CELPIP Speaking: 8 Tasks, Timing and Practice
All eight CELPIP speaking tasks with exam timing. Pick a task or a random one, record with the real timer, and get feedback quoting your own words.
- Task 1: Giving Advice0:30 ▸ 1:30
- Task 2: Talking about a Personal Experience0:30 ▸ 1:00
- Task 3: Describing a Scene0:30 ▸ 1:00
- Task 4: Making Predictions0:30 ▸ 1:00
- Task 5: Comparing and Persuading1:00 + 1:00 ▸ 1:00
- Task 6: Dealing with a Difficult Situation1:00 ▸ 1:00
- Task 7: Expressing Opinions0:30 ▸ 1:30
- Task 8: Describing an Unusual Situation0:30 ▸ 1:00
Prep ▸ speak, in minutes:seconds. Task 5 adds a 1:00 choice phase that isn’t recorded.
CELPIP-General speaking has 8 scored tasks in about 15 minutes. Most give 30 seconds to prepare and 60 or 90 seconds to speak; Tasks 5 and 6 give 60 seconds to prepare, and Task 5 starts with a 60-second choice that isn’t recorded. Raters score content and coherence, vocabulary, listenability and task fulfillment.
What are the CELPIP speaking tasks and their timings?
There are 8 tasks: giving advice, a personal experience, describing a scene, making predictions, comparing and persuading, a difficult situation, expressing opinions and an unusual situation. Task 5 has two parts — 60 seconds to choose (not recorded), then 60 seconds to prepare and 60 to speak. Timings below follow the 2026 official study pack.
| Task | Prep | Speak | To scale |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Giving Advice | 0:30 | 1:30 | Prep 0:30, Speak 1:30 |
| 2Talking about a Personal Experience | 0:30 | 1:00 | Prep 0:30, Speak 1:00 |
| 3Describing a Scene | 0:30 | 1:00 | Prep 0:30, Speak 1:00 |
| 4Making Predictions | 0:30 | 1:00 | Prep 0:30, Speak 1:00 |
| 5Comparing and PersuadingPart 1 · choose one of two options | 1:00 | Not recorded | Choose 1:00, Prep 1:00, Speak 1:00 |
| Part 2 · persuade against a third option | 1:00 | 1:00 | |
| 6Dealing with a Difficult Situation | 1:00 | 1:00 | Prep 1:00, Speak 1:00 |
| 7Expressing Opinions | 0:30 | 1:30 | Prep 0:30, Speak 1:30 |
| 8Describing an Unusual Situation | 0:30 | 1:00 | Prep 0:30, Speak 1:00 |
Is your problem pronunciation, fluency, grammar or content?
It depends on what the recording shows, and problems often overlap. Map the symptom to an official criterion: unclear words point to listenability, constant restarts to fluency and organisation, confused time or cause to grammar, and early finishes to content or task fulfillment. Then fix one issue at a time and test it on a new prompt.
| Criterion | What raters listen for | What our report shows |
|---|---|---|
| Content & Coherence | Ideas developed with support, in a clear order | Quoted evidence and a structure check |
| Vocabulary | Words that are precise, natural and varied enough for the task | Repeated or general words, and better choices |
| Listenability | Pronunciation, rhythm, pausing, intonation and grammar that are easy to follow | Pace, long pauses and fillers on a timed transcript |
| Task Fulfillment | Answering the task, for the right listener, in the right tone and length | A coverage list and time used |
| What you notice | Check first | One drill that targets it |
|---|---|---|
| Words look right in the transcript but listeners mishear them | Listenability: pronunciation, stress, recording quality | Record one sentence, compare key words, record it again |
| Every word is clear but you keep stopping and restarting | Listenability and Coherence: organisation speed, word-finding | Note only key words in prep and speak in meaning groups |
| Fluent, but times, people or causes get mixed up | Listenability: grammar — tense, sentence structure, reference | Fix one repeated error per round, then test on a new prompt |
| You finish early with conclusions but no explanation | Content and Task Fulfillment | Add a reason, an example or a result to every point |
These are diagnostic clues, not a verdict. If the recording itself is distorted, re-record before drawing conclusions. A clear accent is not a low level — the goal is to be easy to understand, not to sound like any particular accent. For an evidence-based read of your own answer, use the speaking checker.
How do you get from CLB 7 to CLB 9 in speaking?
First confirm where “about CLB 7” comes from — an official result, a full mock or a guess — and split it by skill. Then work in four-week cycles: find the gaps, fix two problems at a time, transfer to unfamiliar prompts and stabilise under exam timing. No plan can promise two levels in four weeks.
Week 1 — find the gap
One timed baseline across all 8 tasks. Keep the raw recordings and sort problems into task, content, organisation, vocabulary, grammar and timing.
