- Speaking at a glance
- The eight tasks in order
- How the clock shapes an answer
- Task-by-task technique
- Where Speaking sits in CELPIP General
- How the score is reported
- What the Speaking score is worth
- Practice that matches the real thing
CELPIP Speaking is eight recorded tasks completed in 15–20 minutes at the computer, with no live examiner in the room while you answer. Each task appears on screen, gives you a short, tightly clocked preparation window, then records your response. The task list is published and fixed, so you can prepare a repeatable shape for all eight. This guide covers the official breakdown, technique for each task type, and what the band is worth.
Speaking at a glance
Speaking is one of four sections in CELPIP General and the only one assessed from your own voice. You speak to a microphone, not to a person: the prompt, the clock and the recording are all on screen.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tasks | 8, always in the same order |
| Time | 15–20 minutes for the whole section |
| Examiner | None in the room while you answer |
| Reporting scale | 1–12 CELPIP scale, mapping one-to-one to the CLB |
The eight tasks in order
The task types are fixed, so the section never surprises you with an unfamiliar format.
| # | Task | What the prompt gives you | What a complete answer needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Giving Advice | A situation where someone needs guidance | A recommendation, reasons and one concrete step |
| 2 | Talking about a Personal Experience | A topic drawn from your own life | One experience, told in order, with an outcome |
| 3 | Describing a Scene | A picture to select from and describe | The setting, the people, one telling detail |
| 4 | Making Predictions | A scene or topic with a future dimension | A stated prediction, evidence and a timeframe |
| 5 | Comparing and Persuading | Two options and a listener with a preference | Criteria, a nod to the alternative, your choice |
| 6 | Dealing with a Difficult Situation | A problem needing a decision | An acknowledged difficulty, an action and a reason |
| 7 | Expressing Opinions | A statement or question to take a position on | A direct position, two reasons and a rebuttal |
| 8 | Describing an Unusual Situation | An unexpected or unusual scene | What you see, the striking feature, your explanation |
Task names and order per the official CELPIP General Guidebook for Test Takers.
How the clock shapes an answer
The biggest constraint in Speaking is time, not vocabulary. Fifteen to twenty minutes across eight tasks means each response window is short and the preparation window shorter still: there is no opportunity to draft a script, only to choose a structure.
- Carry one shape into every task. An opening sentence stating your position, two or three supporting points, and a closing sentence.
- Speak for the whole window. Silence earns nothing; if you finish early, add another example rather than stopping.
- Know what to cut. Drop the example first, then the second reason — never the recommendation.
Task-by-task technique
Each task type rewards a different emphasis. The notes below cover what to include and what to leave out.
Task 1 — Giving Advice
Give the recommendation in your first or second sentence, then support it. Include the person, the advice, two reasons and one concrete step they can take this week. Cut the warm-up: it eats clock before you have said anything useful. Close by reassuring the listener the plan is workable.
Task 2 — Talking about a Personal Experience
This task wants one story, not a survey of your life. Pick a single experience and tell it in order: when and where it happened, who was there, what went wrong or right, and how it ended. Cut list-making lines such as “I have visited many places”, which describe habits rather than an experience. Open by placing the scene and close with what you took from it.
Task 3 — Describing a Scene
Select rather than inventory. Include the setting, the people and what they are doing, and one detail that shows you have interpreted the scene rather than listed it. Cut the catalogue of every object; a scene needs three or four strong details, not twelve weak ones. Open with one sentence giving the big picture, then zoom in, and close with what the scene suggests.
Task 4 — Making Predictions
Predict what happens next in the scene — the next few minutes or the next hour, not years ahead. State your prediction in the opening sentence, then justify it from what you can see in the picture: who moves where, what the crowd does, what changes when the light goes. Name one thing that could change the outcome, and close by returning to your prediction. Cut the hedging that restates the question without committing.
