CELPIP Speaking samples and practice test
All eight CELPIP Speaking tasks with a sample question for each, then your own recorded answers marked on the four criteria the test uses.
The Speaking test has 8 tasks, is marked on 4 criteria and takes about 15 minutes.
CELPIP Speaking tasks 1 to 8, with sample questions
The CELPIP Speaking test has eight tasks. You speak into a microphone and each answer is recorded. Here is one sample question for every task.
Task 1: Giving Advice
30 seconds to prepare, 90 to speakYour colleague Nadia works at the front desk of a community centre. Tomorrow at noon is the last time families can sign up for the children's winter swimming lessons, and Nadia still has a long line of forms to enter and a phone that keeps ringing. Her coworker Carlos is free this afternoon, and she is not sure whether to ask him for help. Advise Nadia about how to finish before the deadline. Give clear suggestions, explain your reasons and what is likely to happen, and end with a short, friendly closing thought. You have 30 seconds to prepare and 90 seconds to answer.
Task 2: Talking about a Personal Experience
30 seconds to prepare, 60 to speakThink about a time when you had to finish something before a deadline in the building where you lived. Tell the story of what happened. For example, you might talk about returning a form to the building office before the end of the week, clearing your things out of a shared storage room by a set date, or helping a neighbour such as Leila get ready for an inspection on a certain day. Say what happened first, next and last. What did you do to finish on time, and how did you feel at the end? What did you learn from the experience? You have 30 seconds to prepare and 60 seconds to speak. Use the past tense.
Task 3: Describing a Scene
30 seconds to prepare, 60 to speakDescribe what is happening in the picture to someone who cannot see it. Give as much detail as you can.
Task 4: Making Predictions
30 seconds to prepare, 60 to speakDescribe what you think will most probably happen next in this picture.
Task 5: Comparing and Persuading
60 seconds to choose, 60 to prepare, 60 to speakYou and your friend Hassan plan to rent an apartment together in a building near your workplaces. You have seen three apartments and must agree on one. Choose one of the first two cards. Then speak to Hassan, who prefers the third apartment, and persuade him that your choice is the better one for both of you.
Task 6: Dealing with a Difficult Situation
60 seconds to prepare, 60 to speakYou are a parent volunteer at your child's school. Every afternoon, parents wait in cars outside the main doors, and the noise bothers the classes near the front. A teacher named Anika has asked you to tell the other parents to wait farther away. Another parent, Dmitri, says the parking lot at the back is too far and too dark for small children, and he wants the pickup spot to stay where it is. Both of them are waiting for your answer.
Task 7: Expressing Opinions
30 seconds to prepare, 90 to speakWould you recommend public transit as the best way for most adults to get around town? Give your reasons, support them with examples, and finish with a short conclusion.
Task 8: Describing an Unusual Situation
30 seconds to prepare, 60 to speakYou are in a furniture store and have found a strange chair that costs a good price. Your friend Monique is furnishing her new apartment, so you call to see if she wants it. Phone Monique, who cannot see the picture, and describe what you see in detail. Then ask Monique if she has room for it in her living room.
Record your own answers and have them marked. Start with Tasks 1 and 2 in the free sample test
How CELPIP Speaking is scored
There is no score chart for Speaking, because nothing is counted right or wrong. Each answer is marked on four criteria, and your Speaking level comes from those.
On the real test, trained raters listen to your recordings. On CelpMock the marking is done by AI from your recording against the same four criteria, so read your level as a close estimate.
CELPIP Speaking template and timing for all 8 tasks
You get a short time to prepare and a short time to speak. One simple order fits every task.
Timing of the 8 tasks
PrepareSpeakA template that fits every task
The order, not the sentences.Free CELPIP Speaking practice, or all eight tasks with a pass
Start free with two tasks. A pass opens the rest.
Free sample test
FreeSpeaking with a pass
With a passOn the real test, Speaking takes about 15 minutes, the same as here. The CELPIP test format guide shows how long each section takes.
For citizenship you can take the shorter CELPIP-General LS test, which has only Listening and Speaking.
CELPIP Speaking test: common questions
How many tasks are in the CELPIP Speaking test?
Eight: giving advice, talking about a personal experience, describing a scene, making predictions, comparing and persuading, dealing with a difficult situation, expressing opinions, and describing an unusual situation.
How long is the CELPIP Speaking test?
About 15 minutes. Each task gives you 30 or 60 seconds to prepare and 60 or 90 seconds to speak.
Do I speak to an examiner?
No. You speak into a microphone at a computer and your answers are recorded. Practising here works the same way.
What are common CELPIP Speaking topics?
Everyday life in Canada: work, neighbours, housing, shopping, transport, school and community services. The eight sample questions on this page show the range.
Is CELPIP Speaking practice free here?
Tasks 1 and 2 are free: they are part of the free sample test, and both answers come back with a level and comments. Tasks 3 to 8 open with a pass.
What Speaking level do I need?
Canadian citizenship asks for level 4 in Speaking and Listening. Express Entry as a Federal Skilled Worker needs level 7 in every skill, and level 9 in every skill adds points.