Week 2 — fix two things
Two prompts a day: answer under exam timing, listen back, change only two things, record again.
Week 3 — transfer to new prompts
Switch to unfamiliar situations and practise explaining, comparing and giving causes and results. Don’t memorise whole answers.
Week 4 — stabilise
Mix tasks under exam timing and do a full 15-minute mock. Check whether the same weaknesses come back; prompts you’ve already practised don’t show real progress.
Why speaking 9 matters for Express Entry
In our example profile (single, age 28, bachelor’s, 3 years’ foreign work, CLB 9/9/9/8), moving speaking from 8 to 9 adds 45 CRS points — 8 for language plus 37 for skill transferability. See what each level is worth.
Use the official CLB descriptors and sample performances to judge progress. This plan is our original training advice, not an official or guaranteed improvement method.
What should a 14-day CELPIP study plan look like?
This plan assumes CELPIP-General, about CLB 7 now and CLB 9 as the target in all four skills: about two hours on normal days and three on mock days. Every day ends with something you keep — a recording, a draft or an error list. If one skill lags, move about a third of each day to it.
| Day | What to do | What you keep |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Timed baseline in all four skills; 30 minutes reviewing it | Four baselines and your top three problems |
| 2 | Listening 30 min · speaking Tasks 1–2 40 min · re-record fixes 30 min · phrases 20 min | Two raw recordings and improved versions |
| 3 | Reading 35 min · email writing 27 min · revision 38 min · grammar 20 min | A draft, the revision and an error list |
| 4 | Listening 30 min · speaking Tasks 3–4 45 min · listen back 25 min · phrases 20 min | A scene route and grounded predictions |
| 5 | Reading 35 min · survey writing 26 min · revision 39 min · error review 20 min | A position, reasons and examples chain |
| 6 | Listening 25 min · speaking Tasks 5–6 45 min · re-record 30 min · review 20 min | A comparison and a tactful response |
| 7 | Reading 25 min · speaking Tasks 7–8 45 min · improve 30 min · weekly review 20 min | All eight speaking tasks done once |
| 8 | Second full mock; 30–45 minutes review | Comparison with day 1 and an updated weakness list |
| 9 | Weakest skill 60 min · second weakest 40 min · error log 20 min | Proof of the fix on unfamiliar prompts |
| 10 | Both writing tasks 53 min · review 37 min · listening or reading weak spots 30 min | Two complete pieces in range and tone |
| 11 | All 8 speaking tasks with listen-back 45 min · listening 30 min · reading 25 min · re-record 20 min | Complete answers under time pressure |
| 12 | Final full mock, with time to check | A stability record and your test-day strategy |
| 13 | Error review 40 min · light speaking 30 min · writing check 30 min · ID and route check 20 min | A one-page personal reminder list |
| 14 | 30–45 minutes of light review; confirm your test arrangements | Rest — keep your normal routine |
Day 14 is the day before the test; if your test is on day 14, move the light review to the evening before. For full mocks, use the official practice tests or complete material, and don’t pause, look up words or edit as you go. In speaking, use our 15-minute mock for the speaking section.
What separates a level 7, 9 and 10 speaking answer?
Across every task the same three shifts appear. Each task page has three original answers to one prompt so you can hear them in context.
- From listing to developing. Level 7 names ideas; level 9 gives each a reason and an example; level 10 ties them to the listener’s situation.
- From general to precise words. “A lot of activities” becomes “board-game nights at the library”.
- From short, similar sentences to controlled variety — linking words, conditionals and natural hedging, at a steady pace that fills the time.
Samples by task: Task 1 · Task 2 · Task 3 · Task 4 · Task 5 · Task 6 · Task 7 · Task 8.
Can you take a full CELPIP speaking mock test here?
Yes — the speaking section. The mock below runs all 8 tasks in exam order with exam timing and no pauses, including Task 5’s two phases. Afterwards you listen back and choose up to two answers for AI feedback. For listening, reading and writing, use complete official practice material under the official timing.
Speaking mock · 8 tasks · about 15 minutes of timers
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- All 8 tasks in exam order, with no pauses between them.
- Exam timing, including Task 5’s two phases. The recording starts and stops on its own.
- At the end, pick up to 2 answers for AI feedback — sign in first; each uses one report.
Use headphones in a quiet room. Recordings stay in this tab unless you send them for feedback.
Questions people ask
How long is the CELPIP speaking test?
Can I pause or restart an answer in the real test?
Is the AI score the same as a CELPIP score?
Do I need a headset to practise?
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Unofficial practice and estimates — not affiliated with Paragon or IRCC, and not legal advice. Read the disclaimer