How to prepare for CELPIP: free resources, courses, tips and a study plan

Paragon, which runs CELPIP, offers a free sample test, a free practice test with a CELPIP Account, free webinars and tips, then paid packages and practice sets, and says classes are run independently by other institutions. No pass or fail exists, so work back from the level you need. Below: what each option is, our tips and two study plans.

Paragon runs CELPIP, so start with what it says. Its preparation page lists a path of steps, from free to paid. The table gives its own words for each step.

Before the steps, Paragon's page sums up the free options:

Paragon's pages do not agree with each other on how much free webinar time there is. Its preparation page says over 10 hours. Its Guidebook for Test Takers carries two versions of the learning path on one page, and they say over 15 hours and over 18 hours. We show all three and suggest you read the webinar page itself, because it lists the sessions that are open now.

Paragon describes everything in this table as free. The right-hand column is our reading of how to use each one.

Paragon also publishes a guidebook, a Scoring Levels page with level descriptors and sample responses, and a short list of tips for each skill. We digest the tips further down. Our own free pages cover writing in detail: CELPIP writing tips, writing samples, writing topics, a writing practice test and vocabulary lists.

Paragon's store lists two kinds of paid preparation: prep packages, which Paragon describes as bundles of instructional videos, quizzes and eBooks, and sets of practice tests. We do not recommend or review them. We show what the store says and what it costs, and we leave the buying to you. Read the refund rule first.

Two cautions. First, other Paragon pages still use different product names, such as an online course called CELPIP Accelerate, so do not be surprised if a forum post mentions a product the store does not list. Second, a price on a store page can change, so read the price at checkout.

Our reading: do the free options first and buy only when you know which skill is weakest. A bundle of many sets only makes sense if you will use them. A single set is a cheaper way to find out whether the style of practice suits you.

When people search for a CELPIP preparation course they usually mean a class with an instructor. Paragon's own words describe a CELPIP Preparation Program, and the first fact to know is that the classes are not run by Paragon.

The number is what Paragon's provider list showed when we read it. The list can be filtered by country, region, city and delivery format, and its entries are marked online, in-person or both. Providers describe themselves in their own words, so some listings are far more detailed than others.

Our checklist for choosing a provider, whichever one you look at:

1. Ask what feedback you get on your writing and your speaking, and how quickly. Feedback is the main thing a class can give that free material usually cannot.
2. Ask who teaches the class and how long they have taught CELPIP specifically.
3. Ask how many students are in the class, and whether you will speak and write in each session.
4. Ask which materials you get to keep, and whether you can see a sample lesson first.
5. Ask about the refund and cancellation terms in writing before you pay.
6. Be wary of any course that promises a particular score. No one can promise your result, and Paragon rates the test, not the course.

Paragon publishes a short list of tips for each of the four skills. The middle column quotes them, and the right-hand column is ours. Our separate pages go deeper on writing, and the other skills' tips are here in one place.

There is a shared thread. Paragon's advice is mostly about habits, such as listening for key points, reading to find information, covering every part of the task and giving relevant detail. None of it is a trick.

The facts first, in Paragon's words. The tips after the table are ours, and each one comes from one of these facts.

Paragon's pages word the total differently: under 3 hours on its General page, 2 hours and 50 minutes on its free practice page, about 3 hours on its IRCC page and a single 3-hour sitting in its guidebook. Allow for the longest when you plan your day.

1. There is no pass or fail, so start from the level you need. Find the CLB level your application asks for in each skill, then use our CELPIP score chart and CLB levels to see the CELPIP level it corresponds to.
2. The test is one long sitting on a computer, so practise that way. Do at least some of your practice in one block, at a screen, typing and clicking, so that stamina is not new on test day.
3. Reading and Listening are multiple choice with no penalty, and blanks count as wrong. Answer every question. A reasoned guess is always better than a blank.
4. Unscored items look like scored ones. Treat every question as if it counts, including the odd or hard one.
5. Writing and speaking are rated, not keyed. Learn the criteria. For writing, the four dimensions are on our CELPIP writing samples page.
6. Pen and notepaper are supplied. Paragon says you will be provided with a pen and notepaper, and that pens, pencils and other writing instruments are not allowed in the test room, so you do not bring your own. Practise taking notes by hand for Listening and for planning your writing, with a pen and paper at home.
7. The room is shared. You may hear others speaking and typing, so practise with background noise, and do not let it pull you off your own task.
8. Audio plays once. Do not practise Listening with pause and rewind. Use sources that play once.
9. The day has strict rules. Plan your route, check your ID against your booking, and arrive early. See CELPIP test centres for what happens at check-in.
10. The test uses everyday English. Read notices and emails, listen to the news, and write real messages to real people. That is closer to the test than any list of tricks.

These plans are ours and do not depend on a product. They assume an hour or two a day. Move the days around to suit your work and family.

One week

Four weeks

If you have more time, repeat the four-week plan with different prompts and different recordings, and use the extra time for a second baseline test and a second reader. A week is enough to learn the format. We cannot say how far a level moves in a week, because that depends on where you start.

People search for a CELPIP PDF, a CELPIP books PDF, or a test practice PDF. Paragon offers a free guidebook for test takers and says what it covers.

Paragon's pages do not agree about its books. Its preparation page names several titles as purchasable in its online store. The store page we read lists prep packages and practice test sets instead, and the packages say they include eBooks. Check the store before you plan to buy a particular title.

Our reading: get the free guidebook and the tips, then pay for a practice set from Paragon's own store if you want more. Be cautious with a PDF from an unknown site that claims to be a CELPIP book. It may be out of date, copied without permission, or unrelated to the real test. As for tips and tricks, Paragon's tips are habits, and Paragon warns that memorising answers counts as cheating.

Common questions