CELPIP speaking topics: original practice questions by theme
CELPIP speaking tasks use everyday situations: advice to a friend, a story from your life, a picture to describe, a decision to explain or an opinion to defend. Paragon warns that responses which are not original or spontaneous may lead to score cancellation, so a list of “recent exam questions” is a poor way to prepare. Below are original practice questions by theme for each task type, and a way to use them.
When people search for CELPIP speaking topics, they often want a list of the questions that came up in a recent test. We do not publish one. We cannot check such a list against any source, and Paragon, which runs the test, says memorised and non-original answers can cost you your result. What helps instead is knowing what each task asks for and having a large bank of practice questions, so no prompt is new to you. That is what this page gives you. It is study help, not immigration advice, and Paragon's pages decide what the test is.
What the eight tasks ask you to talk about
Paragon describes each task. The topic changes, the job does not.
"The test clearly, accurately, and precisely assesses a test taker's English abilities in a variety of everyday situations, such as communicating with co-workers and superiors in the workplace, interacting with friends, understanding newscasts, and interpreting and responding to written materials."
That means the topic can be almost anything from daily life, so you prepare for the type of task, not for a particular subject. Paragon's Speaking Pro study pack describes each task like this:
| Task | Paragon's description |
|---|---|
| Task 1: Giving Advice | Help someone to either make a decision or prepare for something. |
| Task 2: Talking about a Personal Experience | Tell a story about a past experience. |
| Task 3: Describing a Scene | Look at an illustration and describe what is happening. |
| Task 4: Making Predictions | Look at the same illustration from Task 3 and describe what you think will happen next. |
| Task 5: Comparing and Persuading | In Part 1, select an option from two choices. You will not speak in Part 1. In Part 2, persuade someone that your chosen option is better than the one they are proposing. |
| Task 6: Dealing with a Difficult Situation | Explain a decision to a friend, family member, acquaintance, or customer. |
| Task 7: Expressing Opinions | Answer a “Do you think…?” question with your opinion. |
| Task 8: Describing an Unusual Situation | Describe a picture of an unusual item or situation to someone who can't see what you're looking at. |
- Test takers will be required to read answer choices in the Listening component and questions in the Speaking component.
Paragon's FAQ line above tells you that the speaking question is something you read on screen. In the picture tasks you also look at an illustration. You get a short preparation time, and then recording begins by itself.
Why we do not list recent exam questions
Paragon's warning, and what to do instead.
"We would like to remind all test takers that providing responses that are not original and/or spontaneous may result in score cancellation, as explained in a short video here."
"Paragon considers cheating to include any action (i.e., memorizing test answers, presenting false identification, or submitting a false score report to a government agency or other organization) that will help you gain an unfair advantage on the CELPIP Test."
Our reading: a list of recent exam questions mostly helps people who want to memorise answers, and that is the one thing Paragon warns against. A better use of your time is a wide bank of practice prompts, plus a stock of your own stories and opinions that you can adapt on the spot. Paragon's tip fits:
"Whenever possible, try to draw from your own life experiences in the Speaking tasks. Talking about something personal and meaningful to you is much easier than making something up."
It also says that for Task 2, if no real experience comes to mind, you may invent one:
"If you can't think of a real experience from your life, make one up."
Original practice questions by theme
Four task types across eight everyday themes. All are ours.
These prompts are our own. They are written to match the task types in the table above, and they cover everyday themes. Pick a theme, then pick a task type. Give yourself the preparation and speaking time for that task, and record.
| Theme | Advice (Task 1) | Experience (Task 2) | Difficult situation (Task 6) | Opinion (Task 7) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home and neighbours | Your neighbour works long hours and is thinking of getting a dog. What should she think about before she decides? | Describe a time you had a problem with a neighbour, a landlord or a flatmate, and how it was settled. | You are a landlord. A tenant wants to paint the living room bright orange. Explain that you cannot allow it. | Do you think apartment buildings should allow pets? |
| Work | A new colleague feels shy in team meetings. What advice do you give her? | Tell about a time you had to finish a task very quickly. What did you do? | You manage a shop. A regular customer asks you to hold an item for a week without a deposit. Explain your decision. | Do you think employees should be able to choose their own working hours? |
| Study and learning | Your younger cousin has to choose between two college programs. How should he decide? | Talk about a time you learned a skill from a friend or a family member. | You organise a course. A student asks for a full refund after the second class. Explain that you cannot give one. | Do you think students should have to learn a second language at school? |
| Health and food | A friend has not exercised for years and wants to start. What do you suggest? | Describe a meal you will always remember, and why. | You run a small café. A customer says her soup is cold and wants a free meal. Explain your decision. | Do you think schools should stop selling sugary drinks? |
| Money and shopping | Your friend wants to buy a used car. What should he check first? | Tell about a time you bought something that did not work as you expected. | You work in a store. A customer wants to return a jacket without a receipt. Explain what you can and cannot do. | Do you think shops should charge for plastic bags? |
| Travel and transport | A colleague is visiting your city for the first time for a weekend. What should she do? | Describe a trip that did not go as planned. | You are organising a group trip. A member wants to bring a large pet, but the bus company does not allow it. Explain this to him. | Do you think cities should add bike lanes even if it means less parking? |
| Community and services | A friend has just moved to your town and wants to meet people. What advice do you give? | Talk about a time you helped at a community event. | You chair a residents' committee. A member wants a loud party in the shared garden. Explain why you cannot approve it. | Do you think public libraries should open on Sundays? |
| Technology and leisure | Your parent wants to learn to video-call the grandchildren. How should she start? | Describe a time when technology made something easier, or harder, than you expected. | You run a games club. A member keeps arriving late and the group must start without him. Explain your new rule. | Do you think children under twelve should have their own smartphones? |
Choosing between two options (Task 5)
- Option A is an apartment near the train station, with no garden. Option B is a quieter apartment with a small garden, 20 minutes from the station. Your friend suggests a third place above a noisy restaurant. Persuade her that your choice is better.
