CELPIP listening practice test: free sources, paid sets and a mini set
Paragon, the company behind CELPIP, offers a free online sample test and free practice tests, and sells paid sets of two tests each. A full Listening test has 38 scored questions and each clip plays once. Below are the free and paid options, a score chart and an original six-question practice set.
This page is independent and is not immigration advice. Paragon's own pages decide what the test is and what it costs. We quote them, and we mark our own practice material as ours.
What you are practising
Six parts, 38 questions, one play of each clip.
The CELPIP Listening test is the first component of the test. Paragon, which runs CELPIP, lists six parts. The numbers are the number of questions in each.
| Part | Questions |
|---|---|
| Part 1: Listening to Problem Solving | 8 |
| Part 2: Listening to a Daily Life Conversation | 5 |
| Part 3: Listening for Information | 6 |
| Part 4: Listening to a News Item | 5 |
| Part 5: Listening to a Discussion | 8 |
| Part 6: Listening to Viewpoints | 6 |
Paragon's study pack says: “There are 38 scored questions on the Listening Test.” It also says all audio clips play one time only and cannot be paused. That is the standard to practise to. Our CELPIP listening tips page covers each part in detail.
Free Listening practice from Paragon
A sample test and practice tests, with answers.
Paragon offers free practice on its own site, and the Listening test is part of it.
"The free online sample test will let you familiarize yourself with the test format and timing, experience the types of questions that you will encounter on test day, and see the correct answers for the Listening and Reading components."
Paragon also gives free practice tests once you fill in a short form. Its Listening Pro study pack says: “Two free CELPIP practice tests are available on our website here.” The pack also tells you to use the Listening transcripts as a source of new vocabulary, so read the transcript after every clip. Paragon's pages count the free tests in slightly different ways, and our CELPIP practice test page sets out each wording and the sign-up form.
Paid Listening practice from Paragon
Study sets and bundles, with the prices on the store page.
When the free tests run out, Paragon sells practice sets in its online store. Each set holds two complete practice tests. The prices below are in Canadian dollars. Paragon also says: “Please note that there are no refunds or exchanges on Study Materials purchased.”
We read the store page on 3 October 2026, so check the price on the day you buy.
| Product | What Paragon says | Price |
|---|---|---|
| General practice tests, Set 1 | two complete practice tests, 6-month subscription | CAD 35.00 |
| LS practice tests, Set 1 | two complete practice tests for the LS Test, 6-month subscription | CAD 25.00 |
| General bundle, Sets 2-13 | 24 online practice tests, instant Listening and Reading Test scores | CAD 275.00 |
| LS bundle, Sets 2-13 | 24 complete practice tests, instant Listening Test scores | CAD 195.00 |
The store also lists smaller bundles, and each set is online with a 6-month subscription. Our CELPIP practice test page lists them all. The LS test uses the same six Listening parts with the same question counts, as Paragon's LS page shows.
Our reading: if you want Listening practice and nothing else, an LS set costs less than a General set and trains the same six Listening parts. If you also need Reading and Writing practice, buy General sets.
Turning a practice score into a level
Paragon's approximate chart, and how far to trust it.
Paragon scores Listening by counting correct answers out of 38 and then turning that into a level. It does not tell you your raw score. Its chart shows the usual ranges.
| CELPIP level | Listening score out of 38 |
|---|---|
| 10-12 | 35-38 |
| 9 | 33-35 |
| 8 | 30-33 |
| 7 | 27-31 |
| 6 | 22-28 |
| 5 | 17-23 |
| 4 | 11-18 |
| 3 | 7-12 |
| M | 0-7 |
"DISCLAIMER: This example chart shows how scores in the Listening Test approximately correspond to CELPIP Levels. Since questions may have different levels of difficulty and may therefore be equated differently, the raw score required for a certain level may vary slightly from one test to another."
Our reading: a single practice test is a rough guide at best. Look at two or three tests in a row. A score on a boundary, such as 30, sits inside both the level 7 range (27-31) and the level 8 range (30-33), so it could land on either level. Never use one part (for example the 8 questions in Part 1) to estimate a level, because the chart is for the whole test. For the levels and their CLB match see the CELPIP listening score chart.
Our own mini practice set: a daily life conversation
A script to read aloud, six questions and an answer key.
This set is original. It is not from any test owner and it does not predict a score. It is written in the style of a Part 2 conversation: two speakers who know each other and one clip. The real Part 2 has about five questions, and our set has six. You need a helper, or your phone.
How to run it
- Ask a friend to read the script aloud once at a natural speed, with a different voice for each speaker. If you are alone, record yourself reading it and play it back the next day, so you no longer remember it.
- Read the context line first, as you would on screen: “Two neighbours are planning a job at a community street sale.”
- Take notes on paper while you listen. Do not pause or replay.
- Cover the script. Answer the six questions, giving yourself 30 seconds for each.
- Check the key, then read the script and find the exact words that give each answer.
The script
Luc: Sure, Hannah. What’s up?
Hannah: It’s about the street sale on the twenty-first. I put my name down to run the coffee table, but my sister has just told me she’s moving that weekend. I can’t get there until after lunch.
Luc: Oh, that’s a shame. The coffee table is the busiest spot, you know. People start lining up before nine.
Hannah: I know. That’s why I’m asking you. You’ve done the table before, haven’t you?
Luc: Twice. But I’m already on the parking team from eight until noon, so I’d be stretched thin. What if we split it? You take the afternoon, and I’ll ask Mrs. Okafor to cover the morning. She’s retired, and she loves chatting with everybody.
