CELPIP reading samples: two worked examples and how to read them
CELPIP Reading has no sample responses to compare with your own, because the Reading Test is computer scored. Paragon's Scoring Levels page lists Speaking and Writing only, and its free online sample test shows the correct answers for Reading. What helps with Reading is a passage, its questions and a clear reason for each answer, so below are two worked examples of our own, one in the Part 3 style and one in the Part 4 style.
When people search for CELPIP reading samples they usually mean one of two things: a real passage with real questions, or an explanation of how the answers are found. Paragon, the company that runs CELPIP, covers the first with its free sample test and practice tests. This page covers the second, with two examples we wrote ourselves. They are study material, not immigration advice, and Paragon's pages decide what the test contains.
What counts as a reading sample
Paragon's level pages are for Speaking and Writing. Reading has the sample test.
Paragon publishes level descriptors for two parts of the test, Speaking and Writing. Its Scoring Levels page lists those two and not Reading. Here is how the page lists them:
Our reading: that makes sense, because the Reading Test is computer scored and has no spoken or written response to rate.
"The Reading Test is computer-scored."
For reading, the real samples are the full tests. Paragon describes its free online sample test like this:
"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."
| What you want | Where to look |
|---|---|
| Real passages and questions with an answer key | Paragon's free online sample test and its free practice tests. See our CELPIP reading practice test page for how to reach them. |
| A reason for each answer | The worked examples on this page, and the second pass in the routine on our practice test page |
| What a level means in Speaking or Writing | Paragon's Scoring Levels page, which lists Speaking and Writing for the top levels only, and its level descriptors PDF for the lower levels. Reading is not listed on either. |
Worked example 1: an information text (Part 3 style)
Four paragraphs, six statements, the answer is a paragraph from A to D or E for not stated.
Paragon describes Part 3 as a four-paragraph informational text. Its tone is “formal, educational, descriptive” and “factual and objective, not an opinion piece”. Our example follows that shape, but it is shorter and entirely our own. Try it before you read the answers.
A. The Eastfield Seed Library began three years ago in a corner of the public library. A retired teacher, Marta Silva, set out one shelf of paper envelopes and a sign asking neighbours to share seeds from what they grew. Today the library holds more than four hundred packets, and it is open whenever the building is.
B. Borrowing is free. A member takes up to five packets a visit and signs a card at the desk, which takes about a minute. Nobody has to return the packets themselves. Instead, members are asked to let one plant of each kind go to seed, then bring back some seeds at the end of the season.
C. Not every seed is accepted. Volunteers check the label on each returned envelope for the plant name, the year and the grower's first name. Seeds from store-bought hybrid plants are turned away, because they rarely grow the same plant twice. Once a month the volunteers test a small sample of each batch by sprouting ten seeds on damp paper towel and counting how many come up.
D. The library has its limits. Space is tight, so volunteers cannot store large bulbs or tubers. Some members say they would like workshops, which the library cannot yet host. Even so, it keeps growing, and the team hopes to open a second shelf at the community centre.
For each statement, choose the paragraph (A, B, C or D) that contains the information, or choose E if the text does not say it.
- The library was started by a retired teacher.
- Members do not have to pay to borrow seeds.
- Seeds from store-bought hybrid plants are not accepted.
- Most members live within walking distance of the library.
- Volunteers are unable to store large bulbs.
- Volunteers check how well some of the seeds sprout.
The steps Paragon suggests for this part
- Use paragraph topics to locate the relevant paragraph.
- Scan the paragraph, using keywords and paraphrase to locate information related to the statement.
- Read that part of the paragraph carefully to make sure the exact information in the statement appears in the text.
- Choose E if the information is not stated in the reading.
Worked answers
| Statement | Answer | How to find it |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | Key words: retired teacher. The first paragraph says the library began when a retired teacher, Marta Silva, put out a shelf. “Started” is a paraphrase of “began”. |
| 2 | B | “Do not have to pay” paraphrases “Borrowing is free”. Paragraph B says it in the first sentence. |
| 3 | C | “Not accepted” paraphrases “turned away”. The store-bought hybrid plants are named in paragraph C. |
| 4 | E | Nothing in the text says where members live. Walking distance is never mentioned, so the answer is E, not a paragraph. |
| 5 | D | “Unable to store” paraphrases “cannot store”. Large bulbs appear in paragraph D. |
| 6 | C | “Check how well seeds sprout” paraphrases “test a sample” by “sprouting ten seeds”. Do not choose B: its seeds are returned by members, not tested. |
Statement 4 is the one people get wrong. It sounds believable, because a library in a town is used by people nearby. But the test asks what the text says, not what is likely. If you cannot point to a line, choose E.
Worked example 2: two viewpoints (Part 4 style)
An article with two opinions, four questions on it, then two on a reader's comment.
Paragon describes Part 4 as an article that includes two or more opinions about a community issue, followed by a short comment from a reader with blanks to fill in. It calls the style “formal, complex: similar to a news article”. Ours is shorter, but it keeps the same job: tell the opinions apart.
The town council will vote next month on a plan to replace parking on one side of Mill Street with a protected bike lane. The plan would remove 24 parking spaces. Residents have been asked for comments, and opinions are divided.
