CELPIP Listening Part 1 Problem Solving Practice

The short version

In a problem-solving item, listen for three things in order: what the problem is, which fixes are mentioned, and which fix is chosen. Read the question first, then write only a few keywords while you listen.

How this part works

Listening Part 1 is Problem Solving. Our test format guide lists it as the first of the six listening parts, and our listening tips reduce it to one question: what is the problem, and what do they decide to do? Practise as if the audio plays once.

This page adds something those guides do not: a short passage in the style of a workplace conversation and four questions on it, with answers and the reason each one is right. Read the questions first, cover the answers, then read the transcript once as if you were hearing it.

Worked example: the transcript

This is an original practice passage. In the real test you listen to audio, so for the best practice ask someone to read it aloud, or record yourself and play it back later.

Two colleagues, Dana and Marcus, in the fictional company Brightwater Supply

Dana: Marcus, did you see the email from Facilities? They are moving the Thursday safety workshop.

Marcus: No, I haven't checked yet. I thought it was in the training room at ten.

Dana: It was, but the projector there is broken, so they have changed it to the conference room on the third floor. And it now starts at one o'clock, not ten.

Marcus: That's a problem. I have a delivery appointment with a client at one. I can't miss it, because they are only available that afternoon.

Dana: Could you send someone else to the delivery?

Marcus: Not really. Priya is on leave, and Jonas doesn't know the account. I could try to move the client to two-thirty, but I'd be late for the workshop.

Dana: Well, the workshop is compulsory, but Facilities said they will repeat it next Tuesday morning, in the original room.

Marcus: Then I'll go to the Tuesday session. I'll send an email to the facilities coordinator now, and I'll ask my manager to approve it.

Dana: Good idea. Mention the client appointment, so they understand.

Four sample questions

Try to answer before you open the answers. Each answer has a one-line reason.

Why is Marcus unable to attend the Thursday workshop?
Show the answer
Answer: He has a client delivery appointment at the same time. Why: Listening for the problem. The question asks about the cause, which the speaker states directly after hearing the new time.
Which option does Marcus reject before he decides?
Show the answer
Answer: Asking another colleague to cover the delivery, because Priya is on leave and Jonas does not know the account. Why: Following options that are mentioned and dropped, the trap described in our listening tips.
What did Marcus decide to do?
Show the answer
Answer: Go to the Tuesday morning repeat session and email the facilities coordinator. Why: Listening for the final decision, which comes after the alternatives.
Why was the workshop moved from the training room?
Show the answer
Answer: The projector in the training room is broken. Why: Picking out a detail of reason, spoken early and in passing.

Skills these questions test

Question	Skill tested	Where it shows up in the audio
1	Identify the problem and its cause	Marcus explains the conflict right after Dana gives the new time.
2	Separate rejected options from the real one	Priya and Jonas are mentioned and dismissed. Moving the client to half past two is mentioned and dismissed too.
3	Catch the final decision	The decision comes in Marcus's last turn, after the alternatives.
4	Pick up a background detail	The broken projector is given as a reason in one clause, early on.

Why a wrong answer looks tempting

Every wrong option for question 3 uses words from the audio. “Move the client to two-thirty” is spoken by Marcus, but he says he would be late for the workshop, so he drops it. “Attend on Thursday” was the original plan. A listener who writes down every plan and then picks the first one will choose wrongly. A listener who writes the problem, then an arrow to the final choice, will pick correctly. Keep your notes short, like: workshop moved, 1 pm, client, Tuesday.

Common mistakes

Choosing the first solution you hear, instead of the one the speakers agree on.
Trying to write every word and missing the next sentence.
Confusing the old time or place with the new one. In this passage, both ten o'clock and one o'clock are spoken.
Spending time on a missed answer while the next part of the audio plays.
Replaying audio before answering when you practise. Replay after you answer, to learn why you missed one.

Ready to try the real format? The listening practice set uses audio that plays once.

Questions

Can I write notes during the audio?

Short keywords help. Check the current test-day instructions from CELPIP for what is allowed at your sitting.

Should I read the questions before the audio?

Where the format lets you, yes. Know what you are listening for, such as a reason, a time or a decision. See the listening tips.

What do I do if I miss an answer?

Let it go and focus on the next question. One missed answer should not cost you the next one.

Sources (checked 26 October 2026)

Last reviewed 30 October 2026

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