CELPIP Speaking: All 8 Tasks, Structure and Phrases

CELPIP Speaking is the last part of the CELPIP-General test: 8 short tasks in about 15 minutes. You speak to a computer, not an examiner. You read the task, get 30 or 60 seconds to prepare, and then the microphone records a 60- or 90-second response. The strategy is simple: for each task type, have a structure ready and a few phrases you can say without hesitating.

Below you'll find the format and timing of each task, how responses are scored, and an answer structure with phrases for all eight tasks: the words you'll actually say on test day.

CELPIP Speaking format: 8 tasks and timing

These details come from the official Speaking Pro Target 9 Study Pack 2026 and the Test Format & Scoring page:

When the preparation time runs out, the screen moves on by itself, you hear "Start speaking now" and recording begins. You can't stop or re-record a response, so a clear structure in your head matters more than perfect grammar.

When the author of this guide took CELPIP in 2024, the test opened with a practice task: talking about your best friend. It isn't scored, so use it to check your microphone and get used to the timer.

How CELPIP Speaking is scored

Each response is rated on four criteria. Your final level is based on the ratings for all 8 tasks, so one weak task won't sink your result.

Two practical points follow from this. First, pronunciation is part of your score, not a minor detail: long pauses and constant self-correction lower your Listenability. Second, tone matters too: in tasks 1, 6 and 8 you are talking to a specific person, so address them directly.

To see how CELPIP levels map to the CLB scale, read our CELPIP study guide.

The most useful official resource for Speaking is the Score Comparison Chart. For each level, it has sample responses with notes explaining their score. Compare responses to the same task at levels 7, 9 and 11, and the difference is obvious.

A structure that works for any task

Almost any response can be built from three parts:

1. Opening (1 sentence). Address the person or state your main point: "Hi Mark, I think you should…".

2. 2–3 points with details. Each point is one idea plus a reason or an example. Move from one point to the next with phrases like "Another thing you could do is…" or "On top of that…".

3. A short ending. A quick summary or a friendly sign-off: "Anyway, I hope this helps. Good luck!".

Don't write full sentences while you prepare. Jot down a keyword for each point, and start speaking from the first one.

Task 1: Giving Advice

What you're asked: help a friend, colleague or relative make a decision or prepare for something, such as a move, a job interview or a first camping trip. You get 90 seconds to respond, the longest response time in the test along with task 7.

Structure: greet the person by name → three pieces of advice, each with a reason or example → an encouraging ending. The official study pack recommends giving at least three pieces of advice and introducing each one with a different opening phrase.

Your advice doesn't have to be expert-level: this is a speaking test, not a finance or cooking exam. A short example from your own experience, even a made-up one, makes the advice more convincing: When I moved to Vancouver, researching schools first saved me a lot of stress.

Phrases:

• I'm glad you asked me about this.

• If I were you, I would…

• The first thing I'd suggest is…

• It might be a good idea to… because…

• Another thing you could do is…

• Whatever you do, make sure you…

• One last piece of advice:…

• I'm sure you'll do great. Let me know how it goes!

Sample opening: Hi Anna, I heard you're starting a new job next week. Congratulations! If I were you, I would plan the route the day before, because…

Task 2: Talking about a Personal Experience

What you're asked: tell a story from your own life, such as a time you helped someone, got an unexpected gift or made an important decision.

Structure: when and where → what happened (2–3 stages) → how it ended and how you felt. Use the past tense. If no real story comes to mind, make one up: raters score your language, not whether the story is true.

To come up with details in 30 seconds, run through who, what, when, where, why and start the story with a time: Last summer…, When I was in college….

Phrases:

• I'd like to tell you about a time when…

• This happened about two years ago, when I…

• At first, I…

• Then, out of nowhere,…

• To make things worse,…

• In the end,…

• I felt so relieved / proud / embarrassed.

• Looking back, I realize that…

Sample opening: I'd like to tell you about a time when I got lost in a new city. It was my first week in Calgary, and my phone had just died…

Task 3: Describing a Scene

What you're asked: describe a picture so that the listener can imagine the scene. It might be a park, a kitchen, an airport or a street.

