CELPIP

There are a total of 6 parts to the CELPIP Listening test. In both General and LS, there will be a practice question, followed by a sequence of questions per each part. Each part of the Listening test will be the topics in the following order: problem solving, daily life conversation, information, news item, a discussion, and viewpoints. The number of questions in each part ranges from 5 to 8, with the exception of one question for the practice task. Each part will have an audio passage between 1 to 3 minutes in

length, and the audio passage will automatically be played once without pause. The duration of each part ranges between 5 to 9 minutes.

Test-takers will not have time to read the questions before the audio begins. The questions will appear for answering after the audio passage has been played. Once the timer is up, the next audio passage will begin and there will not be an option to go back to the previous page. The answers are selected from a drop-down menu or multiple-choice list, so test-takers do not have to type in the answer or “fill in the blank”. There are 3 types of questions: General Meaning (asking about the big picture), Specific Information (a particular detail) and Inference (drawing a conclusion from what was not stated directly). For more information on the CELPIP Listening test, visit CELPIP Listening Pro Study Pack.

The CELPIP Reading test has 4 parts, excluding the practice task which is unscored. The reading tasks are as follows:

• Part 1: Reading Correspondence – emails or letters from one community member to another

• about everyday situations

• Part 2: Reading to Apply a Diagram – charts, images or diagrams of schedules, brochures, guides etc. with visuals and text

• Part 3: Reading for Information – factual and objective piece of article, discussion, biography about a person, place, or event

• Part 4: Reading for Viewpoints – article, blog post or editorial about a specific topic

Each part will have between 8-11 multiple choice questions for a total of 38 questions each worth 1 mark, and the questions will appear on the same screen as the reading passage. Answers can be changed as many times as needed, however once the timer runs out the test will automatically proceed and returning to the previous page will not be an option. As the test progresses, the difficulty increases. There are three question types that are similar to the Listening test: General Meaning, Specific Information, and Inference. Part 1, 2 and 4 will each have two texts – Main Text, and Second Text, whereas Part 3 will be a four-paragraph informational text. The tones of each text will range from informal language to complex or conceptual formal language. The vocabulary and topics are of Canadian daily lives. For more information on the CELPIP Reading test, visit CELPIP Reading Pro Study Pack.

Generally speaking, the CELPIP Writing test has two similar-length tasks. Both the first and second task require a word count of between 150-200 words. Test-takers are to complete Task 1 within 27 minutes and Task 2 within 26 minutes. CELPIP Writing tests are done digitally and are equipped with an automatic spell-checker, however it will not distinguish the meaning between similar correctly spelled words such as “quite” and “quiet” so writing accuracy remains important.

• Task 1: Write an email about a given situation to an individual or organization. The tone may be semi-formal without informal slangs or formal language. The email could be about an inquiry, a request, an explanation, an offer etc. Examples of a recipient test-takers may be writing to could be a school board, an officer, a potential employer, or a business establishment.

Task 2: Write a response to a survey question. Test-takers will be given options to choose from regarding a survey question and are asked to select an option to provide an essay-type explanation for it. The tone should be semi-formal without informal slangs. Most of the topics will be Canadian-based workplace, education, or community situations. Examples of surveyors could be a university, the city council, the employer etc.

One of the distinctive features of the CELPIP Speaking test is it is done against a timer. There are a total of 8 tasks and one optional practice task at the beginning. Each task has approximately 30-60 seconds of preparation time and 60-90 seconds of speaking time. The test-taker will speak into the microphone in a room where other candidates may also be present. The timer for each question will be automatic for each task throughout the test and there will be a prompt (“Start speaking now”) before the recording begins. There will be one question per task.

• Task 1: Giving Advice – helping someone decide or prepare for something e.g., a co-worker asking for advice on planning a party, advising a sibling on where to study abroad, recommending a friend place to eat in town, advise someone on adopting a child

• Task 2: Talking about a Personal Experience – relaying a story about a previous experience e.g., a special holiday, a great dream, a tough journey, a lost item

• Task 3: Describing a Scene – observing an illustration and describing what is going on

• Task 4: Making Predictions – observing the same illustration from previous task and describe the potential outcomes or events

• Task 5: Comparing and Persuading – selecting an option between two choices and then persuading someone to agree with the option chosen e.g., traveling to an event by car or airplane, collecting data through interview or observation, reading religious books versus technical books

• Task 6: Dealing with a Difficult Situation – explaining the reasons behind a decision to a friend or family member e.g., telling a friend her fragrance is offensive to your roommate, explaining to the neighbor why you are unable to return her equipment because you lost your keys to access where the equipment is stored, convincing your roommate to allow your cousin to stay over for a year

• Task 7: Expressing Opinions – explain whether or not you agree with a statement and why e.g., whether handwriting is still important in the digital age, whether animal experimentations are justifiable, if democracy is the best form of government, whether animals should be kept in zoos

• Task 8: Describing an Unusual Situation – describing an unusual image of an item or situation to someone who is unable to see the image. For more information on the CELPIP Speaking test, visit CELPIP Speaking Pro Target 9 Study Pack