CELPIP Speaking Task 2 Sample Answer (Personal Experience)

How Task 2 works

Task 2 is the personal-experience task. The shape in our speaking tasks guide is: when and where, what happened, how it ended. Your answer is recorded on the computer, so you speak to the screen, not to an examiner.

Use the prep window for keywords only: the event, two or three moments, and the ending. The story does not have to be true, but it has to sound like something that happened to you. Prep and speaking times differ by task, so use the speaking practice prompts to rehearse with the right ones.

The invented task prompt

Invented task prompt: Talk about a time when you had to learn something quickly because other people were depending on you. Describe what the situation was, what you did, and how it turned out.

Sample answer

This is a transcript of what a test taker could say. It is original and written for practice. Read it once, then cover it and record your own answer to the same prompt.

Last spring I had to learn how to run a projector in just one afternoon. I was volunteering at a small film club in the fictional town of Alder Falls, and the man who usually ran the equipment got sick two hours before our Friday screening.

I arrived early to set up chairs, and the organiser, Ines, looked worried. She asked if anyone knew how to use the projector. I had never touched one, but about forty people had bought tickets, so I said I would try.

First I read the manual, and it was confusing. So I called the man who was sick, and he explained the cables slowly over the phone. I wrote each step on a sticky note and put the notes on the machine. Then I practised twice with a short video, and the second time the picture was sharp.

During the film, the sound dropped for a few seconds. I felt my face go hot, but I remembered a note about the volume dial, and I fixed it quickly. Nobody seemed to mind.

At the end, Ines thanked me in front of the group, and a few people clapped. I was proud, but I also learned something. If you stay calm, ask for help, and break a job into small steps, you can learn almost anything in a short time.

Why this answer earns its level

Look at how the story is built.

• "Last spring" and "two hours before our Friday screening" place the story in time straight away. The listener knows when, where and why the pressure appeared.
• "about forty people had bought tickets" explains why the speaker agreed. A reason like this makes the story believable.
• "I wrote each step on a sticky note" is a small physical detail. Details like this separate a memorable story from a general summary.
• "First", "Then", "During the film", "At the end" move the story forward in order without sounding stiff.
• The last sentence connects the experience to a lesson, which gives the task its answer: what the speaker did and what came of it.

Marking table

This answer is written to show the features of a CLB 8 to 9 response. It is a practice estimate from our own marking guide. Every row uses one of the four speaking dimensions.

Common mistakes

• Telling a story with no ending. The prompt asks how it turned out, so say it.
• Mixing past and present tense. Decide on past and check your verbs as you speak.
• Packing in too many events. One situation told well is better than a whole month squeezed in.
• Using only general words like "nice" or "good". One detail, such as a sticky note, is worth more.
• Spending the whole time on the background and rushing the ending.

Good practice stories are everyday: a missed bus, a first day at work, a repair you fixed. Prepare three of your own, then adapt the closest one to whatever the prompt asks. Hear what your recording sounds like using the speaking feedback guide.

Questions