Hannah: That would be perfect. Do you think she’ll mind? I don’t want to put her on the spot.
Luc: Honestly, she’ll be thrilled. She told me last week that she felt left out of the last event.
Hannah: Great. Then I’ll make a sign-up sheet and bring the cups and the milk. Could you tell the committee about the change so they can update the schedule?
Luc: Will do. I’m seeing the organizer tomorrow anyway. Oh, one more thing. The council says no open flames, so we can’t use the camping stove for hot water. We’ll need an electric urn.
Hannah: My neighbour has one. I’ll ask her tonight.
The questions
- Question 1 (General meaning). The two neighbours are mainly talking about ____.
A. who will run the coffee table at the street sale
B. how to help Hannah’s sister move house
C. when the parking team should start work
D. where to buy an electric urn. - Question 2 (Specific information). Hannah cannot work the table in the morning because ____.
A. she is on the parking team until noon
B. her sister is moving that weekend
C. she has never run the table before
D. the committee changed the schedule. - Question 3 (Specific information). Luc cannot take the morning shift himself because ____.
A. he is already on the parking team until noon
B. he dislikes working with coffee
C. he will be at the organizer’s office
D. he is moving that weekend. - Question 4 (Inference). Luc believes Mrs. Okafor will probably ____.
A. refuse because she is retired
B. be pleased to be asked
C. want to join the parking team
D. ask the council for permission. - Question 5 (Specific information). Luc says the camping stove ____.
A. cannot be used because the council does not allow open flames
B. belongs to the organizer
C. will be used for the morning only
D. must be borrowed from Mrs. Okafor. - Question 6 (Specific information). Tonight, Hannah will ____.
A. tell the committee about the change
B. buy the milk and the cups
C. phone Mrs. Okafor
D. ask her neighbour about an electric urn.
Answer key
| Question | Answer | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | General meaning: every part of the call is about covering one job, the coffee table, between two people. |
| 2 | B | Hannah says her sister “is moving that weekend”, so she cannot get there until after lunch. |
| 3 | A | Luc says he is “already on the parking team from eight until noon”. |
| 4 | B | Luc says she will be “thrilled” and felt left out before. “Thrilled” is a feeling the question turns into “pleased”. |
| 5 | A | Luc says the council says no open flames, so the camping stove is out for hot water. |
| 6 | D | Hannah ends with “I’ll ask her tonight”, meaning her neighbour, who has an electric urn. |
Notice what the wrong options do. Some use a word from the clip for a different job (for example parking or the organizer). Some say something true in the clip but not the answer to that question (for example buying milk). That is how wrong options are usually built, so practise rejecting them for a reason, not a feeling.
How to get more from every practice test
Paragon's own suggestions and ours.
Paragon's Listening Pro study pack lists ways to use practice tests. In its words:
| Method | What Paragon says |
|---|---|
| Untimed practice | Ignoring the time limits, work through all of the questions in a Listening part without rushing or guessing. |
| Identifying question types | go back to the questions and identify which type each one is: general meaning, specific information, or inference. |
| Taking notes | Listen to each clip more than once and try a variety of different note-taking strategies. |
| Learning new vocabulary | Use the Listening transcripts as sources of new vocabulary. |
Our own routine for each test is below.
- Sit the whole Listening test once under test rules: one play, notes on paper, no pausing.
- Write down your raw score out of 38 and which parts lost the most points.
- Redo only the missed questions untimed, with transcripts, and mark the exact words that gave each answer.
- Label each missed question as general meaning, specific information or inference. If one kind keeps appearing, practise that kind for a week.
- Copy five new words from the transcript into a notebook with the sentence they came from.
- Wait a few days, then repeat with a fresh test. Do not reuse the same test to measure progress.
Mock tests from other sites
What to check before you spend an hour on one.
Many sites offer a “free CELPIP listening mock test”. Paragon says it gives out many different test forms to minimize the chance of somebody seeing the questions before their test, and that cheating includes “memorizing test answers”. Treat any claim of “real exam questions” with suspicion.
Use this checklist for any third-party Listening mock test. It is our checklist.
- Does it follow the six-part structure and the question counts above?
- Does it play each clip once, with no pause button?
- Does it give four answer choices, as Paragon's pack describes, and a written answer key with reasons?
- Does it give a transcript so you can study your errors?
- Does it say clearly that its score is a practice estimate and not a CELPIP result?
- Do the voices sound like everyday native speakers?
Common questions
On Paragon's website. It offers a free online sample test and free practice tests behind a short form. The sample test shows the correct answers for the Listening and Reading components.
Paragon's free online sample test shows correct answers for Listening and Reading. Our mini set above has an answer key with a reason for each question, but six questions are too few to estimate a level.
A full CELPIP Listening test has 38 scored questions across six parts. Each paid set holds two complete practice tests.
The real test is timed. Parts 1 to 3 give 30 seconds to hear and answer each question, and Parts 4 to 6 give a set amount of time for all the questions on the screen. Paragon's pack also suggests untimed practice when you are learning.
Count your correct answers out of 38 and compare with Paragon's approximate chart, for example 33-35 for level 9 and 30-33 for level 8. The two ranges share an end point. Paragon says the raw score for a level may vary slightly from one test to another.
Yes. Paragon sells General sets of two practice tests at CAD 35.00 each and bundles such as Sets 2-13 (24 online practice tests) at CAD 275.00. Its LS sets cost CAD 25.00 each. All have a 6-month subscription.