CELPIP (Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program) is a test that measures a

candidate’s English abilities for a variety of routine purposes. CELPIP test has two versions:

CELPIP- General:

Duration: About 3 hours, Components: Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking

(Valid for various immigration and licensing purposes)

CELPIP-General LS:

Duration: About 1 hour, Components: Listening, Speaking

(Valid for Canadian Citizenship applications)

CELPIP highlights:
 CELPIP is a fully computer delivered test.
 The complete test is taken in a single sitting.
 CELPIP assesses an individual’s listening, reading, writing and speaking abilities in Eng-
lish.
 CELPIP is accepted by a number of immigration, professional and academic organiza-
tions.
 CELPIP results are available online in 4 to 5 days after the test.

CELPIP Test Structure

CELPIP Listening:
Duration: 47-55 minutes
Total number of Questions: 38
Listening Task No. of Questions

Practice Task 1

Task 1: Listening to Problem Solving 8

Task 2: Listening to a Daily Life Con-

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versation

Task 3: Listening for Information 6

Task 4: Listening to a News Item 5

Task 5: Listening to a Discussion 8

Task 6: Listening to Viewpoints 6

Listening test score

Number of correct answers out of 38 CELPIP Levels

35-38 10-12
33-35 9
30-33 8
27-31 7
22-28 6
17-23 5
11-18 4
7-12 3
0-7 M

*This chart shows only an approximate idea of the score.

In the CELPIP Listening test each part focuses on different skills, like identifying main ideas, specific details,
and speaker opinions.
Here's a breakdown of the question types and what they assess:
1. Listening to Problem-Solving:
 Involves listening to short conversations (90 seconds each) where participants discuss a problem and possible
solutions.

 Questions assess understanding of the problem, the proposed solutions, and the speakers' opinions.
2. Listening to a Conversation:
 Focuses on a longer conversation (2 minutes) between friends or family members.

 Questions test comprehension of the main ideas, specific details, and the speakers' relationship or attitudes.
3. Listening to a News Item:
 Involves listening to a news recording (1.5 minutes).

 Questions require understanding of facts, figures, and the overall news story.
4. Listening to a Discussion:
 Focuses on a discussion, possibly about opinions on inventions, social issues, or policies.

 Questions test comprehension of the main ideas, supporting details, and the speakers' perspectives.
5. Listening for Information:
 Involves listening for specific details, opinions, and supporting information within a longer conversation or
monologue.

 Questions may require inferring the speaker's attitude or tone.

6. Listening for Viewpoints:
 Focuses on understanding different perspectives or viewpoints presented in a conversation or discussion.

 Questions test comprehension of the main ideas, specific details, and the speakers' opinions.

Tips for Success:

 Take Notes:

Practice taking notes during the recordings to help you remember details and key information.

 Active Listening:

Pay close attention to the speakers' tone, transitions, and key points.

 Manage Your Time:

Practice managing your time effectively during the test, especially when answering questions.

 Practice:
Utilize practice materials and mock tests to familiarize yourself with the different question types and formats.
CELPIP READING

Key points about CELPIP Reading:

 The test is divided into four parts, each with a specific focus and set of question types.
 All questions are multiple choice.
 You will have a total of 55-60 minutes to complete the reading section.
 Strategies for success include previewing the test screen, skimming the passage, reading the questions
first, and eliminating incorrect answers.
 Remember to manage your time effectively during the test.
Duration: 55-60 minutes
Total number of Questions: 38

Reading Task No. of Questions

Practice Task 1

Task 1: Reading Correspondence 11

Task 2: Reading to Apply a Diagram 8

Task 3: Reading for Information 9

Task 4: Reading to Viewpoints 10

Reading test score conversion chart

Number of correct answers out of 38 CELPIP Levels

33-38 10-12
31-33 9
28-31 8
24-28 7
19-25 6
15-20 5
10-16 4
8-11 3
0-7 M
1. Reading Correspondence:
 Focus: Understanding emails or letters about everyday matters.

 Task: Answering multiple-choice questions based on the provided correspondence.

