CELPIP Writing Task 1: How to Write the Email in 27 Minutes

CELPIP Writing Task 1 asks you to write one email of 150 to 200 words in 27 minutes. Read and plan first, write one paragraph for each point in the prompt, and keep the last few minutes to check.

This guide is about that process, minute by minute. If you want sample emails and a ready template, our CELPIP Writing page has them. The facts below come from the CELPIP website and its official 2026 study packs, checked in October 2026.

1What Task 1 asks you to do

Task 1, Writing an Email, is the first of two Writing tasks. The whole Writing section takes 53 minutes, and each task has its own timer. Task 1 gets 27 minutes.

The official overview study pack describes the task like this, in short:

• The topic: an everyday matter, such as a problem with a service or a request to someone in your community.
• The points: you are usually asked to do around three things.
• The length: 150 to 200 words.
• The screen: the background situation appears on the left, and the specific instructions on the right.

You type your answer. The test screen has basic editing tools, a word counter under each task and a spell-checker.

2How raters score the email

Raters give your Writing a level using four rating areas. Here is what each one means for an email:

• Content and coherence: how many ideas you give, how good they are, how well they are organized and how well you support them. In an email, every point needs at least one concrete detail.
• Vocabulary: word choice, range, precision and accuracy. The Writing Pro pack warns against reusing too many words from the question.
• Readability: format and paragraphing, linking words, grammar, spelling and punctuation. A new paragraph for each point makes your email easy to follow.
• Task fulfilment: relevance, completeness, tone and word count. This is where a missed point or the wrong tone costs you.

Task fulfilment is the easiest area to lose by accident. An official level 9 sample email in the overview pack lists one simple weakness: the third point was never addressed.

3Read the prompt closely

Spend the first minute only reading. Look for four things:

1. Who you are. A tenant, a parent, an employee, a customer?
2. Who you are writing to. A manager, a neighbour, a company, a friend?
3. What happened. The facts in the situation are fixed. The Writing Pro pack says not to change or ignore them.
4. What the points ask you to do. Note the verb in each one: explain, describe, suggest, ask, invite.

"Describe the problem" needs details. "Suggest a solution" needs a clear idea of what should happen next. If you describe when the task asks you to suggest, the point is not fully covered.

Choose the tone for the reader

Who you write to changes how you write. Think of three levels:

• Formal: a company, a city office, or someone in charge you have never met. Use "Dear Ms. Ortiz" or "Dear Sir or Madam", full forms like "I am", and "Yours sincerely".
• Semi-formal: a manager, a landlord, a teacher, or a neighbour you know a little. Use "Dear Mr. Chen", polite but natural sentences, and "Best regards".
• Friendly: a friend or a colleague you know well. Use "Hi Sam", warm sentences and a few contractions, and "Take care". Never use slang.

The official overview pack gives one clear rule for Task 1. The email should be neither too formal nor too informal. It says the reader is not a friend or family member, but also not someone in government.

So the semi-formal middle is your safe default. If the prompt does name a close friend, warm up a little, but keep full sentences. Whatever the reader, the Writing Pro pack says to avoid rudeness, sarcasm and casual slang. That applies to complaints too: be firm, never angry.

4Your 27-minute plan

The official guidance gives a range. The Writing Pro pack suggests 4 to 5 minutes of planning and about 3 minutes of checking. A writing tips article on the CELPIP website suggests 5 minutes to plan and 5 to 7 to revise. The plan below sits between the two:

• Minutes 0 to 1: read the prompt. Find the reader, your role and the points.
• Minutes 1 to 5: plan. Write one line per point, in the order given, with one or two details each. Then write your purpose sentence.
• Minutes 5 to 22: write. Greeting and purpose first, one paragraph per point, then a short closing and sign-off.
• Minutes 22 to 27: check. Points, tone, word count, then spelling and grammar.

Plan in point form

Your plan is notes, not sentences. The Writing Pro pack says not to worry about spelling while you brainstorm. Answer the points in the order the prompt lists them. That order gives your email its shape, and it makes a missed point easy to spot.

Reach 150 to 200 words

Aim for about 170 to 190 words. A simple budget: 20 to 25 words to open, 40 to 50 for each of three points, and 15 to 20 to close.

The CELPIP website says there is a little room above or below the limits. It also says your score may suffer if you are far outside them. Watch the counter as you write. If you are short, add a detail to your weakest point. If you are long, cut repeated ideas, not a point.

Check in the last minutes

Go through your email in this order:

• Points: can you point to a sentence for each one?
• Tone: does the greeting match the reader? Does the sign-off match the greeting?
• Word count: is the counter between 150 and 200?
• Errors: missing words, missing commas and repeated words. Even the official level 12 sample lists a missing "I" and a missing comma as weaknesses.

The spell-checker helps, but the CELPIP website warns it can be hard to pick the right word when it offers several. It will not fix grammar or a word that is spelled right but wrong in context.

5Practice prompt and plan

Here is an original example in the style of CELPIP Writing Task 1. It was written for this post by CelpMock and is not an official question.

Reader and tone: a coordinator you have not met, so semi-formal. You are unhappy, so be clear and polite.

A plan you could write in four minutes:

• Purpose: parent of Daniel, writing about the Saturday lesson time.
• Point 1, what changed: 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., notice by email last Tuesday, no warning.
• Point 2, the effect: hockey practice at 10:30 across town, so Daniel misses one each week.
• Point 3, what you want: move him to the 9 a.m. Sunday group, or refund the remaining lessons.
• Close: thank them, ask for a reply by Friday.

Here is the paragraph for point 2, with notes on why it works.

Try writing the opening and the other two points yourself, then check your total. For a full template, see our CELPIP Writing page.

6Common Task 1 situations

These are general descriptions written by CelpMock, not copies of official prompts. Many emails mix two of them.

• Complaint: a product, service or neighbour causes a problem. You explain it, say how it affects you and ask for a fix.
• Request: you ask a manager, a school or an office for something, such as time off, information or a change.
• Thank-you: you thank someone for help or a good experience, and say what it meant to you.
• Invitation: you invite someone to an event or to speak to a group, with the details they need to decide.
• Apology: you missed something, broke something or caused trouble. You say sorry, explain and offer to make it right.

The official study packs show two of these. One is a request to a librarian about opening hours. The other invites an author to visit a school class.

Each type has its own useful phrases. Our post on CELPIP vocabulary has phrase sets by topic and natural linking words. For tips on the other sections, read CELPIP tips for each section.

To try Task 1 on the real timer, take our free sample test. It includes a Task 1 email with AI feedback on all four rating areas.

7Frequently asked questions