CELPIP Speaking Sample Answers: All 8 Tasks (2026)

Below are sample answers for all 8 CELPIP Speaking tasks, one per task, each written to CELPIP's published Level 9 descriptors and timed to the real recording limit. Every prompt comes from the CELTESTPIP question bank, so you can record your own answer to the same prompt and compare it with the sample.

I wrote these the way I teach my own students to speak: a clear opening, two or three developed points, a short close, and nothing memorised. Read each one once, then say your own version out loud with the clock running. Reading a sample teaches you what good sounds like. Recording yourself is what moves the score.

Every prompt on this page is the free first question of its task. Open the free Speaking practice test, pick a task, and record your answer before you read the sample. Then compare.

What does the CELPIP Speaking test look like?

Eight tasks, about 15 minutes, all recorded on the computer. You get a short preparation time, then the microphone opens and you speak until the clock runs out. CELPIP publishes the timing for each task in its 2026 Speaking Pro study packs:

Only Tasks 1 and 7 give you 90 seconds. Every other task is 60, which at the pace I coach is about 130 to 160 words. The samples below are written to those lengths on purpose. If your answer is much shorter, you are leaving marks on the table; if it is much longer, you will be cut off mid-sentence.

How are these sample answers labelled?

Each sample is our example of a Level 9 answer, written against CELPIP's published Speaking level descriptors. None of them has been scored by CELPIP. Only trained raters can give a real CELPIP level, so no page on the internet can promise that an answer "scores 9". What we can do is build each answer to what the descriptors say a Level 9 speaker does, and show you where that happens.

CELPIP rates Speaking on four criteria: Content/Coherence, Vocabulary, Listenability and Task Fulfillment. At Level 9, the descriptors say a speaker can "present information and support ideas with moderately complex reasons", use "common and context-specific vocabulary" with "some figures of speech and idioms", speak "with some control of complex grammatical structures" and "mostly fluent rhythm, pronunciation, and intonation", and "adjust my speaking style and tone to a range of audiences and situations". Under every sample you will find three short notes on how it meets those lines.

One more honest point. Levels in Speaking are about how you say it as much as what you say, and a page cannot show pronunciation or rhythm. Record your version and listen back, or let the AI feedback on each free question tell you where your rhythm breaks. The CELPIP Speaking score chart explains what each level means for your immigration file.

What does a Task 1 Giving Advice answer sound like? (90 seconds)

Prompt (free question 1 of 84): Your co-worker has been offered a promotion at work, but it requires him to relocate to another city. He is unsure whether to accept the offer or stay in his current position. Advise him on what he should consider when making this decision.

Sample answer, about 205 words:

To be fair, this is a great problem to have, but I would not rush it. There are three things I would look at before you decide.

First, think about the money, and not just the salary. A bigger title in a more expensive city can actually leave you with less at the end of the month, so compare rent, transport and childcare before you compare pay cheques.

Second, think about the people. If you have family or close friends here, moving will cost you that support, at least for the first year. On the other hand, if you have been feeling a bit stuck, a fresh start can be exactly what you need.

Third, and this is the one most people skip, ask what happens if it does not work out. Can you come back to your current role? Is there a trial period? A good company will give you a straight answer, and that answer tells you a lot about how much they value you.

So my advice is to write those three things down, talk it through with your family, and give yourself a deadline so you do not go round in circles. Whatever you choose, make it a decision, not a drift.

What the rater hears:

• Content/Coherence: three signposted points, each with a reason, and a close that returns to the decision. That is "support ideas with moderately complex reasons" in practice.
• Vocabulary: context-specific words (trial period, support, pay cheque) plus natural idioms ("a great problem to have", "go round in circles", "a decision, not a drift").
• Task Fulfillment: the prompt asks what he should consider, so every point is a consideration, not an instruction to accept or refuse.

Structure for this task: CELPIP Speaking Task 1 template. Record your own version: Task 1 free question.

What does a Task 2 Personal Experience answer sound like? (60 seconds)

Prompt (free question 1 of 91): Talk about an experience of getting lost in an unfamiliar place. Maybe you can talk about losing your way in a new city, getting separated from a group during a trip, or wandering into an unknown neighborhood. What happened, how did you feel during the experience, and why is it memorable to you?

Sample answer, about 150 words:

The time I remember best was my second week in Montreal. I took the metro to meet a friend, got off one stop too early, and my phone died before I could open the map.

At first I was fine, because I thought I could just follow the main road. Twenty minutes later I was in a residential area with no shops, no signs I recognised, and it was starting to get dark. I felt really nervous, and a bit embarrassed, because I had told everyone I knew the city already.