Gareth Wells, who runs a hardware shop on Mill Street, says the change would hurt small businesses. “My customers buy paint and tools and need to load them into a car,” he said. “If they cannot park outside, many will go to the big store by the highway.” He suggests that the council build new parking behind the street instead.
Amina Haddad, who leads the Eastfield Cycling Club, supports the plan. She points out that two cyclists were hurt on Mill Street last year and says a protected lane would help families feel safe riding there. She also believes shops gain when more people pass by slowly. “A person on a bike can stop more easily than a person in a car,” she said.
The council has said it will consider a summer trial before it decides. Both speakers said they would accept a trial, as long as the results are shared publicly.
- What is the article mainly about? (A) A shop owner who is closing his business. (B) A disagreement over a proposed bike lane. (C) A new law about cycling helmets. (D) A plan to build a new highway.
- Why does Gareth Wells oppose the plan? (A) He thinks cycling is dangerous. (B) He wants the council to pay for his shop. (C) His customers need to park near the door to load goods. (D) He believes the trial will cost too much.
- Which statement would Amina Haddad most likely agree with? (A) Slower traffic can be good for local shops. (B) Parking is more important than safety. (C) Cyclists should avoid Mill Street. (D) The council should skip the trial.
- What do both speakers accept? (A) A larger parking lot. (B) A summer trial with public results. (C) A vote this week. (D) A ban on cars on Mill Street.
- A reader writes a comment. Choose the best word for the blank. “A trial seems fair, because it lets the council see the effect on both safety and ____.” (A) business. (B) weather. (C) history. (D) fashion.
- Choose the best last sentence for the comment. (A) The council should ignore what residents say. (B) I hope the council shares the results before it votes. (C) Mill Street has always been busy. (D) Shops should close early on Saturdays.
What Paragon says to look for
- Whose opinion is it and what support or additional detail is given?
- Identify key details about the text: opinions on the topic: who is mentioned, what do they believe, and why.
- For the reader's comment: Use context to determine commenter's opinion on the topic.
Worked answers
| Question | Answer | How to find it |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | B | General meaning. The whole article sets one plan against two views. It is not about a closing shop, a helmet law or a highway. |
| 2 | C | Specific information. Wells says his customers “need to load them into a car”. That is paraphrased as needing to park near the door. |
| 3 | A | Inference. Haddad says shops gain when people pass slowly and that a cyclist can stop more easily. Slower traffic helping shops is the idea behind both lines. |
| 4 | B | Specific information. The last paragraph says both would accept a trial if the results are shared publicly. |
| 5 | A | Both speakers talk about safety and shops. Business is the only choice that completes the pair. |
| 6 | B | The comment is about the trial, and the last paragraph asks that results be shared. Choices A, C and D do not follow from what the comment says. |
Notice what these questions reward. Question 2 and question 3 are not answered by the same words as the article. You have to match the idea. That is why paraphrase is named as a reading skill in the study pack, and why the next section lists it first.
Five common mistakes in reading practice
Each one, with what Paragon says about it.
| Mistake | What goes wrong | What Paragon says |
|---|---|---|
| Hunting for the same words | The right choice is usually a paraphrase, so a choice that copies the text is often a trap. | You should never expect the correct answer choice, or any answer choice, to be written in the very same words that appear in the text. |
| Using what you already know | A topic you know can pull you toward an answer the text does not give. | Remember that what you know might be different from the information in the text, so make sure that you still answer the questions based on the passage you read. |
| Stopping at an unknown word | One hard word costs time you need for the questions. | It's all right if you can't understand every word in a text, as you don't need to understand everything to be able to get the main ideas and answer the questions. |
| Treating not stated as false | In the information-text style, a statement the text never mentions is its own answer. | Choose E if the information is not stated in the reading |
| Spending too long on the passage | You need time to read the questions and the choices as well. | Remember not to spend all your time reading the passage because you also need time to read and understand the questions and answer choices. |
A sixth habit worth dropping is leaving a question blank. Paragon says: “Answer all of the Reading Test questions. There is no penalty for incorrect responses on the CELPIP Reading Test.”
For the full routine, see our CELPIP reading tips. For a timed set, use the CELPIP reading practice test page. For samples of the other parts of the test, see CELPIP samples.
Common questions
Reading has no sample answers to compare your own writing or speech with, because there is nothing to write or say. Paragon's Scoring Levels page lists Speaking and Writing only. The Reading Test is computer scored, and the free sample test shows the correct answers for the Listening and Reading components.
It has four parts: correspondence, a diagram, an information text and a text with viewpoints. Each part has a text on screen and questions about it. Part 3 is described as a four-paragraph informational text, and Part 4 as an article with two or more opinions about a community issue.
Paragon's free online sample test is the first place to look. Paragon says it will let you familiarize yourself with the test format and timing and see the correct answers for the Listening and Reading components.
Paragon names three: general meaning, specific information and inference. It describes inference as a question that asks you to use information from the text to draw a conclusion about something that is not stated directly.
No. Paragon says: “The Reading Test is computer-scored.”
No. They are our own, written to follow the shape Paragon describes, and they are shorter than a real part. They are for learning how to find an answer, not for guessing what is on the test.
No. Paragon says: “Points are not deducted for incorrect answers.”