Structure: one general sentence about the place → 3–4 details (who, what they are doing, what they look like) → the mood of the scene. Don't try to describe everything: a few details described well beat a list of objects.

Use the present continuous (is choosing, are playing) and tie each detail to a place in the picture: in the top left corner, in the bottom half, beside the tree. To finish, you can say: Alright, I hope I've given you a clear picture of the scene.

Phrases:

• This picture shows a busy… on a sunny afternoon.

• In the foreground, there's…

• In the background, I can see…

• On the left-hand side / On the right,…

• Right in the middle of the picture,…

• A young man in a blue jacket is…

• It looks like…

• Overall, the atmosphere seems relaxed / chaotic.

Sample opening: This picture shows a crowded farmers' market on a sunny weekend. In the foreground, an elderly woman is choosing tomatoes, while…

Task 4: Making Predictions

What you're asked: look at the same picture from task 3 and say what will happen next.

Structure: 3–4 predictions about different people in the picture → for each one, a reason based on what you can see. They're guesses, but they should be believable. Mix will, is going to and modal verbs so you don't repeat the same structure. Start with the most noticeable change and leave small details for last.

Phrases:

• I think in the next few minutes…

• It looks like… is about to…

• … is probably going to…

• There's a good chance that…

• … might / could…

• Judging by…, I'd say…

• As a result, …will probably feel…

• By the end of the day,…

Sample opening: Judging by the dark clouds, I'd say it's about to rain. The woman with the tomatoes is probably going to hurry to her car, and…

Task 5: Comparing and Persuading

What you're asked: this task has two parts. In Part 1, you spend 60 seconds comparing two options, such as two apartments or two gifts, and choose one. You don't speak yet. In Part 2, the other person suggests a third option, and you get 60 seconds to prepare and 60 seconds to persuade them that your choice is better.

Structure: your choice → 2–3 advantages of your option, each compared with the other person's option → a conclusion. Take details from the option descriptions (price, location, size) and explain why they matter to this person.

Cover every point in the description, and answer the main objection before the other person raises it: Yes, it's more expensive, but it will last for years. For a softer start, try I know you're leaning towards…, but hear me out.

Phrases:

• I see why you like…, but I really think… is the better choice.

• First of all, … is much cheaper / closer / bigger than…

• Unlike…, my option…

• While… has…, it doesn't have…

• On top of that,…

• In the long run,…

• Considering…, it just makes more sense to…

• So, I'd strongly recommend we go with…

Sample opening: I see why you like the downtown apartment, but I really think the one near the park is the better choice. First of all, it's two hundred dollars cheaper per month…

Task 6: Dealing with a Difficult Situation

What you're asked: choose one of two courses of action and explain your decision to someone it will upset: a friend, colleague, neighbour or customer. You get 60 seconds to prepare.

Structure: address the person and briefly state the problem → your decision → 2 reasons → sympathy and a compromise. The tone should be polite but firm.

If the scenario has you calling the person, start with Hi Sam, it's Alex calling. To open an awkward conversation, you can say: Look, this is a bit awkward, but let me be honest with you.

Phrases:

• I really need to talk to you about something.

• I know this isn't what you want to hear, but…

• I've thought about it a lot, and I've decided to…

• The main reason is that…

• I hope you can understand that…

• I'm really sorry about…

• How about we… instead?

• I hope this won't change anything between us.

Sample opening: Hi Tom, I really need to talk to you about the camping trip. I know this isn't what you want to hear, but I've decided not to go this weekend…

Task 7: Expressing Opinions

What you're asked: answer "yes" or "no" to a question like Do you think cities should ban cars from downtown? and support your position in 90 seconds.

Structure: a clear position → three reasons, each with a detail or example → restate your position. Decide "yes" or "no" within a few seconds: raters score how well you support your position, not which side you choose.

Phrases:

• In my opinion,… / I strongly believe that…

• There are three main reasons why I feel this way.

