CELPIP listening: the six parts, the scoring and how to prepare

The CELPIP Listening test has six parts and 38 scored questions, and every clip plays once. Paragon says to take notes, keep listening when you miss a word and answer every question, because wrong answers do not cost points. This page covers the parts, the scoring and our study plans.

Listening is the first part of the CELPIP Test. Paragon, the company that runs CELPIP, lists six parts. The study pack it gives away for free adds the detail on speakers, clip length and how questions are answered. The table puts the two together.

That is 38 questions in total, and Paragon says there are 38 scored questions on the Listening Test. Paragon's pages do not agree on the length of the component. Its format page says 46-55 minutes, and its Listening Pro study pack says about 47-55 minutes. Plan for the longer end of both.

Parts 1 to 3 and Parts 4 to 6 work differently

This changes how you spend your time. Our reading: in Parts 1 to 3 the clock decides for you, so a slow answer cannot steal time from the next question. In Parts 4 to 6 you share one block of time across all the questions on the screen, so pace is yours to manage.

Paragon is plain about the audio. Read these before you practise, because they decide how you should practise.

• All speakers use English as a native language and have Canadian accents.
• For all conversations with two speakers, one is female and one is male.
• All audio clips are played one time only.
• Audio clips begin automatically and can’t be paused.
• The audio passages and questions increase in difficulty from Parts 1 – 6.

Paragon's guidebook describes the accent more broadly, as a “Single North American Accent”, while the study pack says Canadian accents. In the room itself, Paragon says you may hear other people while you work.

Notes are allowed on paper. Paragon says: “You will receive paper and a pen at the test centre. Ask for more paper if you need it!” It also says your notes “will have no impact on your score. Nobody will look at them.” So write for yourself, not for anyone to read.

• There are 38 scored questions on the Listening Test.
• Each correct answer receives 1 point.
• Points are not deducted for incorrect answers. Always answer every question!
• The Listening Test is computer-scored.
• There may be one unscored part. If so, you will not know which part is unscored. Do your best on every part.

Paragon turns your raw score into a CELPIP level with an approximate chart. Here it is, as Paragon prints it.

Our reading: the ranges overlap (level 8 is 30-33 and level 7 is 27-31) because the same raw score can mean different levels on different test forms. Use the chart to see roughly where a practice score sits, not to promise yourself a level. For a plain table of levels and CLB see our CELPIP listening score chart.

Paragon publishes seven tips for the Listening test on its Tips and Resources page. We quote each one so you can see exactly what the test owner says, then add our reading in the next section.

Our reading: these are the parts where all the questions on the screen share one block of time, which is Parts 4 to 6. In Parts 1 to 3 you are moved on after 30 seconds, so there is nothing to skip.

Note-taking, from the study pack and a Paragon blog

• Taking notes is beneficial no matter what your English level is.
• Organize your notes in a sequence. The questions will come in roughly the same order as the answers appeared in the audio.
• Use point form and abbreviations.
• Note key words and phrases, such as names, dates, and events, rather than entire portions of the listening components.
• Make a note of the facial expressions and body language of the speakers: these can give you valuable clues and insights into the meaning of the passage.
• Practice note-taking before the test so you know which strategies work for you. Use a pen and paper. (Typing on a keyboard or screen is not the same experience!)

Paragon's study pack says the Listening test has three kinds of question. Knowing which one you are facing tells you what to listen for.

Paragon adds that inference questions often use words like “probably” and “most likely”, and that feelings are often shown by tone of voice and not stated. So listen to how something is said as well as what is said.

Paragon also says Part 6 is “formal, not improvised (prepared in advance)” and that the speaker “will use low-frequency and specialized language”. Part 1 is described as “conversational, relatively informal, polite”. Expect Part 6 to feel the hardest, because the pack says the clips and questions get harder from Part 1 to Part 6.

Each tip below starts from a fact Paragon states above. This is our own advice, not Paragon's.

1. Practise with one play only. Every clip plays once and cannot be paused, so replaying during practice trains you to lean on a second chance that the test does not give. Listen once, answer, and only then replay to see what you missed.
2. Build your note system before test day. Pick a handful of symbols and use them every time: an arrow for a result, a plus and a minus for pros and cons, a question mark for an unclear point. Write names, numbers, times and reasons. Skip full sentences.
3. Use the context line. Paragon's study pack tells you to read the introductory statement for context clues in every part except the video discussion. Read it before the clip starts and guess who is speaking, what the problem might be and which details to track.
4. In the first part, hunt for the problem, the options and the choice. Paragon's strategy for the first three parts asks what the problem is, what solutions are offered and which one is chosen. Write those three things down every time.
5. Practise Part 5 with video. Watch a short three-person discussion online, label each person by where they sit on screen, and note who agrees with whom. Ignore the furniture.
6. Train for paraphrase. After every practice clip, say three of the speaker's sentences in different words. The right answer on test day will rarely repeat what was said word for word.
7. Listen for feeling. For inference questions, write a one-word mood next to each speaker (annoyed, relieved, unsure). Tone is evidence.
8. Never leave a blank. A wrong answer costs nothing and a blank scores nothing. If you are stuck, eliminate the options you know are wrong and pick from what is left.
9. Check that your click registered. In the parts where you cannot go back, a missed click loses the point. Look at the screen before you move on.
10. Practise with Canadian voices and with background noise. Paragon's study pack says the speakers have Canadian accents, so Canadian radio, news and podcasts are good practice. Sometimes practise with a little noise in the room, because you may hear other people typing and speaking.

Both plans assume you can use the free practice material described on our CELPIP practice test page and the free mini set on our CELPIP listening practice test page. They are our plans, not Paragon's.

One week, a little every day

About 40 minutes a day, except Day 6, which needs about an hour and a half for a full timed test and marking.

Four weeks, five days a week

About 30 to 45 minutes a session, except the full tests in Week 4, which need about an hour and a half each.

Paragon says the webinar has “a walk through the format of the Listening Test, sample questions with instructor-guided practice for each of the six Listening sections, time management suggestions, test day strategies, and ways to build your listening skills.” All Paragon webinars are free to join, last 2 hours, and are in English. Paragon says it repeats them monthly and posts a recording of each on YouTube. Everyone who attends a Pro session receives a free study pack.

The study pack lists ways to get more from practice tests: untimed practice, naming each question's kind, trying different note-taking styles and learning vocabulary from transcripts. We use the same ideas in the plans above. For practice material, start with our CELPIP listening practice test page.

1. Chasing a missed word. While you worry about one phrase you can lose the next three sentences. Paragon says to keep listening.
2. Writing full sentences in your notes. You fall behind and then you hear nothing. Use point form.
3. Answering from general knowledge. The speaker's facts decide the answer, even if you know something different about the topic.
4. Practising only with slow, clear audio. Practise with everyday native-speaker audio, not only slowed or simplified clips.
5. Replaying clips until it feels easy. Easy with replays is not easy with one play. Test yourself with one play, then study with replays.

Common questions