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TPS - Understanding the CELPIP Exam

On this page, the goal is to help you get to know as much as you can about CELPIP and help you to find a tutor, study help and practice. I will provide a start but also links to give you as much knowledge as possible about CELPIP. TPS is obviously not the authorized source for information on CELPIP so please go to the CELPIP official website for confirmation. This page will try to make information on CELPIP summarized, in easier language and more objectively, since for immigration purposes you have a choice between CELPIP, and IELTS.

To register for the test go through the official site under registration, not with the school/center that implements it.

What is CELPIP?

The Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) is a computer-delivered test that tries to find out a person’s functional skill in English rather than just academic. It has gained success by now being allowed by Canadian Immigration as an English test accepted as an alternative to IELTS. It was developed by Paragon Testing, the same organization that does LPI. There are two types of CELPIP:

1. CELPIP General
This test is accepted by Citizenship and Immigration Canada for permanent resident status in Canada and includes the four-skills (listening, reading, writing, and speaking). Immigration allows a applicant to use this or the CELPIP listening and speaking test, so the CELPIP General is a good choice since it is cheaper than the IELTS. Look at the various immigration programs that accept it at the official website

2. CELPIP General L&S
Also, accepted by Citizenship and Immigration Canada for citizenship and includes the two-skills (listening and speaking). It is essentially given to immigration applicants and is an attractive alternative to the IELTS General Module since it is quite a bit cheaper ($175 plus tax) but you do need to achieve a score of level 4 or higher (up to 12) in listening and speaking.

What are CELPIP's Parts?

CELPIP has a complicated structure to it with many sections to it, particularly the CELPIP General Test. It is very much like the type of ESL tests you see from institutions following CLB, with prompts in a variety of situations. Note that for the reading listening and speaking there are separate times for each part and sub-part. Go to the CELPIP official site for all the parts but essentially:

CELPIP General

Listening 6 parts                  40 minutes
Reading 4 parts                  60 minutes
Writing                 2 parts                  60 minutes
Speaking 8 parts 20 minutes

CELPIP General L& S

Listening 6 parts                  40 minutes
Speaking 8 parts 20 minutes

The best way to get to now the CELPIP structure is to do a practice test. Go to CELPIP's free practice site

How is CELPIP Scored? How Does it Compare to CLB, IELTS & TOEFL?

CELPIP follows what they call a Proficiency Index Level which corresponds very closely to the CLB levels. CELPIP changed the results of their tests to be equivalent to Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB).

CELPIP General and L&S compared to CLB, IELTS and TOEFL

   From CLB From Cdn Govt From ETS

Level 12               Advanced                           (CLB 12) (IELTS 9) (TOEFL 118‐120)
Level 11               Advanced                          (CLB 11) (IELTS 8.5) (TOEFL 115‐117)
Level 10               Highly Effective (CLB 10) (IELTS 8) (TOEFL 110‐114)
Level 9                Effective                             (CLB 9) (IELTS 7.5) (TOEFL 102‐109)
Level 8                Good                                  (CLB 8) (IELTS 6.5-7) (TOEFL 94‐101)
Level 7                 Adequate [workplace] (CLB 7) (IELTS 6) (TOEFL 79‐93)
Level 6                Developing                         (CLB 6) (IELTS 5.5) (TOEFL 60‐78)
Level 5                 Acquiring                            (CLB 5) (IELTS 4,5-5) (TOEFL 46-59)
Level 4 Adequate (Daily Life) (CLB 4) (IELTS 4) (TOEFL 35-45)
Level 3                 Some (CLB 3) (IELTS 3-3.5) (TOEFL 32-34)
Level M                Minimal (CLB 0,1,2) (IELTS 1-2) (TOEFL 0‐31)

What are the CELPIP Parts, How is it Timed, How is Scored?

Listening Parts

Derived from Official CELPIP Practice test

The listening test has 6 parts and each part is in theory progressively more difficult. You will hear the audio clip only once but you can take notes so it is not just a memory test. A time bar will show how much time you need to finish each part and when you are ready to proceed, you click on the "next." button. Be sure you do want to proceed because once you leave a page, you cannot go back to it to change your answers. The timing breakdown is based on the sample tests given on the Official CELPIP website. The timing stated below can change and is not fixed but gives you a sample.

47 - 55 minutes - 6 parts

Part 1: Listening to Problem Solving (8 questions) Part 2: Listening to a Daily Life Conversation (5 questions)

Section 1 (1 to 1.5 minutes long). One Passage ( 1.5 to 2 minutes long.)
Q 1 = 30 seconds Q 1 = 30 seconds
Q 2 = 30 seconds Q 2 = 30 seconds
Q 3 = 30 seconds   Q 3 = 30 seconds
  Q 4 = 30 seconds
  Section 2 (1-1.5 minutes long) Q 5 = 30 seconds
Q 4 = 30 seconds
Q 5 = 30 seconds
Q 6 = 30 seconds

Section 3 (1-1.5 minutes long)
Q 7 = 30 seconds
Q 8 = 30 seconds

Part 3: Listening for Information (6 questions) Part 4: Listening to a News Item (5 questions)

One passage (2 to 2.5 minutes long.) One news item (It is about 1.5 minutes long).
Q 1 = 30 seconds
Q 2 = 30 seconds Complete 5 statements from the drop-down menu.
Q 3 = 30 seconds
Q 4 = 30 seconds   Q . 1- 5 = 3 minutes & 30 seconds for the total of all questions
Q 5 = 30 seconds
Q 6 = 30 seconds

Part 5: Listening to a Discussion (8 questions) Part 6: Listening to Viewpoints (6 questions)

One video. 1.5 to 2 minutes long. One report (It is about 3 minutes long)

Choose the best answer to each question from the drop-down menu Then 6 questions will appear from the drop-down menu

Q 1-8 = 4 minutes for the total of all questions   Q 1-6 = 4 minutes 20 seconds for the total of all questions

Listening Scores

From official CELPIP site

The listening test scoring is a bit complicated in that you can have overlapping ranges. For example, if you score 35, it may be a 9, 10 or 11. The rationale for this is that some questions are more heavily weighted than others. This is why you can see some overlap in the scoring range.

Approximate Scores and CELPIP Levels for the Listening Test and comparison to IELTS

LISTENING SCORE /38

CELPIP LEVEL CELPIP Score IELTS Score

10-12 35-38 8-9
9 33-35 7.5
8 30-33 6.5-7
7 27-31 6
6 22-28 5.5
5 17-23 4.5-5
4 11-18 4
3 7-12 3-3.5
M 0-7 1-2

Reading Parts

Derived from Official CELPIP Practice test

Like the listening test, the reading test is comprised of different functions of reading and in theory become more difficult as it moves from part to part, although many find the second part to be easier than the others. There are 4 parts to the reading test and the time bar will show you how much time you have. In each part, the reading text is on the left of the screen with the instructions and questions on the right side most often in the form of multiple choice questions. Be careful, some students have complained that they overlooked a part becasue they did not use the scrollbar so what is on the screen at first is not necessarily all that is on that part of the test.

Reading 60 minutes 4 parts

Part 1: Reading Correspondence (11 questions)

11 minutes

   One passage, An email of 4-7 paragraphs
   Q. 1- 6

     One response
   Q. 7-11 (Filling the blanks. embedded in text by drop down)

Part 2: Reading to Apply a Diagram (8 questions)

9 minutes

   One diagram with information usually in multiple product/service advertisement form

     One email
   Q. 1-5 (embedded questions)
   Q. 6-8 (comprehension questions)


Part 3: Reading for Information (9 questions)

10 minutes

   One passage on an encyclopedia type topic (Paragraphs A - E [E = no information])
Q. 1-9

Part 4: Reading for Viewpoints (10 questions)

13 minutes

One article on a topic with a variety of viewpoints
Q. 1-5

The comment in response
Q, 5-10

Reading Scores

From official CELPIP site

READING SCORE /38

CELPIP LEVEL CELPIP Score IELTS

10-12 33-38 8-9
9 31-33 7.5
8 28-31 6.5-7
7 24-28 6
6 19-25 5.5
5 15-20 4.5-5
4 11-18 4
3 7-12 3-3.5
M 0-7 1-2

Approximate Scores and CELPIP Levels for the Listening Test (some questions are more heavily weighted than others. This is why you can see some overlap in the scoring range).

Writing Parts

The writing test has test takers doing 2 writing tasks. All tasks are typed into the computer. The computer does record and makes visible how many words you have written at the bottom of the writing area. Unlike other tests such as IELTS, if you do not finish Task 1 in 27 minutes, the screen will move to Task 2 and you will be unable to go back to Task 1. Task 1 is typically a complaint letter but is often another type such as a personal letter or application letter. There are usually 3 or 4 sub-tasks within it to help a writer structure their letter. Task 2 typically gives a dichotomous choice between two alternatives and asks you to give reasons for your choice. There IS A SPELL CHECK function - a nice feature that can help you type faster. You are given paper and a pencil to make notes or brainstorm.

Writing 53-60 minutes

1 writing for Task 1: Writing an Email (150-200 words.) 27 minutes

1 writing for Task 2: Responding to Survey Questions (150 -200 words) 26 minutes

Writing Scoring

from Canada Immigration and Citizenship site (CIC)

The writing scoring like the rest of the test is in line with the CLB. Your target range depends on the immigration or program demands but most applicants are targeting between 6-8 scores. Both task 1 and 2 are weighted equally

CELPIP LEVEL CLB Score IELTS Score

12 12 9
11 11 8-8.5
10 10 7.5
9 9 7
8 8 6.5
7 7 6
6 6 5.5
5 5 5
4 4 4
3 3 3
M 0-2 0-2

Speaking Parts

Derived from Official CELPIP Practice test

The speaking test includes a whopping 8 scored parts (the first task is not scored), all very distinct and all targeting specific language skills. Some of the tasks assume you are in a monologue role play while others are like short speeches. Generally tasks get more difficult as the speaking test progresses, although the difficulty will depend on the speakers experience with the tasks. There is no point in speaking beyond the recorded time since an examiner will not hear it.

