CELPIP writing samples: two model answers and how writing is marked
CELPIP writing is two tasks in 53 minutes on Paragon's format page (its IRCC page says 53-60 minutes): Task 1 is an email and Task 2 answers survey questions. Paragon, which runs the test, marks writing on four things: Content/Coherence, Vocabulary, Readability and Task Fulfillment. Its Scoring Levels page shows sample responses with an analysis for Levels 10, 11 and 12. Below are Paragon's criteria in its words, then two original model answers of ours with notes.
This page is for anyone who has typed CELPIP writing sample, example or template into a search box. It does not copy Paragon's sample responses, and it does not repeat real test questions. It shows you what Paragon says it marks, where its own sample responses are, and two original answers you can study. It is not immigration advice, and the owner's pages decide what counts.
What the writing test asks you to write
Two tasks, one sitting, one computer.
The CELPIP writing component is two pieces of writing. Paragon, the company that runs CELPIP, names them in its format page, and its sample prompts show the pattern. Before you look at any sample answer, know what the task is, because an answer can use good English and still miss the task.
"Time allotted: 53 minutes Task 1: Writing an Email Task 2: Responding to Survey Questions"
Paragon's test format page says 53 minutes for Writing. Its IRCC page says 53-60 minutes. Our reading: the IRCC page is the weaker source, because it also carries placeholder text, but plan for the longer figure to be safe.
| Task | Paragon's name for it | What its sample prompts look like |
|---|---|---|
| Task 1 | Writing an Email | A short situation, then an email to a stated reader, such as the chief librarian, with the things your email must do listed under the prompt. |
| Task 2 | Responding to Survey Questions | A short situation, then two options. You choose one and explain your reasons. |
Paragon's sample prompts on its Scoring Levels page ask for about 150-200 words in each task. The two instructions are quoted below. The live test shows its own instructions on screen, so read the range there.
"Write an email to the chief librarian in about 150–200 words."
Length matters in both directions. Paragon says the word counter is on screen under each task, and it says a score can suffer if you are far outside the suggested range.
"Each task on the Writing Test has a word counter underneath so that you can keep track of the length of your response."
"However, your final score may suffer if you are significantly over or under the word count limits."
How Paragon marks writing
Four dimensions, several raters, five levels in each.
Paragon publishes the factors its raters use. They are called Writing Performance Standards, and every sample answer on this page can be read against them. Notice that vocabulary is only one of four dimensions, and that tone and word count sit under Task Fulfillment.
| Rating dimension | What Paragon lists under it |
|---|---|
| Content/Coherence | Number of ideas, Quality of ideas, Organization of ideas, Examples and supporting details |
| Vocabulary | Word choice, Suitable use of words and phrases, Range of words and phrases, Precision and accuracy |
| Readability | Format and paragraphing, Connectors and transitions, Grammar and sentence structure, Spelling and punctuation |
| Task Fulfillment | Relevance, Completeness, Tone, Word count |
Paragon's results page describes how those ratings are produced. The FAQ section of its Contact CELPIP page describes the writing test slightly differently, so both are quoted.
| Where on Paragon's site | What it says |
|---|---|
| Results page | each CELPIP writing performance is rated by four to six writing raters. |
| Results page | Raters work independently of one another, and have no knowledge of the ratings assigned by other raters. |
| Results page | Each dimension is divided into five performance levels. |
| Results page | Raters assign a level in each dimension by identifying tangible evidence in the test taker’s performance that matches the descriptors in the rating scale. |
| Contact page, FAQ section | The CELPIP Writing Test is scored by an AI-human hybrid system that combines artificial intelligence with our human rating panel. All CELPIP writing scores are reviewed and verified by our rating team, ensuring that your CELPIP scores are certified against our rating criteria. |
Our reading: raters look for evidence. A sentence that says "the closure is a big problem for me" is a feeling. A sentence that says you work shifts and the nearest laundromat is a long bus ride away is evidence. Most of the advice later on this page comes from that one idea.
What changes from Level 7 to Level 12
Paragon's descriptors for writing, side by side.
Paragon's score descriptors say what a writer can do at each CELPIP level. It publishes its writing descriptors in two places. Its Scoring Levels page lists them for Levels 10, 11 and 12 only. Its level descriptors PDF is also online and covers the lower levels too. The table below takes Levels 10 to 12 from the Scoring Levels page and Levels 7 to 9 from the PDF, in Paragon's words, under the dimension each belongs to. Read across a row to see the whole writer, and down a column to see what grows. Our reading: much of the change is about control, range and tone, and very little of it is about long words.
