CELPIP Speaking Task 1 Template (Giving Advice)

CELPIP Speaking Task 1 is Giving Advice. You get 30 seconds to prepare and 90 seconds to speak, and your job is to help someone make a decision or prepare for something. Use one opening line, three pieces of advice with reasons, and a short close.

Practise Task 1 against a 90-second timer. 84 giving advice prompts, first one free

Goal

Help a friend or colleague solve a problem while demonstrating high-level vocabulary and grammar.

The 90 seconds sound generous until the timer starts. Most people who lose marks here are not short of English. They are short of a plan, so they spend the first twenty seconds circling the situation and then rush three half-finished suggestions into the last thirty. The template below exists to stop that.

How long is CELPIP Speaking Task 1?

Task 1 gives you 30 seconds to prepare and 90 seconds to speak. Paragon Testing, which owns and administers CELPIP, publishes those times in its CELPIP Speaking Pro study packs at celpip.ca, and the same figures appear in both the Target 5 and the Target 9+ pack.

Ninety seconds makes Task 1 one of the two longest responses in the whole Speaking section. Only Task 7 matches it. That matters for how you rehearse, because a script that fits comfortably into 60 seconds will leave you standing in silence for the last half-minute, and silence is expensive on a test that scores how easy you are to listen to.

Here is the full section, so you can see where Task 1 sits:

Times are as published by Paragon in the CELPIP Speaking Pro study packs at celpip.ca.

If you want the shape of the other seven, the full set of CELPIP Speaking templates covers every task in the same format as this one.

Is Giving Advice Task 1 or Task 2?

Giving Advice is Task 1. Paragon's Guidebook for Test Takers at celpip.ca lists eight scored Speaking tasks, and Giving Advice is the first of them.

The confusion is easy to explain. That same guidebook shows one unscored Practice Task sitting ahead of Task 1, so Giving Advice is the second thing you actually speak about on test day. Plenty of people finish the test remembering it as "task 2" or "part 2". You are not misremembering the test, and you are on the right page.

Paragon does not publish how the practice task is labelled on your screen, so we will not guess at that. What is published is the task list, and Giving Advice heads it.

What the examiner scores on Task 1: the four CELPIP criteria

CELPIP Speaking is rated on four dimensions, and grammar is not one of them. Paragon names them in its Speaking Pro study packs at celpip.ca, with these descriptions:

Read that list twice if you have been studying from IELTS material. There is no standalone Grammar band and no "Coherence and Cohesion" on this test. Those are IELTS terms, and a surprising number of CELPIP blogs repeat them.

Grammar still matters enormously. It just gets scored indirectly, inside Vocabulary and Listenability, which is why the grammar work in this template is built around range and clarity rather than around avoiding errors. A rater who has to work hard to follow you is marking Listenability down whether or not your tenses are perfect.

Task Fulfillment is the one people lose without noticing. The prompt asks you to advise a specific person about a specific thing. General observations about the topic do not fulfil the task. Advice does.

If you want to see how those four dimensions turn into a number, the CELPIP Speaking score chart maps CELPIP levels onto CLB (Canadian Language Benchmark) bands.

Step 1: The Opening

Goal: Greet the person, establish context, and validate your expertise (explain why you are the right person to ask).

Grammar Booster: Present Perfect Tense

To prove you are qualified to give advice, use the Present Perfect structure. This shows your experience started in the past and continues to be relevant now.

• Formula: Subject + Have + Past Participle
• Keywords: have learned, have experienced, have done

Structure

1. Greeting: Hi [Name].
2. Context: Acknowledge the situation (Congrats, thanks, etc.).
3. Validation: Explain your experience.

Example: "Hi Sarah! It's so exciting to hear that you are finally posting your first video. I can definitely give you some advice on getting more views because I have actually grown my own channel to 10k followers and I have learned exactly how the algorithm works."

Keep this to about fifteen seconds. It buys you credibility cheaply, and every second past fifteen is a second stolen from your advice.

