CELPIP Reading Practice Test 8 — All 4 Parts With Passages & Answers

Free CELPIP Reading practice test 8: Reading Correspondence, Applying a Diagram, Reading for Information and Viewpoints — full passages, 38 questions and the answer key.

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CELPIP Reading practice test in the official four-part order: 38 questions across correspondence, applying a diagram, reading for information and viewpoints.

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Part 1 — Reading Correspondence

Dear Coordinator,

I would like to volunteer for the riverbank clean-up event your group is organizing. As we spoke about by phone, the event is set for Sunday, May 4, meeting at 8:30 AM at the Mill Street boat launch. I can bring my own gloves and a rake, and I have a pickup truck that can haul three large bins of collected trash.

I have also recruited four neighbours to join me, bringing our group to five people. A $50 registration fee was paid online on March 30 to cover gloves and refreshments, and we expect roughly 80 volunteers in total. Please let me know which section of the river we should be assigned.

Thank you,
Henry Osei

Questions on the message

1. What is the main purpose of Henry's email?

  1. To cancel volunteering
  2. To volunteer for the clean-up
  3. To complain about the river
  4. To request a refund
Answer: B

Why: Henry writes to volunteer for the riverbank clean-up.

2. On what date is the event?

  1. March 30
  2. May 4
  3. May 1
  4. April 4
Answer: B

Why: The event is set for Sunday, May 4.

3. Where do volunteers meet?

  1. Mill Street boat launch
  2. City hall
  3. The park
  4. The library
Answer: A

Why: They meet at 8:30 AM at the Mill Street boat launch.

4. What vehicle can Henry provide?

  1. A car
  2. A pickup truck
  3. A bus
  4. A van
Answer: B

Why: He has a pickup truck to haul three large bins.

5. How many people are in Henry's group?

  1. Four
  2. Five
  3. Three
  4. Eighty
Answer: B

Why: He recruited four neighbours, bringing the group to five.

6. When was the $50 registration fee paid?

  1. March 30
  2. May 4
  3. April 1
  4. March 1
Answer: A

Why: The fee was paid online on March 30.

The reply — choose the best option for each gap

Hi Henry,

Wonderful that you can join the {BLANK_1} on May 4. We will see you at the {BLANK_2} at 8:30 AM. Please bring the {BLANK_3} you mentioned for hauling trash, and we are glad your group of {BLANK_4} people is coming. Your {BLANK_5} paid on March 30 is confirmed.

You are assigned the east section of the river. See you there!
Sofia Reyes, Coordinator

7. Blank 1 — choose the option that fits the passage

  1. clean-up
  2. sale
  3. parade
  4. festival
Answer: A

Why: Passage A is about the riverbank clean-up event.

8. Blank 2 — choose the option that fits the passage

  1. the park
  2. Mill Street boat launch
  3. city hall
  4. the library
Answer: B

Why: Passage A sets the meeting point at the Mill Street boat launch.

9. Blank 3 — choose the option that fits the passage

  1. bicycle
  2. boat
  3. cart
  4. pickup truck
Answer: D

Why: Passage A says Henry will bring his pickup truck.

10. Blank 4 — choose the option that fits the passage

  1. eighty
  2. three
  3. five
  4. four
Answer: C

Why: Passage A says Henry's recruited group totals five people.

11. Blank 5 — choose the option that fits the passage

  1. registration fee
  2. deposit
  3. fine
  4. donation
Answer: A

Why: Passage A mentions the $50 registration fee paid March 30.

Part 2 — Reading to Apply a Diagram

The table below shows average household energy use (in kWh per month) for a sample of homes before and after efficiency upgrades. The upgrades included LED lighting, a smart thermostat, and better attic insulation.


Total monthly savings averaged 340 kWh. The largest drop came from heating, while appliances showed the smallest change because most were not replaced.

CategoryBeforeAfter
Heating620470
Cooling280210
Lighting15070
Appliances340330
Water heating230200

Questions

1. Which category used the most energy before upgrades?

  1. Heating
  2. Appliances
  3. Cooling
  4. Lighting
Answer: A

Why: Heating used 620 kWh before, the most.

2. How much lighting energy was used after upgrades?

  1. 80
  2. 70
  3. 150
  4. 340
Answer: B

Why: Lighting dropped to 70 kWh after.

3. Which category had the largest energy drop?

  1. Appliances
  2. Lighting
  3. Heating
  4. Cooling
Answer: C

Why: Heating fell 150 kWh (620 to 470), the largest drop.

4. Which category changed the least?

  1. Water heating
  2. Cooling
  3. Heating
  4. Appliances
Answer: D

Why: Appliances changed only 10 kWh, the smallest.

5. What was the total monthly savings?

  1. 340
  2. 150
  3. 200
  4. 330
Answer: A

Why: Summing the monthly reductions (heating 150, cooling 70, lighting 80, appliances 10, water 30) gives 340 kWh saved in total.

6. How much cooling energy was used before?

  1. 210
  2. 280
  3. 230
  4. 340
Answer: B

Why: Cooling used 280 kWh before upgrades.

7. Why did appliances barely change?

  1. They broke
  2. They were unplugged
  3. Most were not replaced
  4. New ones used more
Answer: C

Why: The text says appliances were mostly not replaced.

8. Which upgrade is NOT listed?

  1. LED lighting
  2. Smart thermostat
  3. Attic insulation
  4. Solar panels
Answer: D

Why: Solar panels are not among the listed upgrades.