• First of all,…

• For example,…

• Another reason is that…

• Some people might argue that…, but…

• Last but not least,…

• That's why I'm convinced that…

Sample opening: I strongly believe that cities should ban cars from downtown. There are three main reasons why I feel this way. First of all, the air would be much cleaner…

For more ways to express an opinion, see the Opinions and Points of View collection, which you can import into Polidict and practise.

Task 8: Describing an Unusual Situation

What you're asked: describe an unusual object, such as a strange lamp, a piece of furniture or an invention, over the phone. The other person can't see it, so everything depends on how precisely you describe it.

Structure: greeting and reason for the call → shape, size, colour, material → what is unusual about it → your opinion and a goodbye. If you don't know the exact word, describe the object in simple words: a thing that looks like a small umbrella.

If the object really is hard to describe, a natural filler phrase buys you a second to think: Wow, this is really hard to describe. Give me a second. Use it once, not after every sentence.

Phrases:

• Hi Sam, it's me. I'm at the store and I just saw the strangest…

• It's about the size of…

• It's shaped like a… / It looks a bit like…

• It's made of… and it's bright orange.

• The weird thing about it is that…

• On top of it, there's…

• I think it would be perfect for…

• Anyway, let me know what you think. Talk to you later!

Sample opening: Hi Sam, it's me. I'm at the furniture store and I just saw the strangest chair. It's shaped like a giant hand, and it's made of…

How to practise phrases for CELPIP Speaking

Knowing a phrase and saying it smoothly against a timer are different skills. To make the phrases from this guide sound natural on test day:

1. Pick 3–4 phrases per task. Don't learn them all at once. Choose the ones that feel most comfortable to say.

2. Add them to Polidict. You can save If I were you, in the long run or judging by as separate phrases and practise them alongside your words with spaced repetition. A phrase can be up to 50 characters, so save just the core without the "…" and add the full sentence as an example.

3. Practise pronunciation. Pronunciation assessment in Polidict shows which words in a phrase sound unclear and which ones to repeat. This directly affects your Listenability score.

4. Record full responses with a timer. Every few days, take a task from the free CELPIP practice tests, set a timer for 30 and then 60 or 90 seconds, and record yourself. Then listen back: where did you go quiet, and where did you repeat the same word three times?

Common mistakes

• Silence at the start. Begin with the first sentence of your structure, even if you haven't worked out all your ideas yet.

• Answering the wrong question. In tasks 5 and 6, it's easy to mix up your option with the other person's. Reread the task during preparation.

• A list instead of a description. "There is a tree. There is a dog. There is a car" sounds like an inventory. Add actions, adjectives and connections between details.

• The same structure every time. If every sentence starts with I think, your Vocabulary score drops. Have 2–3 alternatives ready for each situation.

• The wrong tone. Advice to a friend and a conversation with a customer sound different. Address the person by name when the task gives one.

• Getting cut off mid-sentence. Leave 5–10 seconds for your closing sentence.

FAQ

How long is CELPIP Speaking?

About 15 minutes. There are 8 tasks, each with 30 to 60 seconds to prepare and 60 to 90 seconds to respond.

Can I take notes during preparation?

Yes. According to the official CELPIP podcast, the test centre gives you a pen and paper for notes during Writing and Speaking, and the notes themselves are not scored. Write down keywords, not full sentences: there isn't time for more.

Do I have to speak until the timer runs out?

It's best to use most of the time, because length is part of the Task Fulfillment criterion. But finishing with a confident summary a few seconds early is better than being cut off mid-thought.

Does my accent matter?

An accent on its own is not a problem. What matters is how easy you are to understand: rhythm, stress, pauses and the pronunciation of individual words.

Can I make up a story in task 2?

Yes. The official CELPIP study pack explicitly recommends making up a story if no real one comes to mind.

Summary

• CELPIP Speaking is 8 tasks in about 15 minutes. The time for each task is fixed, and recording starts automatically.

• Have a ready-made structure for each task: an opening, 2–3 points with reasons or details, and an ending.

• Learn 3–4 phrases per task and practise saying them until they sound natural.

Start with the tasks you find hardest: add the phrases from this guide to Polidict and spend a few minutes on them every day. For a full overview of the test, including Listening, Reading and Writing, see our CELPIP study guide.