Step 2: The Main Advice (The "3-Point Strategy")

Goal: Give 3 distinct pieces of advice using different grammar structures for variety.

Grammar: The Hierarchy of Modals

You must show a "range of intensity." Do not use "should" three times. Use the table below to select your vocabulary.

That range is doing direct work on your Vocabulary score, which Paragon defines as whether you can use a range of words naturally. Three "shoulds" in ninety seconds is a narrow range, and it sounds like one.

Advice #1: The Strongest Point

Use this for your most urgent advice.

Grammar: 1st Conditional + Strong Modal

• Rule: If + Present Tense (Action) ... Subject + Must (Result)

Structure:

• The Advice: "If you want to stop people from scrolling past you, you must focus on the first three seconds."
• Support 1 (Reason): "This is known as the 'hook' and it is the only time you have to grab their attention."
• Support 2 (Consequence): "Since people scroll very fast, if you don't catch them immediately, they will just swipe away."

Advice #2: The Practical Point

Use this for standard, helpful advice.

Grammar: Medium Modals

• Rule: Subject + Ought to + Base Verb (Use Ought to instead of "Should" to score higher).

Structure:

• The Advice: "Another thing you could do is check your lighting. You ought to film facing a window."
• Support 1 (Detail): "You should always prioritize natural daylight over artificial lamps."
• Support 2 (Benefit): "This is important because dark videos often get ignored by viewers, regardless of how good the content is."

Advice #3: The Hypothetical Point

Use this to offer a suggestion by putting yourself in their shoes.

Grammar: 2nd Conditional + Modal

• Rule: If I were you ... I would + Base Verb
• Note: Always use "were", never "was".

Structure:

• The Advice: "One final thing is, If I were you, I would use trending music in the background."
• Support 1 (Context): "Algorithms often push videos that use popular songs significantly more than others."
• Support 2 (Outcome): "This implies that simply adding a song could get your video in front of thousands of new people."

Three pieces of advice with two supports each is a teaching choice, not a rule from Paragon. It is here because it reliably fills ninety seconds without padding. If you are a fast speaker, add a third support to your strongest point rather than inventing a fourth piece of advice.

Step 3: The Closing

Goal: A quick, friendly sign-off.

Structure

• Rule: Keep it short. Do not summarize the advice.
• Example: "I can't wait to see what you create. Good luck with your first post!"

CELPIP Speaking Part 1: Model Answer (Score 9+)

Topic: Your friend wants to post a video on social media for the first time. Advise them on how to get more views.

Start of Response:

Hi Sarah! It's so exciting to hear that you are finally posting your first video. Greeting & Acknowledging the situation I can definitely give you some advice on getting more views because I have actually grown my own channel to 10,000 followers and I have learned exactly how the algorithm works. Validation using Present Perfect

If you want to stop people from scrolling past you, you must focus on the first three seconds of your video. Advice 1: 1st Conditional + Strong Modal This is known as the 'hook' and it is the only time you have to grab their attention. Support 1: Reason Since people scroll very fast, if you don't catch them immediately, they will just swipe away. Support 2: Negative Consequence

Another thing you could do is check your lighting. You ought to film facing a window. Advice 2: Transition + Medium Modal You should always prioritize natural daylight over artificial lamps. Support 1: Practical Detail This is important because dark or grainy videos often get ignored by viewers, regardless of how good the content is. Support 2: Benefit

One final thing is, If I were you, I would use trending music in the background. Advice 3: 2nd Conditional (Hypothetical) The social media algorithms often push videos that use popular songs significantly more than others. Support 1: Context This implies that simply adding a song could be an easy way to get your video in front of thousands of new people. Support 2: Positive Outcome

I can't wait to see what you create. Good luck with your first post! Closing

CELPIP Speaking Task 1 sample questions with answers

Five more prompts in the shape Paragon describes for this task, which is helping someone make a decision or prepare for something. Each model answer runs about 90 seconds at a normal speaking pace, and each one uses the same three-level modal ladder so you can hear the pattern repeat across different topics.

