CELPIP Speaking Task 5: Comparing and Persuading
Choose between two options, then persuade someone your choice beats theirs. Practise both phases below with the exam timer.
Task 5 · Comparing and Persuading
Choosing a family trip
Your family is planning a long weekend away. Choose the option you prefer. Then, in the second part, persuade your family member that your choice is better than the option they suggest.
Quick tips for this task
- In the first 60 seconds just pick — there is no recording yet.
- Compare directly: price, convenience, quality, fit for the person.
- Address the other option fairly, then explain why yours is better.
Ready
- Choose
- 1:00
- Prep
- 1:00
- Speak
- 1:00
Your browser will ask for the microphone. Recordings are scored, then discarded — never stored.
CELPIP Speaking Task 5 has two phases. First you get 60 seconds to choose one of two options — nothing is recorded. Then 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. Strong answers compare both options point by point.
How long do you get for CELPIP Speaking Task 5?
Three timed steps: 60 seconds to choose between two options (not recorded), then 60 seconds to prepare once you see the other person’s suggestion, then 60 seconds to speak. Our recorder runs all three, so you practise the switch from choosing to persuading exactly as in the test.
- 1:00Choose · Not recorded
- 1:00Prep
- 1:00Speak
How should you structure a Task 5 answer?
In the choice phase, just decide — pick the option you can argue for most easily, not the one you would really choose. Then use the preparation time to line up two or three comparison points.
Acknowledge their idea (about 8 s)
“I can see why camping appeals to you — it’s the cheapest option.” Being fair makes you more persuasive.
Compare on the point they care about (about 20 s)
Meet their main reason head on: price, time, comfort. Show why your option wins or is close enough.
Add one or two advantages theirs doesn’t have (about 20 s)
Use comparatives: more reliable, far less stressful, a better fit for the kids.
Close with a clear recommendation (about 10 s)
“So for this trip, I really think the cabin is the better choice.”
Compare — don’t just praise
Describing only your own option misses the task. Every main point should mention both options.
Task 5 practice prompts
Each prompt has two options to choose from and a third option that appears in phase two. Original practice material, not real or recalled test questions.
Prompt 1
Choosing a family trip
Your family is planning a long weekend away. Choose the option you prefer. Then, in the second part, persuade your family member that your choice is better than the option they suggest.
A: A lakeside cabin two hours away · B: A downtown hotel in a nearby city
Prompt 2
Furnishing a home office
You are helping a friend set up a home office. Choose the desk you prefer. Then persuade your friend that your choice is better than the one they found.
A: An adjustable standing desk · B: A solid wood desk
Prompt 3
A child’s birthday party
Your family is planning a ninth birthday party for your niece. Choose the option you prefer. Then, in the second part, persuade your sister that your choice is better than the option she suggests.
A: A bowling alley party package · B: A picnic party in a city park
Prompt 4
Getting to a new job
Your friend has a new job 9 km from home and asked for help deciding how to get there. Choose the option you prefer. Then persuade your friend that your choice is better than the option they found.
A: An electric bike · B: A monthly transit pass
Prompt 5
An evening class
You and your partner want to take an evening class together this winter. Choose the class you prefer. Then persuade your partner that your choice is better than the one they suggest.
A: Beginner pottery · B: Ballroom dancing
What do level 7, 9 and 10 answers to the same prompt sound like?
Three original answers to Prompt 1 (a family long weekend). The speaker chose the lakeside cabin and is persuading a family member who suggested camping in a provincial park. Levels are editorial estimates, not official scores.
I think the cabin is better than camping. Camping is cheap, I know, but the washrooms are shared and it is not comfortable. In the cabin we have our own bathroom and kitchen. Also the cabin has kayaks, so we can do activities on the lake. Camping has hiking, but we can also walk near the cabin. And the cabin is only two hours away. There is no Wi-Fi, but I think it is good because we can spend time together. So I want the cabin.
A clear choice with some comparison, but ideas are listed rather than developed, and the persuasion is mostly “I think”.
I understand why you like the campsite — it’s definitely the cheapest option, and the trails sound great. But I think the cabin is worth the extra cost. With shared washrooms and a tent, the kids won’t sleep well, especially if it rains, whereas the cabin gives us beds, a kitchen and our own bathroom. We’d still have plenty to do outdoors, because the kayaks are included and there are probably trails around the lake too. It’s also only two hours away, so we won’t lose a whole day driving. And honestly, having no Wi-Fi is a bonus — everyone will actually relax. So for a short weekend, I really think the cabin makes more sense.
Acknowledges the other option, compares point by point (whereas, still, also) and ends with a clear recommendation.
Camping is a fair suggestion — it’s by far the cheapest, and I know you’ve been wanting to try those trails. My worry is that, for a long weekend, we’d spend half of it dealing with the campsite itself: setting up the tent, queuing for shared washrooms and hoping the weather holds. The cabin takes all of that off the table. We’d have proper beds and a kitchen, so the kids would actually rest, and because the kayaks are included, we wouldn’t be giving up the outdoors at all — if anything, we’d be on the water more. The difference in price is real, but split over three nights it’s not dramatic, and the drive is only two hours. Honestly, the lack of Wi-Fi might be the best part: no screens, just the lake. I think the cabin gives us the outdoor weekend you want without the hassle.
Anticipates the counter-argument, reframes the cost and ties every advantage back to the listener’s own goal.
Common mistakes in Task 5
- Wasting the choice phase. You only need to pick. Don’t start drafting the whole answer before you see the third option.
- Ignoring the other option. The task is to persuade against their suggestion, so mention it.
- Switching sides. Once you choose, commit. “Actually, both are good” weakens Task Fulfillment.
- Only listing features. Turn features into benefits for the listener: “kayaks included, so we’d be on the water more”.
- Forgetting a recommendation. Finish with a clear call: “Let’s book the cabin.”
What does the AI feedback check in Task 5?
The report estimates a level range on the four CELPIP criteria, with quoted evidence. For Task 5 it checks whether you compared your choice directly with the other person’s option, gave reasons that matter to them and finished with a clear recommendation, plus your pace, pauses and fillers on a timed transcript.
It is a practice estimate, not an official CELPIP score — see how we calibrate.
Questions people ask
Is the Task 5 choice phase recorded?
Which option should I choose in Task 5?
Do I need to criticise the other option?
Next stations
Unofficial practice and estimates — not affiliated with Paragon or IRCC, and not legal advice. Read the disclaimer