| Level | Content/Coherence: the ideas | Readability: paragraphs and grammar | Task Fulfillment: tone and meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 7 | Write short, moderately complex, factual texts; Express a main idea with supporting detail | Organize related ideas into paragraphs; Write with adequate control of complex grammatical structures; Write with good control of simple grammar, spelling, and punctuation | Present information using a tone and style that follows most common writing conventions; Convey factual information about a topic |
| Level 8 | Write short, moderately complex texts; Develop a main idea with supporting details | Write well-organized paragraphs; Write with good control of complex grammatical structures, spelling, and punctuation | Present information using a tone and style that follows common writing conventions; Convey and support my main ideas about a topic |
| Level 9 | Write short formal and informal texts of some complexity; Support key ideas with relevant facts, descriptions, details, or quotations | Write well-organized paragraphs; Write with control of a range of complex and diverse grammatical structures; Write with good control of spelling and punctuation | Present information using a tone and style that follows some formal and most informal writing conventions; Convey my intended meaning |
| Level 10 | Write short formal and informal texts of some complexity; Support key ideas with a range of facts, descriptions, details, or quotations | Connect ideas and make transitions within and between paragraphs; Write with good control of a range of complex and diverse grammatical structures | Present information using a tone and style that follows most formal and informal writing conventions; Convey my intended meaning |
| Level 11 | Write formal and informal texts for a range of purposes; Develop ideas with relevant facts, descriptions, details, or quotations | Connect ideas and make transitions within and between paragraphs; Write with good control of a broad range of complex and diverse grammatical structures | Present information using a tone and style usually appropriate to the situation; Accurately communicate my ideas |
| Level 12 | Write complex formal and informal texts for a full range of purposes, intentions, and objectives; Develop ideas with relevant and sufficient facts, extended descriptions, details, or quotations | Connect ideas and make transitions within and between paragraphs; Write with very good control of a very broad range of complex and diverse grammatical structures | Present information using a tone and style appropriate to the situation; Precisely communicate my ideas |
Paragon's own pages disagree on what to call the levels, so we show both and pick neither. The Scoring Levels page titles each writing level with "workplace and community contexts". Its results page, its guidebook for test takers and the descriptors PDF use "social, educational, or workplace contexts", with "high-stakes" in the titles for Levels 9 to 12 and "demanding" in the titles for Levels 7 and 8. They also differ on Level 12, which the Scoring Levels page calls Advanced and the results page calls Expert. The level numbers match everywhere, so use the number when you talk about a result.
| Level | Scoring Levels page, Writing Scores | Results page, guidebook and descriptors PDF |
|---|---|---|
| Level 7 | Not on that page | Adequate proficiency in somewhat demanding social, educational, or workplace contexts |
| Level 8 | Not on that page | Good proficiency in more demanding social, educational, or workplace contexts |
| Level 9 | Not on that page | Effective proficiency in some high-stakes social, educational, or workplace contexts |
| Level 10 | Highly effective proficiency in workplace and community contexts | Highly effective proficiency in some high-stakes social, educational, or workplace contexts |
| Level 11 | Advanced proficiency in workplace and community contexts | Advanced proficiency in high-stakes social, educational, or workplace contexts |
| Level 12 | Advanced proficiency in workplace and community contexts | Expert proficiency in high-stakes social, educational, or workplace contexts |
The lower levels, and the exact scores that map to Canadian Language Benchmark levels, are on our CELPIP writing score chart and the full CELPIP score chart and CLB levels. The Vocabulary descriptors are on our CELPIP vocabulary page.
Paragon's own sample responses
Where the real ones are, and what we do not copy.
The most useful samples for judging your own writing are Paragon's own, because each one comes with Paragon's analysis. Its Scoring Levels page has a Writing Scores tab. For each of Levels 12, 11 and 10 it shows the level descriptors, the sample responses and a response analysis. The tab we read stops at Level 10, so it has no sample responses for the levels below. We do not copy the samples here. We link to them, and then give you original material to practise on.
Paragon also publishes the level descriptors as a PDF. It is the nearest thing to a printable copy of its writing criteria, and its table has one column for each of the four dimensions. Paragon's test format page also has a link with this text.
"CELPIP Content/Coherence Vocabulary Readability"
Paragon's free Writing Pro and Speaking Pro webinars hand out a study pack with more sample responses. It says the Target 5 sessions include sample responses in the Level 4-5 range and the Target 9 sessions in the Level 8-12 range.
"Speaking Pro and Writing Pro Target 5 sessions include sample responses in the CELPIP Level 4-5 range. Target 9 sessions include sample responses in the Level 8-12 range."
"Everyone who attends a Pro session receives a free Study Pack containing the most important content from the webinar, including sample responses, analysis, checklists, and strategies."
A tip for reading Paragon's analyses: they name particular words, connectors and mistakes in the sample. Copy those into a notebook as you read. They tell you what raters notice, which is more useful than the sample itself.
Two model answers of ours
Original prompts, original answers, no claim about level.
These are our own prompts and our own answers. