CELPIP General Speaking Topics
CELPIP Speaking is eight recorded tasks in about fifteen minutes, with short preparation windows and no second attempt. Every prompt below is an independent practice question written to the published task format, so you can rehearse the exact skill each task measures without touching real exam content.
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Where these topics come from
These prompts are written by Mocko to match the official task format. They are not real CELPIP questions, and you should be sceptical of any site claiming otherwise. Paragon does not publish live papers, test takers agree to keep content confidential, and Paragon’s own terms say you are liable if you prepare using real exam items, including having your score cancelled, even if you did not know they were real. Independent sample questions are explicitly permitted, which is exactly what these are.
CELPIP Speaking is rated by trained human raters, not AI, and reported on the CELPIP scale from M to 12, which maps directly onto CLB. Most Express Entry candidates target CLB 9, and CLB 7 is the common minimum. Convert your score to CLB.
Task 1: Giving advice
Independent prompts written to the Task 1 format. You are told about someone’s problem and asked to advise them.
- 1
Your friend has been offered a promotion that means moving to another province, away from all their family. They cannot decide. Give them advice.
- 2
Your cousin has just arrived in Canada and wants to buy a car immediately, even though they have very little savings. Advise them on what to do.
- 3
A coworker keeps taking on extra shifts and is clearly exhausted, but is afraid to say no to your manager. Give them advice.
- 4
Your neighbour wants to go back to school at 40 to change careers, but worries they are too old. Advise them.
- 5
Your younger sibling spends most of their income eating out and has no emergency savings. Give them advice about managing money.
How to answer task 1
Name the person and the problem in your first sentence so the rater knows you understood the task.
Give two pieces of advice, not five. Each one needs a reason and a likely outcome.
Use real advice language: I would suggest, if I were you, it might be worth, have you thought about.
Ninety seconds is the longest slot in the test alongside Task 7. Do not stop at forty seconds.
Close by encouraging them. A warm final line sounds natural and fills time you might otherwise leave silent.
Task 2: Talking about a personal experience
Independent prompts written to the Task 2 format. You describe something that happened to you.
- 1
Describe a time when you helped a stranger. What happened and how did you feel?
- 2
Talk about a time you had to give bad news to someone. Describe the situation and what you said.
- 3
Describe an occasion when a plan of yours went completely wrong. What did you do about it?
- 4
Talk about the first few weeks after you moved to a new city or country. What was hardest?
- 5
Describe a time you learned something new that turned out to be much harder than you expected.
How to answer task 2
Set the scene fast: when, where, who. Ten seconds maximum, then get into the story.
Use past tenses consistently. This is the task where raters most easily hear tense control.
One story with detail beats three stories summarised. Detail is what makes the minute pass.
Include how you felt, not just what happened. The prompt usually asks for it and candidates routinely skip it.
If it did not happen to you, invent it. Nobody verifies the story, and hesitating over accuracy costs marks.
Task 3: Describing a scene
Independent scene descriptions written to the Task 3 format. In the real test you are shown one picture and describe it for someone who cannot see it.
- 1
A busy farmers market on a Saturday morning, with stalls, shoppers and a street musician.
- 2
A family barbecue in a public park, with children playing and a dog running loose.
- 3
A crowded bus stop in winter, with people queuing in heavy coats as snow falls.
- 4
A community centre swimming pool during a children’s lesson, with parents watching.
- 5
A construction site next to a pavement, with workers, a crane and pedestrians walking past.
How to answer task 3
Work outward in a fixed order: foreground, middle, background, or left to right. A method stops you jumping around.
The listener cannot see the picture, so prepositions carry the whole task: in front of, next to, behind, in the top left corner.
Use the present continuous throughout. A man is carrying, two children are chasing.
Describe, do not interpret. Guessing why people are there belongs in Task 4, not here.
Cover people first, then objects and setting. Raters expect the people to be prioritised.
Task 4: Making predictions
Independent prompts written to the Task 4 format. This uses the same picture as Task 3 and asks what happens next.
- 1
Using the farmers market scene, predict what will happen in the next few minutes.
- 2
Using the park barbecue scene, say what you think is about to happen.
- 3
Using the winter bus stop scene, predict what will happen when the bus arrives.
- 4
Using the swimming lesson scene, describe what will happen once the lesson ends.
- 5
Using the construction site scene, predict what will happen next on the pavement.
How to answer task 4
Switch tense deliberately. Task 4 is scored on future forms: will, is going to, is about to, will probably.
Anchor every prediction to something visible. Because the boy is running towards the road, his mother is going to call him back.
Make three or four linked predictions rather than one, and let them follow on from each other in time.
Hedge naturally: I imagine, it looks like, I would expect. Hedging sounds fluent and adds range.
Do not re-describe the picture. Repeating Task 3 is the most common way to lose marks here.
Task 5: Comparing and persuading
Independent prompts written to the Task 5 format. You compare two options, choose one, and persuade someone to agree.
- 1
Your team is choosing a staff outing: a guided hike in the mountains, or an afternoon of indoor bowling with lunch included. Persuade your manager to pick one.
- 2
Your family is choosing between a two week holiday abroad and a new sofa plus a weekend away. Persuade your partner.
- 3
You are choosing between a downtown apartment near work and a larger suburban place with a long commute. Persuade your partner.
- 4
Your community group must choose between buying new playground equipment and repaving the car park. Persuade the committee.
- 5
You are choosing between a gym membership and building a small home gym. Persuade a friend to join you in one of them.
How to answer task 5
Part 1 has no speaking. Use that full minute to pick your option and decide your two strongest reasons.
Say which option you chose in the first sentence, then justify. Comparing without choosing fails the task.
Name the rejected option and why it is weaker. Comparison is half the task name and half the marks.
Address the listener directly by their role: I know you were leaning towards the hike, but hear me out.
Use comparatives and superlatives heavily: cheaper, far more practical, the better option for everyone.
Task 6: Dealing with a difficult situation
Independent prompts written to the Task 6 format. You are given an awkward situation and must choose who to speak to, then speak to them.
- 1
You promised to drive a friend to the airport, but your employer has asked you to work that morning. Either explain to your friend, or ask a colleague to cover the shift.
- 2
Your neighbour’s renovation starts at six every morning and you cannot sleep. Either speak to your neighbour, or report it to the building manager.
- 3
You ordered a laptop online and it arrived damaged, but the return window has closed. Either call the seller, or explain to your sibling why you cannot lend it to them.
- 4
You booked a family dinner for your parents’ anniversary but the restaurant lost the reservation. Either speak to the manager, or tell your parents about the change.
- 5
Your landlord has not fixed a leaking pipe after three requests. Either call the landlord again, or explain the situation to your housemate.
How to answer task 6
State who you are speaking to in your first line. I am calling the building manager. Raters need to know which option you took.
Match your tone to that choice. Apologetic with a friend, firm and factual with a company.
Structure it as: explain the situation, say what you need, propose a solution. The proposal is what most candidates forget.
Stay polite even when complaining. This task rewards diplomatic language, not anger.
You get a full minute of preparation here, which is double most tasks. Use it to choose your option, not to write a script.
Task 7: Expressing opinions
Independent prompts written to the Task 7 format. You are given a statement and asked whether you agree.
- 1
Mobile phones should be banned in schools during class time. Do you agree or disagree?
- 2
Public transport should be free for everyone in large cities. Do you agree or disagree?
- 3
Employers should allow staff to work from home whenever the job makes it possible. Do you agree or disagree?
- 4
Children should be required to learn a second language throughout school. Do you agree or disagree?
- 5
Governments should tax sugary drinks to improve public health. Do you agree or disagree?
How to answer task 7
Pick a side immediately and never sit in the middle. Balanced answers read as indecisive here.
Two developed reasons with an example each fills ninety seconds comfortably. Listing five does not.
Acknowledge the opposite view once, then dismiss it. Some people argue that, however.
Argue the side that is easier for you in English, not the one you actually hold.
Finish with a one line restatement. Trailing off mid sentence when the timer stops is avoidable.
Task 8: Describing an unusual situation
Independent prompts written to the Task 8 format. You describe an odd image to someone who cannot see it, usually because you need their help.
- 1
You arrive at a coffee shop to collect your cousin, but the place is empty, half the furniture is missing and the counter is covered in plastic sheeting. Describe it to your cousin on the phone.
- 2
You go to collect a parcel and the locker room is full of identical unlabelled boxes stacked to the ceiling. Describe it to the delivery company.
- 3
You return to your parked car and find it surrounded by traffic cones and a film crew. Describe the scene to a friend.
- 4
You arrive at a rented holiday cottage and the front garden is full of garden gnomes arranged in a circle. Describe it to the owner.
- 5
You walk into your office on Monday and every desk has been turned to face the wall. Describe it to your manager.
How to answer task 8
Say what is strange about it early. The task name is the clue: the oddity is the point.
Be concrete about quantity, size, colour and position. The listener is deciding whether to act on your description.
Explain why you are describing it, then ask for something. Should I wait here, or come back later?
Present continuous plus there is and there are will carry most of this task.
Do not invent a story about how the scene came about. Describe what you can see.
Phrases to reuse
Learn these by heart. They give each task a clear opening and buy you a moment to think.
If I were you, I would definitely…
Task 1, giving advice
It might be worth considering…
Task 1, softening advice
In the foreground, there is… and just behind it…
Task 3, describing a scene
Judging by what I can see, I would expect…
Task 4, predicting
I would go with the second option, mainly because…
Task 5, choosing
I completely understand, but the problem on my side is…
Task 6, difficult situations
I strongly agree with this, for two main reasons.
Task 7, opinions
The strangest part is that…
Task 8, unusual situations
How to prepare for CELPIP speaking
Never buy or study "real" CELPIP questions. Paragon’s terms make you liable if you prepare with live test items, up to having your score cancelled, and that applies even if you did not know they were real.
The preparation windows are short and there is no re-record. Practise starting to speak within two seconds of the beep, because hesitation at the start eats a tenth of your answer.
Speak for the whole slot. Raters cannot award marks for time you leave empty, and silence is the single most common reason strong speakers score below CLB 9.
Record yourself on a phone and listen back. Almost every candidate discovers they speak far less than they thought in sixty seconds.
Speaking is human rated, not AI rated, despite what a lot of 2026 content claims. Sound like a person talking to a person, not like a template.
Tasks 3 and 4 share one picture. Practise them as a pair so you do not waste Task 4 repeating your Task 3 description.
Only your audio is recorded, not video, so do not worry about what you look like while you think.
Do not panic if your test has an extra section that feels repeated. Unscored trial items are routine, and you cannot tell which ones they are, so treat everything as if it counts.
Task 8 pictures are deliberately strange, often surreal. Practise describing odd scenes calmly instead of hunting for a logical explanation.
Say these CELPIP answers out loud
A topic list only helps once you have answered it under the clock. Mocko gives you full CELPIP General speaking tasks, records your answer, and returns instant AI feedback with a CLB estimate.
The free sample PDF
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- Great for a first look at the format
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CELPIP speaking questions, answered
Are these real CELPIP speaking questions from recent tests?
No, and no honest site has them. Paragon does not publish live papers, test takers agree to keep content confidential, and there is no genuine recall culture for CELPIP the way there is for some other exams. Every prompt here is written by us to match the published task format. If a site advertises real, actual or leaked CELPIP questions, treat it as a warning sign rather than a shortcut.
Could studying leaked questions actually hurt me?
Yes. Paragon’s service terms say you must not prepare using real test items, and that you are fully responsible for the consequences, including invalidation of your score, even if you did not know the items were live. The same terms explicitly permit independent sample questions. That is the difference between this page and the leaked question sites.
How long is the CELPIP speaking test?
About fifteen minutes for eight tasks. Preparation is thirty seconds for most tasks and sixty seconds for Tasks 5 and 6, and speaking time is sixty seconds except Tasks 1 and 7, which give you ninety. Task 5 is split into two parts, and the first part has preparation but no speaking.
Is CELPIP speaking scored by AI in 2026?
No. Paragon uses an AI and human hybrid system for the Writing test only. Speaking is still rated by trained human raters, so natural delivery and clear organisation matter more than hitting keywords.
What CELPIP speaking score do I need?
CELPIP levels map one to one onto CLB, so CELPIP 9 is CLB 9. Express Entry candidates usually target CLB 9 in each skill for the strongest CRS position, while CLB 7 is the common minimum for Federal Skilled Worker eligibility.
What happens if I run out of things to say?
Keep talking rather than stopping. Add an example, restate your reason in different words, or say what you would do differently. Raters score the language you produce, so imperfect extra speech is always worth more than silence.
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