear structure and at least one example,
- a friend or teacher can understand you easily on the first listen,
- you no longer panic when you see an unexpected topic.
If one task type is still much weaker than the others, spend one more week on it. Improving your weakest task often raises your overall Speaking level more than polishing your strongest ones.
Common Practice Mistakes
- Only thinking the answer in your head. You must speak out loud and record. Speaking skill doesn't grow silently.
- Memorizing full answers. Raters notice. Memorize phrases and structures instead.
- Practising without a timer. Timing is half of the challenge.
- Never listening to your recordings. Uncomfortable, but it's the fastest way to hear your own mistakes.
Get Feedback
A plan works best with feedback. You can practise speaking out loud in the live AI speaking practice, join weekly conversation practice in the Speaking Club, or get your recordings checked in preparation for the CELPIP test with Masha.
Not sure what score you need? Read CELPIP Scores and CLB Levels Explained.
Good words make every task easier, so add my free Vocabulary Booster to your daily routine: it has key words for every Speaking topic. If you'd like a full practice test with feedback on your Speaking and Writing, Ready Sprint, my course for the CELPIP test, opens soon. Join the waitlist.