CELPIP Speaking Practice: 12 Prompts for All 8 Tasks

Outline: one action for this week; why it helps; a second action; a fallback for the day.

Sample answer: I would suggest two things. First, ask your friend to write five stories about work or study, each with a situation, an action and a result. That helps because interviewers often ask for examples, and having them ready stops the mind going blank. Second, do one practice interview with a friend and record it on a phone. Watching it once is uncomfortable, but it shows whether the answers are too long. On the day, tell your friend to arrive early and take three slow breaths before going in. If an answer goes wrong, it is fine to pause and start again.

Outline: free practice idea; why it works; a second free idea; how to keep going.

Sample answer: I would tell them to use what is already free. First, choose one short news clip each day and summarise it out loud for sixty seconds. That helps because it trains the brain to find words quickly without a teacher. Second, join a conversation group at a library or community centre; many are free and run by volunteers. If there is no group nearby, record a voice message to a friend and ask for one correction. The important part is doing it often, even for ten minutes. Progress comes from repeating a small habit, not from waiting for a paid course.

Outline: when and where; what broke; what you did; what you learned.

Sample answer: Last winter, the handle on my front door broke on a Sunday evening, just as I was bringing in groceries. I could not close the door properly, and the shops were shut. I called a neighbour, who lent me a small screwdriver and showed me how to remove the old handle. We covered the gap with a piece of wood for the night, and I bought a new handle on Monday. I learned to keep a basic tool kit at home. Now I check small fittings before winter, and I know which neighbour to ask first.

Outline: where you were; what the stranger needed; what you did; how it ended.

Sample answer: Last month I was waiting at a bus stop when an older man dropped a bag of shopping. A carton opened, and milk ran across the pavement. He looked embarrassed and did not know what to do. I gave him the tissues from my bag and helped him move the other bags to a bench. Then I walked to a small shop nearby and bought a replacement carton. He offered to pay me, but I said it was fine. We ended up on the same bus, and he told me about his granddaughter. I felt useful for the rest of the day.

Outline: big picture; left side; centre; one small detail.

Sample answer: The market fills an old warehouse with a high glass roof. Rain is drumming above, and the floor is slightly wet near the entrance. On the left, a baker is stacking brown loaves while a child points at a tray of buns. In the centre, two women run a flower stall, and their buckets of tulips add bright colour against the grey day. Near the back, a man is tuning a guitar, and a small dog sleeps under his chair. The whole place smells of coffee and wet coats. It feels busy but calm, because everyone is sheltering from the same rain.

Outline: first prediction; reason; second prediction; reason.

Sample answer: My first prediction is that more people will choose the bus for longer trips. If passengers can answer emails or watch a lecture on the way to work, the travel time feels useful rather than wasted. My second prediction is that the quiet carriage will become harder to find. Once everyone is online, more people may take calls and play videos without headphones, so the town may need to introduce a quiet zone on each bus. Overall, I think the service will be popular, but the town should set a few simple rules early so that passengers do not annoy each other.

Outline: state the choice; reason one; reason two; answer the other side.

Sample answer: I would choose the community kitchen. First, food brings people together across languages and ages, so the kitchen would help new residents meet their neighbours. A tool library is useful, but it mainly serves people who already have a project in mind. Second, the kitchen can host low-cost cooking classes and a weekly shared meal, which would help families on tight budgets. Someone might argue that tools are expensive to store, and that is true, but the kitchen can share one large space with an existing hall. I think the kitchen would reach more people for the same money.

Outline: say what happened; take responsibility; offer a solution; ask what they prefer.

Sample answer: I need to tell you something about the ladder you lent me. While I was cleaning the gutter, the second step cracked under my foot. I was not hurt, and I stopped using it straight away. I am sorry it happened, and I want to put it right. I have found a repair shop that can replace the step, and I am happy to pay for that. If you would rather have a new ladder, I can order the same size and bring it over this week. Please tell me which option you prefer. I value your help, and I do not want this to affect our friendship.

Outline: opinion; reason; example; second reason.

Sample answer: I think a later start is a good idea for older students. Teenagers often sleep badly, and a 7:30 start means many of them are still tired during the first lesson. A later start would let them sleep a little longer, which should improve attention. For example, a school in my cousin's town moved the first bell to 8:45, and teachers reported that morning absences fell. There is a second benefit: students who travel by bus have more time to get to school without rushing. The change needs care, because younger children may need different hours. Still, for teenagers, the evidence points in the same direction.

Outline: opinion; reason; example; acknowledge the other side.

Sample answer: For me, a small town is better, as long as it is within reach of a city. The main reason is time. In a small town, the commute is short, and everyday errands take minutes instead of an hour. For example, my aunt can walk to the shops, the library and the doctor, so she does not need a car every day. A big city offers more events and jobs, and I accept that this matters for some careers. But I would rather have a calmer routine and travel to the city for a concert than deal with traffic and noise every morning. It comes down to what you value daily.

Outline: what it is; what it looks like; what people do; one problem.

Sample answer: The park looks ordinary until someone sits down. Each wooden bench has a small speaker under the seat, and it plays a gentle tune for as long as the person stays. The music is different on every bench: one plays piano, another plays a slow guitar. In the morning, office workers eat breakfast and listen for a few minutes. In the afternoon, children run from bench to bench to hear the changes. There is one problem: people sometimes leave a bag on a bench to keep the music playing, so the park has added a sign asking them to sit instead.

Outline: what happens; what it looks like; what people do; one effect.

Sample answer: On the first Monday of each month, the shops on this street change places. The bakery moves into the old bookshop, the bookshop takes the shoe shop, and so on. The signs stay the same, so the street looks familiar but wrong. People come early to watch the owners carry boxes and rearrange shelves. Regular customers learn to check the numbers rather than the windows. The effect is that everyone visits shops they usually ignore. A person who comes for bread may leave with a novel, and the bookseller may discover a new lunch spot. It is confusing for a day, but it keeps the street alive.