In the end I asked an older man walking his dog, and he not only gave me directions, he walked me to the corner so I would not miss the turn. It is memorable because it was the first time I asked a stranger for help in English, and it went fine. After that, the city felt a lot smaller.

What the rater hears:

• Content/Coherence: a clear sequence (what happened, how it felt, why it matters) that answers all three parts of the prompt in order.
• Vocabulary: precise verbs and phrases (got off one stop too early, residential area, walked me to the corner) rather than general words like "went" and "place".
• Listenability: past tenses are controlled and consistent, with one longer sentence balanced by short ones, which keeps the rhythm natural.

Structure for this task: CELPIP Speaking Task 2 template. Record your own version: Task 2 free question.

What does a Task 3 Describing a Scene answer sound like? (60 seconds)

Prompt (free question 1 of 74): Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture. The picture shows a busy outdoor community pool on a sunny afternoon.

Sample answer, about 160 words:

This is an outdoor community pool on a sunny afternoon, and it is busy. In the foreground on the left, a lifeguard in a red swimsuit is sitting in her tall white chair, watching the water, with a rescue float beside her.

In the middle of the pool, three children are jumping in and splashing each other, and you can see the water flying everywhere. Further back, a man is swimming laps, and at the far end someone is diving off the board.

On the right-hand side, there is a patio with a blue umbrella where an older couple is sitting at a table. One of them is reading a newspaper. Next to them, a staff member in a white shirt is mopping the deck, and there is a yellow wet-floor sign beside him.

At the bottom right, a father is helping a little girl in pink arm floats get ready to go in. It looks like a typical hot Saturday.

What the rater hears:

• Content/Coherence: the description moves in an order a listener can follow (left, middle, right, bottom), which matters because the other person cannot see the picture.
• Vocabulary: specific nouns (lifeguard, rescue float, patio, wet-floor sign, arm floats) instead of "thing" and "person".
• Task Fulfillment: it describes what is happening, in the present continuous, and does not drift into a story or an opinion.

Structure for this task: CELPIP Speaking Task 3 template. Record your own version: Task 3 free question.

What does a Task 4 Making Predictions answer sound like? (60 seconds)

Prompt (free question 1 of 69): In this picture, what do you think will most probably happen next? The picture shows an apple orchard at harvest time: a woman on a ladder picking apples, a man loading crates onto a pickup truck, a tractor pulling a trailer, a cider stand, two children with rabbits, a dog, and dark clouds moving in.

Sample answer, about 155 words:

I think the first thing that will happen is rain. The clouds on the left are dark and low, and the wind is already blowing papers off the cider stand, so I would say they have ten or fifteen minutes at most.

Because of that, the man by the truck will probably start loading the crates faster, and he will likely call the woman on the ladder to come down, since a wet ladder is dangerous. She will probably pick two or three more apples first, because people always do that.

The children with the rabbits will most likely be told to put them back in the hutch, and the dog will follow the kids wherever they go. I also expect the woman at the cider stand to pack up her jugs and move them under the barn roof.

So in about half an hour, I predict everyone will be in the barn, drying off, drinking cider.

What the rater hears:

• Content/Coherence: each prediction is tied to evidence in the picture (dark clouds, papers blowing, a wet ladder), so the reasons are visible, not invented.
• Vocabulary: a range of prediction language (will probably, will likely, most likely, I expect, I predict) rather than "will" eight times.
• Listenability: future forms and modals are controlled, and the humour in "people always do that" sounds like a real speaker, not a script.

Structure for this task: CELPIP Speaking Task 4 template. Record your own version: Task 4 free question.

What does a Task 5 Comparing and Persuading answer sound like? (60 seconds)

Prompt (free question 1 of 82): You work at a local grocery store and are responsible for selecting fruit baskets to feature in the front display. You found two suitable options. Choose the option that you prefer. Option 1: a discounted basket of apples, bananas and pears, some slightly overripe, deeply discounted, good for quick sale. Option 2: a standard mix of imported fruit at regular price, long shelf life, no particular marketing appeal. In Part 2, your manager prefers the other option. Persuade them that yours is better.

Sample answer (Part 2, you chose Option 1), about 155 words:

I understand why you like the standard mix, because it will not go off, but I still think the discounted basket is the better choice for the front display, for two reasons.

First, the front display is about getting people to stop. A deep discount on a basket of apples, bananas and pears is something customers notice from the door. The imported mix at regular price looks like every other shelf in the store.

Second, the overripe fruit is actually the point. We already have those apples and pears, and if we do not sell them this week we throw them away. Putting them out front turns waste into sales instead of a loss.

