CELPIP Speaking tasks 1–8: what to do and how to practise

What are the eight CELPIP Speaking tasks?

CELPIP’s official format page lists eight Speaking tasks in the order below. Each numbered entry gives our practice goal rather than an official rating descriptor. Source: CELPIP Test Format & Scoring, checked September 20, 2026.

• Task 1: Giving Advice: recommend an action and explain how it helps the person.
• Task 2: Talking about a Personal Experience: recount connected events and explain their significance.
• Task 3: Describing a Scene: organize visible people, actions and positions into a clear picture.
• Task 4: Making Predictions: connect likely next events to clues in the scene.
• Task 5: Comparing and Persuading: relate a choice to the listener’s needs and relevant tradeoffs.
• Task 6: Dealing with a Difficult Situation: communicate a decision tactfully and explain a workable next step.
• Task 7: Expressing Opinions: state a position and develop reasons that answer the question.
• Task 8: Describing an Unusual Situation: help someone understand unfamiliar features through precise description.

Speaking Task 4: making predictions from visible clues

Move from what is happening now to what is likely to happen next. Connect each prediction to a visible clue and use language such as “will probably” or “is likely to” when the outcome is uncertain. Repeating a scene description alone does not explain the next event.

Original text-only drill: imagine a park scene where a cyclist is approaching a puddle and a pedestrian is stepping toward the edge of the path. Predict a possible next action for each person. This short exercise practises reasoning from clues; it does not replace working with an actual picture.

• Check that each prediction has a clue in the scene.
• Avoid invented background, such as where someone works or why they left home.
• Record a fresh response using different clues; this excerpt is not a complete timed answer or a score prediction.

Speaking Task 7: expressing an opinion with reasons

Answer the question with a clear position, then explain reasons that support that position. Make each reason concrete with a relevant example or consequence. A brief acknowledgement of a tradeoff can add precision, provided your own answer stays clear.

Original practice question: should an apartment building reserve its common room for quiet study two evenings a week? Choose a position and record your own response before reading the excerpt. Either position can be developed; the exercise is about explaining it.

• Identify the sentence that directly answers the question.
• Check whether your example actually supports your reason.
• Use a different question for the next recording. The excerpt illustrates an approach; it is not an official sample, a full timed response or a predicted score.

Prepare notes that help you speak

Try a small note structure: main message, two supporting details, ending. Write keywords rather than a complete script. Reading a prepared paragraph aloud may hide the difficulty you actually need to practise: selecting and connecting ideas while speaking. Use the preparation and response windows displayed by the task you are practising.

For a visual task, distinguish observation from inference. “A person is reaching toward a dropped bag” describes an action. “They will probably pick it up” predicts what happens next. “They are late for work” invents background unless the task supplies that information. Clear boundaries make your response easier to justify.

Try an original advice exercise

Your friend has joined a neighbourhood running group but finds the first sessions too demanding. They are considering leaving. Give advice that respects their concern and proposes a practical next step. Before recording, choose one action and explain why it fits this person.

A vague response says, “Keep trying because exercise is good.” A more useful response might say, “Ask the organizer whether there is a shorter route for new members. You could build your stamina while still meeting the group at the finish.” The second version connects an action to the stated problem without promising a health outcome.

Listen for a problem you can locate

Replay your recording once for meaning. Can you identify the main message without reading your notes? Does each example support it? Next, replay a short stretch for delivery. Mark the time of a phrase that is difficult to follow and describe what happened: an unfinished sentence, an unclear word or a pause inside a connected idea.

A transcript can help you inspect repeated wording and organization, but it does not establish pronunciation, rhythm or intonation. If an automatic transcript looks wrong, listen to the audio before treating the text as your mistake. Keep your original recording so you can compare the evidence directly.

Make the second take a focused experiment

Change one feature for the next recording. You might place the recommendation first, replace a vague example, or practise one difficult phrase. Do not attempt to fix every aspect at once. Afterwards, compare the same feature in both recordings and write a short observation rather than assigning yourself an unsupported level.

On the following day, try a different prompt with the same communicative purpose. This checks whether you can transfer the approach instead of repeating a memorized answer. Rotate through all eight tasks over the week so that comfortable personal stories do not crowd out visual description or difficult conversations.