 Example: You might be asked to identify the main purpose of an email or to find a
specific piece of information mentioned in it.
 Duration: 11 minutes with 11 questions.
2. Reading to Apply a Diagram:
 Focus: Interpreting and applying information from a diagram.

 Task: Answering multiple-choice questions that require you to use the diagram to find
the correct information.
 Example: You might be shown a map and asked to identify a location based on given
instructions.
 Duration: 9 minutes with 8 questions.
3. Reading for Information:
 Focus: Understanding general meaning and specific details in a passage.

 Task: Answering multiple-choice questions that require you to identify the main idea,
supporting details, or specific information from the passage.
 Example: You might be asked to identify the topic of a paragraph or to find a specific
fact mentioned in the passage.
 Duration: Not specified, but there are 9 questions.
4. Reading for Viewpoints:
 Focus: Understanding different perspectives and opinions presented in an article.

 Task: Answering multiple-choice questions that require you to identify the author's
viewpoint, the main idea of a viewpoint, or to make inferences based on the viewpoints
presented.
 Example: You might be asked to identify which statement best summarizes a reader's
opinion or to infer the author's attitude towards a topic.
 Duration: 13 minutes with 10 questions.

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 CELPIP WRITING

Duration: 53-60 minutes

Total number of Questions: 2

Writing Task No. of Questions

Task 1: Writing an Email 1

Task 2: Responding to a Survey Ques-

1
tion

CELPIP Writing
Duration: 53-60 minutes

Email Survey Response

Duration 27 Minutes 26 Minutes
Word 150-200 words 150-200 words
Length
Weightage 50% of the total score 50% of the total score

Performance Standards for CELPIP Writing

The Writing module of CELPIP is evaluated according to the following four parameters.
1. Coherence/Meaning
The parameter measures organization and flow of ideas. It shows the ability of a candidate to understand and
express proper meaning of the writing task by including variety and maintain- ing quality in ideas.
2. Vocabulary
This parameter measures the ability of a candidate to use wide range of vocabulary to express
precise meaning.
3. Readability
This checks grammatical understanding of the language which includes the knowledge of rules, spellings,
punctuation etc. It also evaluates the capability of a candidate to use complexity and variety in sentences.
4. Task fulfillment
This parameter checks the understanding of the question statement by the candidate. It means whether the
candidate wrote the task according to the given question statement or they got deviated from it. Also, the

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answer should be complete and its tone should be appropriate.

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WRITING AN EMAIL:
The e-mail question in the CELPIP Writing test is usually associated with either official work
or community work.
Email for Official work
An email written for an official purpose is written in a formal tone. These emails have an
element of distance and respect towards the recipient as there is no personal relationship
between the sender and the recipient of the email. For example: email written to boss, editor of
news- paper, teacher etc.
Example Question
Last week, you travelled in a domestic airline for some business reasons, but your experience
of that flight was not very good. Due to this, you want to write an email to the airline.
Write an email to the airline in about 150-200 words. Your email should include the following:
 The details of your flight.
 The problems that you faced during your flight.
 What you want them to do.
This type of email should have a formal tone throughout.
 The email should be started with an opening salutation (Dear Sir/Madam).
 The contents of the email can be divided into 3 paragraphs.
 The email should be completed with a closing salutation (Yours sincerely).

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 Dear Sir/Madam,

Introduce yourself + I am writing this email to …...(purpose of the email) ...

…………………Elaborate first point of the question……………………

…………………Elaborate second point of the question…………………

…………………Elaborate third point of the question……………………

Yours sincerely,

Margarita Oliver

Email for Community work

This email is not written for an official purpose but, still requires a certain level of formality.
For example: email written to neighbor or community coordinator.

Example Question 1
You live in a rented house and are unable to pay next month’s rent due to financial problems.
You want to write an email to your landlord.
Write an email to the landlord in about 150-200 words. Your email should include the follow-
ing:
 Write the reason why you are writing.
 Write the reason due to which you cannot pay the rent.
 Write what you want the landlord to do.