If you are worried about shelf life, we can keep the display small and refill it twice a day. That way we move the discounted fruit fast and the standard mix stays on the regular shelves for the people who want it.

What the rater hears:

• Content/Coherence: it names the other side's point first, then gives two reasons and a compromise, which is the shape of real persuasion.
• Vocabulary: business words that fit the setting (front display, shelf life, deep discount, move the fruit, turn waste into sales).
• Task Fulfillment: the whole answer argues for the choice; it does not describe both options again, which is the most common Task 5 mistake.

Structure for this task: CELPIP Speaking Task 5 template. Record your own version: Task 5 free question.

What does a Task 6 Difficult Situation answer sound like? (60 seconds)

Prompt (free question 1 of 85): You work at a bakery and your manager has asked you to train a new employee, Tom. Tom is making many mistakes and learning slowly. Your manager wants you to tell Tom that he will be let go if he does not improve. Tom has told you he is going through personal difficulties and that this job matters a lot to him. Choose one: talk to your manager and explain why Tom should get more time, or talk to Tom and explain why he needs to improve quickly.

Sample answer (you chose to talk to the manager), about 155 words:

Hi Maria, do you have two minutes? I wanted to talk to you about Tom before I say anything to him.

I know he has made a lot of mistakes this week, and I am not going to pretend otherwise. But I have been working next to him every day, and I think the problem is pace, not attitude. He asks good questions, he writes everything down, and he stays late to clean up without being asked.

He also told me he is dealing with something difficult at home right now. I will not go into details, but it explains a lot.

So what I would like to suggest is two more weeks. I will give him a checklist for each shift and go through it with him at the end of the day. If he is still making the same mistakes after that, I will support whatever you decide. Would that work for you?

What the rater hears:

• Content/Coherence: it opens by naming the listener and the purpose, accepts the manager's concern, then gives evidence and a concrete proposal with a deadline.
• Vocabulary: workplace phrases used naturally (pace, not attitude; a checklist for each shift; support whatever you decide).
• Task Fulfillment and tone: it is spoken to the manager, as a conversation, in a respectful register, which is what "adjust my speaking style and tone" means in this task.

Structure for this task: CELPIP Speaking Task 6 template. Record your own version: Task 6 free question.

What does a Task 7 Expressing Opinions answer sound like? (90 seconds)

Prompt (free question 1 of 90): Do you think landlords should be required by law to allow tenants to keep pets in rental apartments and houses? Explain your reasons.

Sample answer, about 205 words:

Yes, I think landlords should be required to allow pets, with some reasonable conditions, and I have two main reasons.

The first is that for a lot of people a pet is family, not a hobby. When almost every listing says "no pets", families end up giving animals away or lying to the landlord, and neither of those is good for anyone. A law would take that pressure off tenants who are already struggling to find a place they can afford.

The second reason is that the usual argument against pets, damage, can be handled without a blanket ban. Landlords could be allowed to ask for a reasonable pet deposit and to require that the tenant covers any repairs. In my experience, a well cared for dog does far less damage than a careless tenant with no pets at all.

I do understand the other side. Some buildings have allergies to think about, and some animals are simply too big for a small apartment. That is why I would keep exceptions for size and for medical reasons.

But as a general rule, I think the right to keep a pet should belong to the person who lives there, not the person who owns the building.

What the rater hears:

• Content/Coherence: a clear position in the first sentence, two developed reasons, a counter-argument acknowledged and answered, and a close that restates the view in new words.
• Vocabulary: topic-specific terms (listing, blanket ban, pet deposit, exceptions) and one idiom-level phrase ("take that pressure off").
• Listenability: longer sentences with conditionals and comparatives, balanced by short ones ("I do understand the other side"), which gives the rhythm a Level 9 answer needs.

Structure for this task: CELPIP Speaking Task 7 template. Record your own version: Task 7 free question.

What does a Task 8 Unusual Situation answer sound like? (60 seconds)

Prompt (free question 1 of 102): You are walking through a neighborhood and notice a house with a very unusual front yard fence. Call your friend Dev, who is renovating his yard and looking for creative ideas. Describe in detail what the fence looks like, and ask him if he would like to come see it in person. The picture shows a fence built to look like a coral reef.

Sample answer, about 160 words:

Hey Dev, it's me. You have to hear about this fence I just walked past, because it is exactly your kind of thing.

Imagine a normal house on a normal street, but the whole front fence is built to look like a coral reef. The posts are pieces of driftwood with seaweed wrapped around them, and in between there are chunks of orange and pink coral, with little anemones and shells stuck all over it. The gate is a giant pink and white seashell, taller than me, that opens in the middle.

