The official free practice materials for the CELPIP test are on celpip.ca, the official CELPIP website, so that's the best place to start. On MashaEnglish you can also practise for free: practice questions with model answers for every Speaking task and both Writing tasks, sample answers, Listening and Reading strategies, a Speaking vocabulary PDF and an English level test.
But where you practise is only half of it. A practice test helps you most when you take it in real conditions and then check it carefully, and the second half of this page shows you how to do that.
The Official Free CELPIP Practice Tests (celpip.ca)
The people who make the CELPIP test also publish practice materials on celpip.ca, and some of them are free. Start there, because official materials show the current format and question types. The offer on the website can change, so check celpip.ca to see what's free right now and what's paid.
Two things to keep in mind when you use any practice test, official or not:
- The real test has many test forms. Different people get different versions, even on the same day. A good practice test is close to the real exam, but no practice test is exactly the same as the one you'll get.
- The real test is taken on a computer, in one sitting, without a scheduled break. Practise on a computer whenever you can.
What About a CELPIP Practice Test PDF?
Many people search for a CELPIP practice test in PDF. A PDF can be useful for reading and for seeing the types of questions, but it can't show you the most important parts of the real experience: the timer in each Reading part, typing your Writing answers, and hearing each Listening recording only once, with the questions shown only after it.
Be careful with files that call themselves "real exam questions". They may be old, or copied from a different version of the test.
Free Practice for the CELPIP Test on MashaEnglish
Everything below is free and open in your browser. The questions and answers are my original teaching examples, written in the CELPIP-General format. They are not official CELPIP questions, and the model answers have not been scored by CELPIP.
Speaking and Writing practice questions with model answers
Free practice questions with model answers gives you one question for every Speaking task and both Writing tasks, each with the real timing, a model answer and a short note on why it works. Answer first with a timer, then compare.
Sample answers for every Speaking task
When you want more practice on one task, each Speaking task has its own page with several sample answers: Task 1 · Task 2 · Tasks 3 and 4 · Task 5 · Task 6 · Task 7 · Task 8. For a simple way to start and finish every task, see my CELPIP Speaking templates.
Writing sample answers and a free writing check
See sample emails for CELPIP Writing Task 1 and sample survey responses for Task 2. After you write your own answer, paste it into the free writing check: you get corrections and an improved version.
Listening and Reading strategies
For Listening and Reading, the format and the traps matter as much as the practice itself. Read CELPIP Listening part by part and CELPIP Reading part by part for the format, and my CELPIP Listening tips and CELPIP Reading tips for strategies, with short examples of the most common traps.
Free Speaking vocabulary PDF
The Vocabulary Booster gives you everyday and more precise words for common Speaking topics, so your answers sound clear and natural.
Free English level test
If you're not sure where to start, take the free English level test. It gives you an approximate CEFR level for each skill, so you can see which skill needs the most work. It's a general English test, not a CELPIP practice test, and it doesn't give you a CELPIP score.
A full practice test with feedback (coming soon)
Ready Sprint, my course for the CELPIP test, will include a full practice test and feedback on your Speaking and Writing. It isn't open yet. You can join the waitlist to hear as soon as it starts.
How to Use a CELPIP Practice Test So It Really Helps
1. Take it in real conditions
Set a timer for each section: about 46–55 minutes for Listening, 43–56 for Reading, 53 for Writing and about 15 for Speaking. If you can, do the whole test in one sitting without a break, because that's how the real test works, and it's under 2 hours 50 minutes. Use a computer, headphones and a quiet room. Play each Listening recording only once, and type your Writing answers.
2. Answer every question
In Listening and Reading, a blank answer counts as wrong. If you're not sure, choose the best answer and move on. That's a habit you want on test day too.
3. Check Listening and Reading with the chart
Count your correct answers. The official chart on celpip.ca gives approximate ranges out of 38 questions. For example, level 7 is about 27–31 correct answers in Listening and about 24–28 in Reading. The exact number changes a little from one test form to another, so treat your result as an estimate, not an official score. You'll find the full chart in CELPIP Scores and CLB Levels.
4. Check Speaking and Writing against the rating areas
Record your Speaking answers on your phone and save your Writing answers. Then check them against the four rating areas CELPIP uses. For Speaking: Content/Coherence, Vocabulary, Listenability and Task Fulfillment. For Writing: Content/Coherence, Vocabulary, Readability and Task Fulfillment. Ask yourself: Did I answer the exact task? Did I give reasons and details? Did I use the full time, or reach about 150–200 words in Writing?
Remember that a high-scoring answer can still have a few small mistakes. Don't spend your review on every small error. Look for the problems that repeat.
5. Review your mistakes
The review is the part that actually improves your level. For every wrong answer in Listening and Reading, find the exact sentence that gives the right answer and ask why the wrong option felt right. Give each mistake a short label, like missed a condition, repeated word, wrong speaker or ran out of time. After one or two tests, you'll see which labels repeat.
A Simple Practice Plan
- Take one full practice test in real conditions, and check it carefully.
- Practise your two weakest parts for one or two weeks, with short timed sets and the free materials above.
- Take another full test and compare the results part by part.
Don't spend all your practice tests at the start. If you use them all in the first week, you'll have nothing fresh to check your progress with later.
Your Next Step
Start with the free practice questions with model answers and get my free Vocabulary Booster for Speaking. If you'd like a CELPIP-trained instructor to listen to your answers and build a plan with you, see preparation for the CELPIP test with Masha.
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