Read them once. Then cover the answer, set a timer, and try the prompt cold.

Sample question 1: A nervous first-time meeting lead

Prompt: A colleague has been asked to run their first team meeting next week and is nervous about it. Give them advice on how to prepare.

Model answer (about 90 seconds):

Hi Daniel, thanks for telling me about the meeting. It is completely normal to feel nervous about your first one, and honestly it means you care about doing it well. I can help with this because I have run our department meetings for the last three years and I have made basically every mistake there is.

If you want people to take the meeting seriously, you must send an agenda the day before. The reason I suggest this is that people arrive already thinking about the topics. If you skip it, half the room spends ten minutes asking what the meeting is about, and you lose control before you start.

Another step you ought to take is to decide the one decision you need by the end. Everything else is a discussion, not a decision. This keeps you from drifting, because when the conversation wanders you can simply point back at the thing you came to settle.

One final thing is, if I were in your shoes, I would arrive five minutes early and open the room myself. Standing there greeting people as they arrive turns you into the host rather than the person being watched.

You are going to be fine. Let me know how it goes.

Sample question 2: Getting back into exercise

Prompt: Your sister wants to start exercising again after two years away from it. Advise her on how to begin.

Model answer (about 90 seconds):

Hey Layla, I am really glad you brought this up. Two years is not that long, and starting again is much easier than starting from nothing. I can give you decent advice here because I have restarted three separate times and I have learned exactly which version of this fails.

If you want this to still be happening in March, you must start smaller than you think you should. The main reason is that the first two weeks are not about fitness at all, they are about proving to yourself that you will actually show up. Twenty minutes, three times a week, is a habit. Ninety minutes every day for eight days is a story you tell later about the time you quit.

Another thing you ought to do is book it into your calendar like a dentist appointment, with a specific day and a specific time. Something unscheduled competes with everything else in your week, and it loses.

Lastly, a suggestion I would make is that if I were you, I would find something you would do even in a bad mood. Walking, swimming, a class with a friend. Enjoyment is not a luxury here, it is the only thing that survives a busy month.

I know you will make the right choice. Good luck!

Sample question 3: Retaking a language test

Prompt: A friend missed the score they needed on an English test and is retaking it in three weeks. Give them advice on how to use the time.

Model answer (about 90 seconds):

Hi Priya, I was sorry to hear the score came back lower than you needed. Three weeks is genuinely enough time to move a band, so try not to panic. I can help because I have coached several people through exactly this window and I have seen what actually shifts a score in twenty-one days.

If you want a different result, you have to find out which section pulled you down before you study anything. This is critical. Most people react by studying everything a bit harder, which spreads three weeks across four skills and changes nothing. Your score report tells you where the gap is, so let it choose your timetable.

Then you ought to practise under the real time limits, with a timer running, from the first day rather than the last. Untimed practice teaches you the content but not the pressure, and the pressure is usually the thing that broke.

One final thing is, if I were in your position, I would stop new material four days before the test and just review. Cramming vocabulary the night before mostly costs you sleep, and tired candidates lose more marks than under-prepared ones.

I hope this helps. Call me if you want to run through anything.

Sample question 4: A first credit card

Prompt: A friend who recently arrived in Canada has been approved for their first credit card and wants to build a good credit history. Advise them.

Model answer (about 90 seconds):

Hi Omar, congratulations on the approval, that first card is harder to get than people expect. I am happy to guide you on this because I have been building my own credit here since I arrived and I have learned a few things the hard way.

First and foremost, if you want your score to go up rather than down, you absolutely must pay the full balance every month, not the minimum. The minimum payment keeps the account in good standing but leaves you paying interest on the rest, at a rate far higher than anything you would accept on a loan.