There are even sea creatures in it. I can see a blue starfish on the left, a green turtle near the top, and a couple of clownfish painted near the gate. From the sidewalk it really looks like the house is sitting at the bottom of the ocean.

It is on Maple Street, near the park. Do you want to come and see it this weekend?

What the rater hears:

• Content/Coherence: it starts with the big picture (a fence like a coral reef) and then zooms in (posts, panels, gate, creatures), which is how a listener can build the image.
• Vocabulary: it names materials and colours precisely (driftwood, anemones, clownfish, pink and white seashell) instead of saying "strange" and "colourful".
• Task Fulfillment: both halves are done, the description and the invitation, and it sounds like a phone call to a friend, not a report.

Structure for this task: CELPIP Speaking Task 8 template. Record your own version: Task 8 free question.

What is the difference between a Level 7 and a Level 10 Speaking answer?

Mostly the reasons, the range, and the control. The same Task 1 prompt answered twice shows it better than any explanation. Both answers below are complete, polite and on topic. One is our example of a Level 7, the other our example of a Level 10, each written to the published descriptors.

Our Level 7 example, about 130 words:

I think you should think carefully before you decide. First, you should think about the salary. If the salary is higher, that is good, but the city may be more expensive. So you need to check the rent and the cost of living.

Second, you should think about your family. If your family is here, it will be hard to move. You will miss them and they will miss you. But if you are single, it is easier.

Third, you should think about your career. A promotion is a good opportunity, and maybe it will not come again. So if you say no, you may regret it later.

In my opinion, you should make a list of good things and bad things, and then talk to your family. Then you can decide.

Our Level 10 example, about 205 words:

This is a big decision, so rather than telling you what to do, let me give you three questions that should settle it.

The first is whether the promotion is really a step up once you factor in the move. A higher salary in a city where rent is double can leave you worse off, so before you get excited about the title, sit down with the actual numbers for housing, transport and anything you would have to pay for that you currently get for free.

The second is what you would be giving up here. If your partner's job, your kids' school or your parents are all in this city, relocation is not just your decision, and the people affected deserve a say before you answer your boss.

The third question, and in my view the most important, is what your options look like if the new role does not work out. Ask whether there is a trial period or a path back. A company that handles that question well is a company worth moving for.

If the answers to all three are reassuring, take it. If even one of them makes you uneasy, that unease is information, and you should listen to it.

What changed between the two:

• Reasons: the Level 7 answer states each point and gives a short, concrete reason. The Level 10 answer develops each point with a condition and a consequence ("a higher salary in a city where rent is double can leave you worse off"), which is "develop ideas with clear descriptions or reasons".
• Vocabulary: Level 7 uses common words and some precise ones (salary, cost of living, opportunity). Level 10 adds abstract and idiomatic language (factor in, a step up, deserve a say, that unease is information).
• Grammar and rhythm: Level 7 shows "good control of simple grammatical structures", with short sentences that repeat "you should think about". Level 10 shows "good control of a broad range of complex grammatical structures": conditionals, relative clauses and sentences that vary in length without losing the listener.
• Tone: both are polite. Level 10 also meets "adjust my speaking style and tone to a broad range of audiences and situations", speaking to the co-worker as an equal rather than instructing him.

A real Level 7 in Speaking equals CLB (Canadian Language Benchmark) 7, which many Express Entry profiles need. A Level 10 is the kind of performance you are aiming for if you want the full language points. Remember that only CELPIP's raters decide which level an answer actually earns. Our guide to CELPIP scores for immigration shows exactly what each level is worth.

What topics come up in CELPIP Speaking?

Everyday Canadian life: work, housing, family, travel, money, community, food and leisure. In the prompts I have worked with, the topics stay on ordinary life rather than politics, religion or specialist knowledge, and you do not need to know Canada well. What the test needs is for you to talk about ordinary situations clearly.

The CELTESTPIP Speaking bank sorts its prompts into the same everyday themes, and the spread tells you what to practise:

Two warnings about "recent topics" lists you will see on forums. First, CELPIP has a large bank and the exact prompt you see on test day is not predictable, so practising a theme beats memorising a list. Second, a memorised answer that does not fit the prompt loses marks on Task Fulfillment, and raters are trained to notice answers that do not fit the prompt. Our page on why memorised templates are risky explains what to learn instead.

Record one task a day for eight days, listen back to each one, and compare it with the sample above it. By the end of the week you will hear your own progress, which is the best feedback there is.