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 Example Question 2
You have a large extended family and every year you all get together on a family vacation. This
year, your cousin is in-charge of planning this vacation for you all and you want to sug- gest a
place for this.
Write an email to your cousin in about 150-200 words. Your email should include the follow- ing:
 Which place do you want to suggest
 Describe your previous experience at this place
 Write about the features of this place

This type of email should be written in a semi-formal or an informal tone depending upon the
question statement.
 The email should be started with an opening salutation (Dear Mr. Brown/Dear Harry).
 The contents of the email can be divided into 3 paragraphs.

 The email should be completed with a closing salutation (Yours sincerely).

Dear Mr. Brown/Dear Harry, (use salutation according to the relationship

that you share with the recipient)

Introduce yourself (if required) + I am writing to ...(Purpose of the email) ........

....................Elaborate first point of the question........................

..................Elaborate second point of the question................

...................Elaborate third point of the question........................

Yours sincerely,

Margarita

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Survey response
A survey question statement presents a situation in which a decision is required to be made by an
authority (a company, city council, college authorities etc...). However, before making this
decision, the authority asks for your opinion about the decision.
The question includes a situation with two choices- Option A and Option B.
The writer is expected to give their opinion by choosing one of the given options and explain
the reasons for choosing it.

Example Question: City Development Survey

You live in a small town of 10,000 people. A large green area in the center of town is undevel-
oped. The city has sent out an opinion survey to see what residents would like to have built in that
area.

Choose the option that you prefer. Why do you prefer your choice? Explain the reasons for
your choice. Write about 150-200 words.
Option A: Shopping Complex: This shopping mall would include restaurants, a large super- market,
and a movie theatre.
Option B: Recreational Park: This Park would include a sports complex, a large green area, and a
small petting zoo.

Strategy of writing a survey response

Choose one of the given options and give 4 reasons (for high bands) of your choice.
Use the following 4 paragraph structure.

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Survey Response Structure

Introduction

(Introduce the topic and give your opinion)

Body Paragraph 1

(Give reasons of your choice)

Body Paragraph 2

(Give more reasons of your choice)

Conclusion

(Repeat your opinion and give a summary of the points given in both the body paragraphs

*Generate your ideas before starting your answer.

For explaining a reason, use the following method:

 Give result - As per the example question, if the reason of choosing a shopping complex is
that it will increase the convenience of the residents, then its explanation would be:
 As a result, the residents will have no need to visit the nearby city to fulfill their
shopping and recreational needs.

For CELPIP Levels of up to 6 For CELPIP Levels of 7 or more

2 ideas are sufficient Simple  Show variety in ideas
vocabulary  Paraphrase wherever possible
 Use connectors (Firstly, therefore, ..)
 Use complex sentences by using conjunc- tions

The following section of the book includes several examples of solved CELPIP Writings. These
writings can help a CELPIP aspirant to understand various aspects of a good writing in- cluding
writing structure, vocabulary, sentence structure and so on.
Furthermore, the writings are labelled with the CELPIP levels making it easier for different students
to choose what they need to follow to get their desired score.

CELPIP Speaking
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 Duration: 15-20
minutes

Total number of
Questions: 8

Speaking Task No. of Questions

Practice Task 1

Task 1: Giving Advice 1

Task 2: Talking about a Personal Experience 1

Task 3: Describing a Scene 1

Task 4: Making Predictions 1

Task 5: Comparing and Persuading 1

Task 6: Dealing with a Difficult Situation 1

Task 7: Expressing Opinions 1

Task 8: Describing an Unusual Situation 1

Performance Standards for CELPIP Speaking

The Speaking module of CELPIP is evaluated according to the following four parameters.
1. Coherence/Meaning
This parameter measures organization and flow of ideas in speech. It shows the ability of a
candidate to understand and express proper meaning in their speaking.
2. Vocabulary
This parameter measures the ability of a candidate to use variety in the use of words and com-
bination of words. Also, it checks how much is the hesitation in speech and whether a candi- date
takes pauses or not.
3. Listenability
Pronunciation is checked in this category as to whether a candidate can speak out the words
correctly and clearly. Apart from this, a good intonation ensures better understandability.
4. Task Fulfillment
This parameter checks the understanding of the question statement by the candidate. It means
whether the candidate speaks according to the given question statement or they got deviated from it.

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