- Option A is a weekend photography course. Option B is a first-aid course on Saturday. Your cousin proposes a cooking class instead. Persuade him that your choice is better.
- Option A is a gift card for a colleague's farewell. Option B is a large plant in a nice pot. Your manager suggests a box of chocolates. Persuade him that your choice is better.
- Option A is a team lunch at a pizza place. Option B is a picnic in the park. A colleague suggests a restaurant across town. Persuade her that your choice is better.
Pictures to describe and predict (Tasks 3, 4 and 8)
The real test shows an illustration, so find your own. Use a photo from your phone, a magazine page or a quick sketch. These scene ideas work well, because each has people, objects and something to predict:
- A crowded bus stop on a rainy day.
- A garage sale on a quiet street, with a family looking at old furniture.
- A school science fair, with children showing their projects to parents.
- A busy waiting room at a clinic.
- A street market with a vendor and a customer arguing over a price.
- For Task 8, something unusual: a bench with a tree growing through it, a car covered in flowers, or a scarecrow wearing a business suit. Describe it to a friend who cannot see it.
How to practise with these topics
A method that builds ideas without building scripts.
A Paragon expert gave this advice in a March 2022 podcast episode about everyday practice. It still fits the way the prompts above are meant to be used.
- Really, any everyday situation would be useful.
- Just because I like desserts, my first idea is to practice like describing a dessert that you love eating.
- CELPIP is a test of day to day English, so discussing topics from everyday life, like how your day at work was or what you do in your free time, your opinions about current events.
The same expert described how to use a study group, which works well with the prompts above:
- Maybe one day take turns describing a memorable past experience or describing what's going on in a picture or giving your opinion on an issue and supporting it with reasons.
- Doing role play is like imagining you're handling a difficult situation at work or making a recommendation to your family, that's also helpful.
Our method
- Draw at random. Roll a die or pick a card for the theme and the task type. Random prompts stop you from rehearsing only the ones you like.
- Prepare for the real time. Most tasks give 30 seconds of preparation, so write three or four words at most. The expert's advice is that this is enough to write a few words after reading the question.
- Ask the five questions. For stories, run through who, what, where, how it felt and what happened next. For opinions, ask why, and then ask for one example.
- Record the answer. Listen back for sound and pace first, then for ideas.
- Answer the same prompt differently. Switch the side in an opinion, the person in an advice prompt, or the story in an experience prompt. This builds flexibility instead of a script.
- Build an idea bank. After each session, add one story, one place, one person or one opinion to a list. By the end of a month you have a stock to draw from in the test.
The expert also said: “Most of the tests have a 30 second prep time, and that's enough to write down a few words after reading the question.” So practise with the same short preparation, not with ten minutes of planning.
For the strategies for each task, see our CELPIP speaking tips, for model answers and templates see CELPIP speaking samples, and for a timed recorded set see the CELPIP speaking practice test.
Common questions
Paragon says the test assesses English in a variety of everyday situations. The eight tasks ask you to give advice, tell a personal story, describe a scene, predict what happens next, persuade someone, explain a difficult decision, give an opinion and describe something unusual.
We do not list them. We cannot check where such lists come from, and Paragon says responses that are not original or spontaneous may result in score cancellation. Practise with a wide range of original prompts instead. The table on this page has thirty-two.
You can use your own real experiences as material, and Paragon recommends it. But the story must fit the question you are asked, and the answer must come from you in the moment. Keep a few stories and adapt them. Do not memorise a finished answer.
Write a few words, not sentences: one word for each main idea. A Paragon expert said that a 30 second prep time is enough to write down a few words after reading the question. For stories, use who, what, where and how it felt.
Paragon suggests you use a real experience. For Task 2 it adds: “If you can't think of a real experience from your life, make one up.”
Yes. Paragon says test takers will be required to read questions in the Speaking component. They appear on screen, and in the picture tasks you see an illustration as well.
Everyday vocabulary for home, work, study, health, food, money, travel, community and technology, plus the words that connect ideas, such as because, for example, however and finally. Paragon says CELPIP is a test of day to day English.