CELPIP Test Format

Reading

• Knows different types of texts and how to identify them.
• Able to find the main points and factual information swiftly.
• Capable of identifying complex styles of grammar, sentence structures, and context within a text and
• knows how they present the information.
• Able to identify ideas and opinions for all topics.
• Can make inferences, analyze the text, and provide evidence.
• Can determine the author’s position in a text.

Writing

• Able to use sophisticated sentence and paragraph structures.
• Can use advanced vocabulary to describe your thoughts and impressions.
• Uses a wide range of vocabulary in their proper forms.
• The response given is realistic, believable, and logical.
• Can effectively and formally express ideas, suggestions, and criticisms in a constructive and appropriate manner.
• Can organize information in a logical and consistent manner.

Listening

• Can understand conversations relating to day-to-day activities and recognize indicators of the speakers’ attitudes.
• Understands informal conversations about unfamiliar topics.
• Can understand audio presentations on various topics.
• Can understand the topic and much factual information in more formal presentations of complex topics such as social issues, business, or politics.
• Can discern differences of opinion expressed in such presentations and many aspects of the argumentation that support the opinions.

Speaking

• Able to construct sentences with moderately complex syntax.
• Able to express a broad range of feelings and preferences and also express attitudes towards a broad range of objects and circumstances.
• Can provide advice, use persuasion, and support points with sophisticated reasons.
• Able to provide precise descriptions of situations and contexts. Able to clearly inform others about unfamiliar or unusual situations or experiences.

Reading

• Knows different types of texts and their purposes to be able to identify them.
• Can find the main points. factual information, and identify ideas and opinions swiftly.
• Capable of identifying complex styles of grammar, sentence structures, and context and knows how they present the information.
• Can make inferences, analyze the text, and provide evidence.
• Can determine the author’s position in text depending on the language or structure.
• Familiar with topics like social issues, business, or politics to inform your understanding.

Writing

• Able to use sophisticated sentence and paragraph structures, and advanced voabulary to accurately describe your
• thoughts.
• Able to provide an appropriate, detailed, and valid response in writing.
• Can effectively and formally express ideas, suggestions, and criticisms in a constructive and appropriate manner.
• Can organize information in a logical and consistent manner.
• Familiar with many writing formats, including unconventional ones.

Listening

• Can understand conversations about day-to-day activities and recognize indicators of the speakers’ attitudes.
• Can understand unfamiliar topics in conversation and in different audio presentations.
• Can understand the topic and factual information in more formal presentations of complex topics. You are also able to discern differences of opinion expressed in such presentations and many aspects of the argumentation that support the opinions.

Speaking

• Able to construct sentences with moderately complex syntax. pr figurative language.
• Usually able to express a broad and precise range of feelings and preferences and also express your attitudes towards a broad range of objects and circumstances.
• Familiar with social conventions to effectively adjust the social circumstances.
• Able to provide advice and use persuasion. Can support your point of view with reasons that are often sophisticated or subtle.
• Able to provide clear, precise and often sophisticated descriptions of familiar situations and contexts. Able to clearly inform others about unfamiliar or unusual situations or experiences.
• Able to provide detailed, precise, and often complex or sophisticated narratives about personal experiences

Reading

• Can identify different types of text and their purposes.
• Able to find the main points and factual information.
• Familiar with advanced styles of grammar, sentence structures, and context to understand the information.
• Can easily locate information in a graphic or diagram.
• Able to identify ideas and opinions no matter the topic.
• Can make inferences depending on the text and provide evidence to back them up.
• Can determine the author’s position in text depending on the language or structure.
• Able to provide your own commentary on topics like social issues, business, or politics.

Writing

• Able to use complex sentence and paragraph structures.
• Can use difficult vocabulary that describes your thoughts and impressions depending on the situation and their correct forms.
• Uses more varied and advanced vocabulary.
• Able to provide an appropriate, detailed, and valid response in writing.
• Can effectively express your ideas, suggestions, and criticisms in a constructive and appropriate manner.
• Can organize information in a logical and consistent manner.
• Familiar with many writing formats.

Listening

• Familiar with different daily conversational topics.
• Can apply personal experiences with daily life activities.
• Familiar with different audio formats like radio shows, podcasts, news reports, etc.
• Can recall keywords and phrases, as well as additional features like mood, tone, word choice, or viewpoints.
• Can effectively summarize audio presentations and identify different perspectives based on the language used.

Speaking

• Can use a variety of sentence patterns and grammar to articulate a response.
• Can use advanced and new vocabulary and terminology to express ideas and meanings.
• Able to express thoughts, opinions, and viewpoints with clarity.
• Familiar with social practices and can initiate them without hesitation.
• Able to give advice and persuade others that is realistic and difficult to contest.
• Can give accurate descriptions no matter the situation or context.
• Can provide a structured personal narrative with a beginning, middle, and end.

Reading

• Can easily ascertain the different types of text and their purposes.
• Able to find the main points and factual information with ease.
• Familiar with different styles of grammar, sentence structures, and context to help you understand the information.
• Can easily locate information in a graphic or diagram.
• Able to identify ideas and opinions for all topics regardless of your prior experience.
• Can make inferences depending on the text and provide evidence.
• Can determine the author’s position in text depending on the language or structure.
• Able to provide your own commentary on topics like social issues, business, or politics.

Writing

• Able to use complex sentence and paragraph structures.
• Can use difficult vocabulary appropriate for the situation and their correct forms.
• Uses more advanced vocabulary to express your opinions or thoughts.
• Able to provide an appropriate, detailed, and valid response in writing.
• Can effectively express your attitudes, suggestions, and criticisms in a constructive and appropriate manner.
• Can organize information in a logical and consistent manner.
• Familiar with many writing formats, including unconventional ones.