Task 5 — Comparing and Persuading
Include your comparison criteria, an acknowledgement of the option you are arguing against, then your recommendation with reasons. Cut the neutral summary: concluding that both are good has not done the task. Open by naming the choice you will defend.Task 6 — Dealing with a Difficult Situation
Choose a course of action and defend it. Include an acknowledgement of the other person's position, the action you have decided on and why it is right. Cut apologies that fill time without reaching a decision; the difficulty is the setup, not the answer. Open honestly and close with a concrete next step.
Task 7 — Expressing Opinions
Take a position early and hold it. Include a direct statement of your view, two supported reasons, one example, and a short acknowledgement of the strongest counter-argument with why it does not change your mind. Cut restating the same point in different words; repetition crowds out evidence. Close with a one-line restatement.
Task 8 — Describing an Unusual Situation
The least predictable task, and the one where planning pays most. Describe what makes the situation unusual, including the most striking feature and a plausible explanation, then close with your own reaction. Cut over-explanation: signal the unusual element in the first sentence.
Where Speaking sits in CELPIP General
Speaking is one of four sections in CELPIP General, all taken in a single sitting of around three hours, with no separate speaking appointment. Speaking is the shortest section by time but carries the same weight as any other ability.
| Section | Components | Questions or tasks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listening | 6 parts, plus one unscored practice task | 38 scored questions | 47–55 min |
| Reading | 4 parts, plus one unscored practice task | 38 scored questions | 55–60 min |
| Writing | Task 1 Writing an Email, Task 2 Responding to Survey Questions | 2 tasks | 53–60 min |
| Speaking | 8 recorded tasks in fixed order | 8 tasks | 15–20 min |
Section breakdown per the official CELPIP General Guidebook for Test Takers. Results are published online in 8 business days, or 3 with express rating.
One format point matters when booking: CELPIP General LS contains only Listening and Speaking. It is accepted for Canadian citizenship but not for Australian skilled visas, so candidates using CELPIP for Australia need the full four-skill test.
How the score is reported
Each ability is reported on the 1–12 CELPIP scale. CELPIP General is 1:1 with the CLB: 7 is CLB 7, 8 is 8, 9 is 9, and 10 or higher is CLB 10. The CLB is measured per ability and never averaged, so your speaking band stands alone.
| CELPIP band (equals CLB) | Official descriptor | Reading the band |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Adequate | The FSW minimum for every ability |
| 8 | Good | Proficient English in Australia |
| 9 | Effective | A strong CRS contribution from speaking alone |
| 10 | Highly effective | Top CLB 10 band; Superior English in Australia |
| 11–12 | Advanced proficiency | The highest published descriptor |
Descriptors per the official CELPIP guidebook; thresholds per DHA and IRCC.
What the Speaking score is worth
The CRS awards first official language points for each ability separately, so a strong speaking band is worth points in its own right.
| Speaking CLB | CRS points, with a spouse | CRS points, without a spouse |
|---|---|---|
| Below 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 4–5 | 6 | 6 |
| 6 | 8 | 9 |
| 7 | 16 | 17 |
| 8 | 22 | 23 |
| 9 | 29 | 31 |
| 10 or higher | 32 | 34 |
| Maximum, all four abilities | 128 | 136 |
Per-ability CRS points for the first official language, per IRCC. Check your mix with the CLB and CRS calculator.
In Australia, the Department of Home Affairs sets a separate speaking number for each English level. Proficient English requires speaking 8 and carries 10 points on a skilled visa; Superior English requires speaking 10 and carries 20. Competent English requires speaking 7 and is the eligibility floor, not a points source. A CELPIP result is valid for two years, and Express Entry results must be less than two years old both when you complete your profile and when you apply for PR.
Practice that matches the real thing
Speaking improves with repetitions under the clock, not with reading about technique. Work through the eight tasks in order, record yourself, and listen back once for structure and once for pace. Our free CELPIP Speaking practice follows the same eight-task order. Build a weekly routine: two full runs, one pass each on Reading and Listening, and a review of each recording for the same faults.
Last reviewed: 29 September 2026.