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The short version
Work out who is writing, to whom, and why. Find the line that answers the question, then check each option against that line and not against what sounds sensible. In correspondence, the traps are usually a date, a name or a change of plan buried in the reply.
How Part 1 works
Reading Part 1 is the correspondence part. The job, as our reading tips guide puts it, is to follow a message, a request and a reply. The test format guide lists it as the first of four reading parts.
Use the three-step method from the tips guide. Preview: read the question and spot the key names and words. Locate: find the paragraph that answers it, and read the sentence before and after. Check: does the option say the same thing? Throw out options that are too broad, too strong, or true in real life but not in the text. The practice set below uses four options per question, which is the usual practice format. Check CELPIP's current materials for the exact screen.
Worked example: the passage
Invented text. The people, club and places are fictional.
Message 1
From: Rowan Pell, Coordinator, Larkfield Neighbourhood Garden
To: Ada Okafor
Subject: Volunteering at the plant sale
Dear Ada,
Thank you for offering to help at our spring plant sale on Saturday, 9 May. We need two people at the seedling table from 9 a.m. to noon. Your task would be to answer questions and keep the labels in order. Please bring closed shoes, because the paths can be muddy. If you can take the 9 a.m. shift, please reply by Wednesday so I can print your name badge. Volunteers should enter through the side gate on Mill Lane, since the front gate is for customers.
Best wishes,
Rowan
Message 2
From: Ada Okafor
To: Rowan Pell
Subject: Re: Volunteering at the plant sale
Dear Rowan,
I would be glad to help, but I can only arrive at 10 a.m., because I am driving my sister to the train station first. I could stay until 1 p.m. and help pack up the tables if that is useful. I have not worked with seedlings, but I have sold plants at a market before. Please let me know if there is anything I should read beforehand.
Regards,
Ada
Message 3
From: Rowan Pell
To: Ada Okafor
Subject: Re: Re: Volunteering at the plant sale
Dear Ada,
That works well. Another volunteer, Hugo, will cover the first hour, so you can start at 10. Packing up at 1 would be a great help. I have attached a one-page list of the most popular seedlings, and I will print your badge today. Please use the side gate.
Thanks again,
Rowan
Four questions with answers
Try each question before you read the answer. Answer from the text only.
Question 1. Why does Ada say she cannot arrive at 9 a.m.?
- She has not worked with seedlings.
- She will drive her sister to a train station first.
- She needs to buy closed shoes.
- She was asked to use the side gate.
Answer: B. Message 2 gives the reason directly: she is driving her sister to the train station first.
Question 2. What does Rowan agree to in the last message?
- Ada will work only at the front gate.
- Ada will start at 10 and help pack up at 1.
- Hugo will replace Ada at the seedling table.
- The sale will move to a later date.
Answer: B. Rowan says Hugo covers the first hour so Ada can start at 10, and that packing up at 1 would help.
Question 3. Which request in Rowan's first message still applies in the last one?
- Wear closed shoes and reply by Wednesday.
- Use the side gate.
- Print the name badge yourself.
- Bring a list of popular seedlings.
Answer: B. Rowan repeats "Please use the side gate" in Message 3. The reply deadline has been met, and Rowan, not Ada, prints the badge.
Question 4. What can be inferred about Ada from her second message?
- She is an experienced gardener.
- She has some experience selling plants.
- She has never helped at a sale.
- She wants to leave early.
Answer: B. She says she has sold plants at a market before, though not worked with seedlings, so "some experience" fits and "experienced gardener" is too strong.
Why the right answers are right
Each answer is tied to one line, and each wrong option is wrong for a reason you can name.
- Question 1: option A is true, but it is not the reason Ada gives for the time. Option C comes from Message 1 and has nothing to do with arrival time. Option D is a real instruction, but it concerns which gate to use.
- Question 2: option C reverses what Rowan says. Hugo covers the first hour and Ada is not replaced. The correct option puts the changed start time and the packing-up time together.
- Question 3: you have to read across all three messages. The deadline and badge are settled by Message 3, but the gate instruction is repeated, so it is still a live request.
- Question 4: the wording "I have sold plants at a market before" supports a modest conclusion. Options that say "experienced" or "never" are too strong.
What each question tests
Use this table after you check your answers. If you missed a question, find its skill and practise that one next.
| Question | Skill it tests | Where the evidence sits | The trap in the wrong options |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finding a stated reason | Message 2, first sentence | A true detail from the wrong place in the text |
| 2 | Combining two messages to see what was agreed | Message 3, first three sentences | An option that reverses who is replaced |
| 3 | Tracking which instructions are still active across a thread | Messages 1 and 3 | A deadline or task that was already handled |
| 4 | Making a careful inference about a writer | Message 2, third sentence | Options that are too broad or too strong |
Common mistakes
- Answering from the first message only. In a thread, the last message often changes the plan.
- Picking an option because it is true in the passage but answers a different question.
- Missing small words such as only, until and first, which change the meaning of a time or condition.
- Linking it or they to the wrong thing. Go back and check what the word refers to.
- Treating a politeness line as a fact. "I would be glad to help" does not tell you when she can arrive.
Mark why you miss each question: missed detail, vocabulary, a pronoun, an inference or time. After two or three sets you will see your pattern. For more passages, try the reading practice set.
Questions
How should I read a long email thread?
Read the question first, then find the message that answers it. Check later messages for changes before you choose.
Do I need to read every word?
No. Find the part you need, then read the sentence before and after it so you do not miss a condition.
Can I use what I know about real life?
No. Answer from the passage. An option can be true in real life and still be wrong.
Sources (checked 26 October 2026)
Last reviewed 30 October 2026
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