Listening

• Is knowledgeable on common daily conversational topics.
• Able to apply personal experiences with daily life activities mentioned in conversation.
• Can ascertain the problems and solutions that may arise in conversation.
• Familiar with different audio formats like radio shows, podcasts, news reports, etc.
• Can retain keywords and phrases, as well as identifying features of the speakers like their tone, word choice, or viewpoints.
• Able to summarize audio in one sentence.
• Can identify different perspectives based on the language used.

Speaking

• Can use different sentence patterns and grammar to articulate ideas.
• Can use advanced vocabulary and appropriate terminology to express ideas and meanings.
• Able to express thoughts and opinions with advanced vocabulary.
• Familiar with social practices and can follow social cues when needed.
• Able to give advice and persuade others with clear and concise reasoning.
• Can give concise descriptions no matter the situation or context.
• Can provide a structured personal narrative.

Reading

• Can identify different types of text and their purposes after brief consideration.
• Able to find the main points and factual information, no matter the topic.
• Familiar with varying types of grammar, sentence structures, and context to help you understand the information.
• Can locate information within a graphic or diagram with ease.
• Able to identify ideas and opinions on topics that you are not familiar with.
• Can make inferences depending on the text and provide evidence.
• Can grasp the author’s position in text depending on the vocabulary.
• Has a basic background to help understand social issues, business, or politics.

Writing

• Able to use complex sentence and paragraph structures.
• Can use slightly more difficult vocabulary and their correct forms.
• Uses appropriate or more advanced vocabulary depending on the situation.
• Able to provide an effective and detailed response in writing.
• Can organize information that follows a progression or consistent manner.
• Familiar with most writing formats.

Listening

• Is familiar with common daily conversational topics.
• Able to apply personal experiences with daily life activities mentioned in conversation.
• Can identify problems and solutions that may arise in conversation.
• Understands non-professional audio like social media posts or recordings.
• Can retain more than keywords and phrases that may help answer some questions, like context, feelings, or moods.
• Able to summarize dialogue or speeches in one long sentence.
• Can identify different perspectives based on feeling.

Speaking

• Can organize and vary sentence patterns and grammar.
• Can use slightly advanced vocabulary and correct terminology to express ideas and meanings.
• Able to express thoughts and opinions with accurate vocabulary.
• Familiar with social practices and can follow social cues when appropriate.
• Able to give advice and persuade others with complicated reasoning.
• Can provide concise descriptions of familiar situations and contexts.
• May also be able to describe unfamiliar situations with clarity.
• Can provide a structured personal narrative.

Reading

• Can identify different types of text and their purposes after careful consideration.
• Able to find the main points and factual information, especially for everyday topics.
• Familiar with simple grammar, sentence structures, and context to help you understand the information.
• Can locate information within a graphic or diagram.
• Able to identify where ideas may be within a written structure even if the subject is one that you are not familiar with.
• Can make inferences depending on the text.
• Can grasp the author’s position in text depending on the vocabulary.
• Can understand social issues, business, or politics without needing too much background information.

Writing

• Able to write responses following a basic paragraph structure.
• Can use proper basic vocabulary and their correct forms.
• Uses the appropriate vocabulary depending on the situation.
• Able to provide a suitable response in writing.
• Can organize information in a clear and logical format.
• Familiar with most writing formats.

Listening

• Can understand common daily conversational topics.
• Able to apply the daily life activities into your own life.
• Can identify problems and solutions that may arise in conversation.
• Understands non-professional audio like social media posts or recordings.
• Can retain keywords and phrases that may help answer some questions.
• Able to summarize dialogue or speeches in one or more sentences.
• Can identify different perspectives by guessing.

Speaking

• Can organize and vary sentence patterns.
• Can use basic and common vocabulary and occasionally accurate terminology to express ideas and meanings.
• Able to express thoughts and opinions with basic vocabulary.
• Familiar with social practices and can pick up social cues when possible.
• Able to give advice and persuade others with slightly complicated reasoning.
• Can provide concise descriptions of familiar situations and contexts.
• May also be able to describe unfamiliar situations.
• Can provide a personal narrative.

Before the Exam

1. Prepare all the necessary documents that you will need. This includes valid, unexpired photo identification used to register for the exam (we recommend using your passport), and a copy of your test confirmation email. Store these in a folder for easy access.
2. Arrive at the testing center 45 minutes early so that you can be checked in. Use the washroom beforehand because you will not be able to leave the testing site unescorted. Do not bring valuables with you because only your ID is allowed.
3. Ensure that you had a sufficient amount of sleep the night before and an energizing meal beforehand. This will give your brain the energy needed to function properly and help you stay alert!

During the Exam

1. When you have entered the testing room, you will be brought to a computer and given some paper and a pen. You can use these papers to take notes, write drafts, or create outlines for any of the questions. You may request for more if needed.
2. You will not be the only test taker in the room! This means you will hear other people typing or speaking. You can use your provided headset as a way to muffle the sounds.
3. The time limit is three hours. You may need more or less of the allotted time depending on your reading and answering speed. Be sure to pace yourself accordingly and give yourself more time on sections that you may have trouble with. The key is not to be the first one to finish; the objective is to have a completed exam that you are confident about.

After the Exam

1. Once you’ve finished the exam, you will need to return your pen and paper to the test invigilators.
2. Take some time after leaving the test center reflecting on how you perceive your own performance. Was there anything you wished you could've done differently? Was there a section that was your weakest? Which questions did you struggle with? Was it because of the wording or because you didn't understand it?
3. Celebrate! Relax and unwind with a nice meal. Congratulations - you finished a physically and mentally challenging exam. Your results will be available on CELPIP's website 4 to 5 calendar days after you have taken the exam.