Speaking 20 minutes

Practice Task: Describing personal situation
     30 seconds preparation 60 second talk

Task 1: Giving Advice
     30 second preparation 90 second talk

Task 2: Talking about a Personal Experience
     30 seconds preparation 60 second talk

Task 3: Describing a Scene
     30 seconds preparation 60 second talk

Task 4: Making Predictions
30 seconds preparation 60 second talk

Task 5: Comparing and Persuading
60 seconds preparation 60 second talk

Task 6: Dealing with a Difficult Situation
60 seconds preparation 60 second talk

Task 7: Expressing Opinions
     30 seconds preparation 90 second talk

Task 8: Describing an Unusual Situation
   30 seconds preparation 60 second talk

Speaking Scoring & Standards

From Canada Immigration and Citizenship site (CIC)

Note that the speaking scores are in line with the writing score structure. The exact weighting of each task is unknown to me but you can assume that some tasks will be weighted more than others.

CELPIP LEVEL CLB Score IELTS Score

12 12 9
11 11 8-8.5
10 10 7.5
9 9 7
8 8 6.5
7 7 6
6 6 5.5
5 5 5
4 4 4
3 3 3
M 0-2 0-2

This information is from CELPIP Performance Standards section of the Paragon Testing website.
I have simplified it better for you a bit because, well, it is not exactly so concise

1) COHERENCE/MEANING

ideas flow smoothly and effectively
meaningful and coherent
enough ideas,
explained clearly
well organized
reader can easily follow
sometimes precise sometimes deeper

2) VOCABULARY

Can combine words to express precise meaning
uses vocabulary, idioms and phrases to make ideas understandable.
Range of words sufficient to complete the task
express precise ideas clearly
minimal pausing and hesitation

3) LISTENABILITY
This category measures how intelligible and fluent your speaking is.

rhythm, pronunciation and intonation do not interfere with listenability
Fluent response (
Mimimal hesitations, interjections, and/or self-correction
Control of grammar and syntax doesn't interfere with listenability
Complexity and variety in the sentence structure

4) TASK FULFILLMENT
This category considers how well the content of the response addresses the task requirements.
measures if test taker understood the instructions and done everything he or she was asked to do

Addresses the task
Completes response?
Tone of the response is appropriate/context
Long enough?

Is CELPIP for Me?

The important thing to remember is that you have to think about your strengths and weaknesses.

Do you prefer a speaking test that tests a broader range of skills? CELPIP has a variety of speaking functional tasks that IELTS does not have, so you might consider CELPIP instead.
Do you prefer speaking to a real face? If you do, clearly IELTS is the better option..
Do you hate being rushed by a computer timer when you speak or answer questions in reading or writing, If you do, you may consider IELTS instead.
Do you hate being tested for specific details? If you do you might consider CELPIP. Its listening test tends to be more based on gist listening, attitude, tone and reasons, while IELTS is more based on specific details.
Do you hate spelling? If you feel you are a weak speller, CELPIP is the better option since it uses multiple chopice questions and a spell check for writing.
Do you feel you need lots of self study practice tests? If so, clearly IELTS is the better option. The range of self-study practice materials is limited for CELPIP and tightly controlled by Paragon Testing. IELTS has seemingly unlimited textbooks, online sites and blogs devoted to it.
Do you feel reading and writing are weak points and you are going for citizenship? Because citizenship requirements only require the Listening and Speaking test, CELPIP offers the option of skipping reading or writing if you feel it is your weakness
Is cost a factor? CELPIP is a cheaper test at $265 for General, $185 for L&S, and $309 for IELTS.

Find a CELPIP Course

Look through the CELPIP Course in the Tutor Courses Page. This gives a general idea of what is involved, but of course all tutorial programs are highly tailor-made so feel free to express your specific requirements and issues to the tutor.

Find a CELPIP Tutor

If you are planning on online tutoring

We have tutors in Ottawa (central), Kanata, Goulbourn, Nepean, Gatineau (city), SGloucester, Cumberland, Vanier, Rockfield, Alymer, Plateau and Hull and West Carleton. Make sure that you also look at the times available page, the student and tutor obligations page as well as the pricing and policy page

CELPIP Tips and Practice

To self-study CELPIP, we provide our own tips as well as useful links to in our CELPIP Tips page. For free practice we provide a page on CELPIP reading and writing as well as both CELPIP speaking and listening practice.