How many speaking tasks does CELPIP have, and is there an examiner?

Eight tasks, each with short prep then recording — you speak into a microphone with no examiner.

How should you approach the 'Describe a Scene' task?

Describe systematically in a spatial order (e.g. foreground to background), naming details fluently to fill the whole time.

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CELPIP Speaking: The Eight Tasks

CELPIP's eight recorded speaking tasks — from giving advice to describing a scene — and the prep-then-speak routine that keeps you fluent.

The big picture

CELPIP Speaking (8 tasks)
- Advice & experience — Give advice; describe a personal experience
- Describe & predict — Describe a scene; make predictions
- Persuade & handle — Compare/persuade; a difficult situation
- Opinions & unusual — Express opinions; describe an unusual scene
- Prep then speak — Short prep, then record your answer

Eight recorded tasks, prep then speak

Speaking has eight tasks, each with a short preparation time and then a recording time — you speak into the microphone, there's no examiner. The tasks include Giving Advice, Talking about a Personal Experience, Describing a Scene, Making Predictions, Comparing and Persuading, Dealing with a Difficult Situation, Expressing Opinions, and Describing an Unusual Situation.

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Real example: You get a few seconds to plan, then a fixed window to talk — so a quick mental outline (point, reasons, close) matters more than a perfect script you can't finish.

🧠 Memory hook: 8 tasks, each: short prep → record. Plan fast, then keep talking to the buzzer.

Describe a Scene & Describe an Unusual Situation

For the picture tasks, describe what you see systematically — location, people, actions, details — filling the whole time. In 'unusual situation', you also explain what's odd or what might be happening. Keep a steady flow; naming details fluently is what scores.

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Real example: Describe a park scene left-to-right or foreground-to-background so you never run dry: 'In the foreground… behind them… in the distance…' — a spatial order fills the time naturally.

🧠 Memory hook: Describe in a spatial order (front → back). Detail by detail fills the whole window.

The opinion & persuasion tasks

For Giving Advice, Comparing and Persuading, Expressing Opinions, use a clear mini-structure: state your position, give reasons with examples, and address the other side. Sound natural and confident — the goal is real communication, not memorised phrases.

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Real example: Comparing two options? 'I'd choose X because… and although Y has an advantage, X wins overall because…' — a structure that persuades in 60 seconds.

🧠 Memory hook: Position → reasons + example → address the other side. Persuade, don't recite.

Fluency and clarity beat a perfect accent

Human raters reward clear, natural, fluent speech that fully addresses the task — not a particular accent or big vocabulary. Don't go silent: if you lose your thread, rephrase and continue. Use the full recording time.

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Real example: Blanking mid-answer? Say 'Another point is…' and pivot to a fresh reason rather than trailing off — recovering smoothly protects your fluency score.

🧠 Memory hook: Clear, natural, complete — and never silent. Fill the whole recording window.

Frequently asked questions

How many speaking tasks does CELPIP have, and is there an examiner?: Eight tasks, each with short prep then recording — you speak into a microphone with no examiner.
Name several of the CELPIP speaking task types.: Giving Advice, Talking about a Personal Experience, Describing a Scene, Making Predictions, Comparing and Persuading, Dealing with a Difficult Situation, Expressing Opinions, and Describing an Unusual Situation.
How should you approach the 'Describe a Scene' task?: Describe systematically in a spatial order (e.g. foreground to background), naming details fluently to fill the whole time.
What structure works for the opinion/persuasion tasks?: State your position, give reasons with examples, and address the other side.
What do CELPIP speaking raters reward most?: Clear, natural, fluent speech that fully addresses the task — not a particular accent or advanced vocabulary.

Keep going — free practice

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