CELPIP reading tips for the four parts

The short version

Work out who's writing and why. Find the line that answers the question. Then check the option against that line, not against what sounds sensible.

The four parts

Part	Your job
Correspondence	Follow a message, a request and a reply
Applying a diagram	Combine an email with a flyer, map or schedule
Reading for information	Find and connect facts in a longer text
Viewpoints	Tell facts from opinions, and who holds which opinion

Find it, then check it

Preview: read the question and spot the key names and words.
Locate: find the paragraph that answers it. Read the sentence before and after too.
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.

Diagrams and viewpoints

For a diagram, turn it into a quick list: dates, places, prices, conditions. Then match the email to the list. For a viewpoints text, label each opinion with whose it is. A lot of wrong answers give the right opinion to the wrong person.

Review your misses

After each set, mark why you missed each question: missed detail, vocabulary, a word like it or they you linked to the wrong thing, an inference, or time. After two or three sets you'll see your pattern. That's what to practise.

Questions

Can I use general knowledge?

No. Answer from the passage. An option can be true in real life and still be wrong.

I keep running out of time. What helps?

Read the question before the passage, and don't read every word of a long text. Find the part you need.

Do all questions have four options?

Most practice materials use four. Use CELPIP's current materials for the exact screen.

Sources (checked 26 October 2026)

Last reviewed 26 October 2026

Independent practice. Not affiliated with Paragon Testing Enterprises or the CELPIP test.

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