Guide & Tips

#2. Daily Life Conversation

Listening Part 2 of the CELPIP Test evaluates how well you can understand casual, everyday conversations. The conversations reflect typical social interactions between people and are followed by questions that test your ability to recall facts, interpret meaning, and draw conclusions.

🧩 Overview of Listening Part 2

  • Focus: Understanding daily life conversations (e.g., family discussions, co-worker chats).
  • Speakers: Always two people — one man and one woman.
  • Length: One audio clip, approximately 1.5 to 2 minutes long.
  • Playback: Audio plays once only — no replay.
  • Questions: Around 5 questions, read aloud one at a time.
  • No question text shown — you must rely on listening.

🎧 What You'll Hear

In this part, the conversation may include:

  • Family members discussing plans
  • Friends talking about problems
  • Co-workers handling tasks
  • People making everyday decisions

These are natural, real-life scenarios where the tone may be casual and emotionally expressive.

🧠 Types of Questions

You may be asked:

1. General Meaning

  • Asks about the overall idea or purpose.
  • Requires understanding the big picture.

2. Specific Information

  • Focuses on a detail mentioned in the conversation.
  • Could involve numbers, names, reasons, etc.

3. Inference

  • Requires reading between the lines.
  • You must use clues from the conversation to figure out what’s implied.

📝 Note-Taking Tips

Because you only hear the audio once and won’t see the questions in writing, note-taking is crucial.

Tips for Effective Notes:

  • Use a T-chart: One column for each speaker.
  • Capture the 5Ws: Who, What, Where, When, Why.
  • Focus on main ideas and any problems or plans.
  • Use abbreviations and symbols (e.g., $, →, ?, J for Jason).
  • Write quickly — don’t worry about spelling or grammar.
  • Only you will see your notes; they’re not graded.

Example structure:

| Man         | Woman        |
|-------------|--------------|
| traffic bad | dinner not ready |
| J failed    | consoling J  |
| J nervous   | J needs practice |
| suggested bike | wants to drive (snowboard) |

🎯 Answering Strategies

During the Test:

  • Listen actively — both to the conversation and the questions.
  • After the audio, listen carefully to each spoken question.
  • Match question content with your notes to choose the best answer.
  • Use process of elimination to narrow choices.
  • Guess if unsure — there’s no penalty for wrong answers.

Tip:

Questions typically follow the chronological order of the conversation. Use your notes from top to bottom to locate answers.

💬 Common Topics in Part 2

  • Transportation (e.g., learning to drive)
  • Weekend or vacation plans
  • Family challenges or decisions
  • Workplace planning
  • Local events or errands

🛎 Final Reminders

  • You only hear the audio and questions once — focus is essential.
  • Use the 30-second response window to think and answer.
  • Guess instead of skipping — unanswered questions = 0 points.
  • The earlier parts (like Part 2) are usually easier — maximize your score here.