Another step you ought to take is to keep your spending well below your limit, somewhere around a third of it. This implies that if your limit is three thousand, you treat it as a thousand. Lenders look at how much of your available credit you use, not just whether you pay on time.

Finally, if I were in your position, I might consider setting up an automatic payment for the full statement amount. One missed due date can undo months of good behaviour, and automation removes the chance of forgetting.

You have got this. Let me know if you want to look at it together.

Sample question 5: Furnishing a first apartment

Prompt: Your neighbour is moving into their first unfurnished apartment and has a small budget. Give them advice on how to furnish it.

Model answer (about 90 seconds):

Hi Chen, congratulations on the new place. Furnishing from zero feels overwhelming, but it is very doable on a small budget. I can definitely give you some advice because I have furnished two apartments this way and I have wasted money on exactly the things you are about to be tempted by.

The first thing you must do is buy a decent bed and nothing else in week one. If you don't, you will spread the budget across ten cheap items and end up sleeping badly on all of them. You spend a third of your life on a mattress and about four minutes a day looking at a coffee table, so the money belongs in the bed.

It is generally a good idea to wait a month before buying storage. You genuinely do not know where the clutter collects in a new place until you have lived in it, and shelves bought on day two usually end up in the wrong room.

One final thing is, if I were in your shoes, I would check local buy-and-sell listings at the end of the month, when leases turn over. People moving out will almost give furniture away rather than pay to move it.

I can't wait to see how it turns out. Have fun!

Notice that none of these answers mention the test. They are just clear, specific advice from someone who has done the thing. That is what Task Fulfillment rewards, and it is the opposite of a recited script. If you want to hear how the same ideas sound in a less rehearsed register, we cover that in speaking naturally under pressure.

Ready to try one? Open the Task 1 question bank and start the 90-second timer. Your response comes back with AI scoring on the four dimensions above, which is faster than waiting for a teacher to listen to it.

Universal Templates

Step 1: The Opening (Build Your Intro)

Combine A + B + C to create your opening.

A. The Greeting

• "Hi [Name],"

B. The Context (Choose One)

• Good News: "Congratulations on the [News]! It is so exciting to hear that..."
• Bad News: "I was so sorry to hear about your [Problem]. That sounds really stressful..."
• Decision: "Thanks for asking for my opinion. It is definitely a tough decision..."

C. The Validation / Experience (The "Why Me" Sentence)

• Success: "I can definitely give you some advice because I have actually successfully [Activity] myself recently."
• Failure: "I can certainly help you avoid mistakes because I have gone through this before and I learned a hard lesson."
• Expertise: "I am happy to guide you because I have been working as a [Job Title] for over five years."

Step 2: The Main Advice (Mix & Match)

Select one template from each level to ensure variety.

Level 1: Strong Advice (Must / Have to)

• "First and foremost, if you want to fix this, you absolutely must [Action]."
• "To start with, you have to ensure that you [Action]. This is critical."
• "The first thing you must do is [Action]. If you don't, you might fail."

Level 2: Practical Advice (Ought to / Should)

• "Another step you ought to take is to [Action]."
• "It is generally a good idea to [Action]."
• "Moving on, you should also make sure that you [Action]."

Level 3: Hypothetical Advice (If I were you)

• "One final thing is, if I were in your shoes, I would definitely [Action]."
• "Finally, if I were in your position, I might consider [Action]."
• "Lastly, a suggestion I would make is that if I were you, I would [Action]."

Support Connectors (Use these to explain WHY)

• Reason: "The main reason I suggest this is that..."
• Consequence: "This implies that if you do this, you will..."
• Warning: "If you don't do this, you might risk..."

Step 3: The Closing

Keep it short and friendly.

• "I know you will make the right choice. Good luck!"
• "I hope this helps. Call me if you need anything else!"
• "I can't wait to see how it turns out. Have fun!"

Building your own phrase bank beats borrowing one. The Task 1 vocabulary and phrase list gives you more options for each slot above.