Part 3 — Reading for Information

A The aurora, or northern lights, appears as glowing curtains of green, red, and purple light in the sky near the Earth's magnetic poles. It occurs most often in a band called the auroral oval, which circles the Arctic and Antarctic regions and is visible on clear, dark nights.
B The light is produced when charged particles from the sun, carried by the solar wind, collide with gases in the upper atmosphere. Oxygen at high altitude glows red, while lower oxygen glows green and nitrogen adds purple and blue fringes.
C Auroras follow an eleven-year solar cycle, growing brighter and more frequent around the solar maximum, when sunspot and flare activity peak. During these peaks, the auroral oval can expand southward, making displays visible at lower latitudes than usual.
D Indigenous peoples of the north have long interpreted the aurora in stories and as a spiritual sign, while today scientists study it to understand space weather that can disrupt satellites and power grids. Strong auroras often signal geomagnetic storms on Earth.

Match each statement to the correct paragraph

1. The aurora appears as glowing curtains near the magnetic poles.

  1. A
  2. B
  3. C
  4. D
  5. E. E
Answer: A

Why: Paragraph A describes the appearance and location.

2. Solar wind particles colliding with gases create the light.

  1. A
  2. B
  3. C
  4. D
  5. E. E
Answer: B

Why: Paragraph B explains the cause of the light.

3. Auroras follow an eleven-year solar cycle peaking at solar maximum.

  1. A
  2. B
  3. C
  4. D
  5. E. E
Answer: C

Why: Paragraph C describes the solar cycle.

4. Scientists study auroras to understand space weather risks.

  1. A
  2. B
  3. C
  4. D
  5. E. E
Answer: D

Why: Paragraph D notes the scientific study of space weather.

5. The aurora can be predicted exactly one year in advance.

  1. A
  2. B
  3. C
  4. D
  5. E. E
Answer: E

Why: Not stated; the passage gives no exact one-year prediction claim.

6. High-altitude oxygen glows red in the aurora.

  1. A
  2. B
  3. C
  4. D
  5. E. E
Answer: B

Why: Paragraph B says high-altitude oxygen glows red.

7. At solar maximum the auroral oval can reach lower latitudes.

  1. A
  2. B
  3. C
  4. D
  5. E. E
Answer: C

Why: Paragraph C notes the southward expansion at peaks.

8. Indigenous northern peoples saw the aurora as spiritual.

  1. A
  2. B
  3. C
  4. D
  5. E. E
Answer: D

Why: Paragraph D mentions Indigenous spiritual interpretations.

9. Auroras only occur during the summer months.

  1. A
  2. B
  3. C
  4. D
  5. E. E
Answer: E

Why: Not stated; the passage says clear, dark nights, not summer only.

Part 4 — Reading for Viewpoints

City council is weighing a congestion charge that would bill drivers entering downtown during rush hour. Councillor Grace Liu supports it. She argues the fee will cut traffic, lower emissions, and fund better buses, and points to London and Singapore where similar charges eased gridlock. She says the revenue should be earmarked for public transit.

Taxi operator Frank Malloy opposes it. He says the charge unfairly hits working drivers who must be downtown, and that customers will simply stop taking cabs. He argues the city should expand park-and-ride lots and improve signals instead of taxing trips, warning the fee hurts those who cannot avoid driving.

Questions on the article

1. Grace Liu supports the charge because it will…

  1. raise cab fares
  2. cut traffic and fund buses
  3. remove buses
  4. ban driving
Answer: B

Why: She says it cuts traffic, lowers emissions, and funds better buses.

2. Which cities does Liu cite as examples?

  1. London and Singapore
  2. Toronto and Paris
  3. New York and Tokyo
  4. Rome and Berlin
Answer: A

Why: She points to London and Singapore.

3. Frank Malloy's main concern is…

  1. bike lanes
  2. unfair burden on working drivers
  3. lost bus funds
  4. emissions
Answer: B

Why: He says it unfairly hits working drivers who must be downtown.

4. What does Malloy propose instead?

  1. Tax trips
  2. Expand park-and-ride and signals
  3. Copy London
  4. Ban taxis
Answer: B

Why: He argues for park-and-ride lots and better signals.

5. According to Liu, charge revenue should fund…

  1. roads
  2. public transit
  3. police
  4. parking
Answer: B

Why: She says revenue should be earmarked for public transit.

A reader responds — complete the comment

I support {BLANK_1} that pricing congestion can ease gridlock, and the {BLANK_2} examples are persuasive. Yet {BLANK_3} is correct that drivers with no choice suffer. A fair plan would copy Liu's {BLANK_4} funding while adopting Malloy's {BLANK_5} alternatives for those who must drive.

6. Blank 1 — choose the option that fits the passage

  1. Malloy
  2. Liu
  3. the council
  4. the mayor
Answer: B

Why: The commenter supports Liu's pro-charge view from Passage A.

7. Blank 2 — choose the option that fits the passage

  1. Singapore
  2. Toronto
  3. Paris
  4. London and Singapore
Answer: D

Why: Passage A says Liu cited London and Singapore as examples.

8. Blank 3 — choose the option that fits the passage

  1. the operator
  2. the scientist
  3. Malloy
  4. Liu
Answer: C

Why: Malloy raised the burden-on-drivers concern in Passage A.

9. Blank 4 — choose the option that fits the passage

  1. parking
  2. transit
  3. road
  4. police
Answer: B

Why: The commenter backs Liu's transit-funding use of revenue.

10. Blank 5 — choose the option that fits the passage

  1. ban
  2. signal-cut
  3. park-and-ride
  4. tax
Answer: C

Why: The commenter adopts Malloy's park-and-ride alternative.

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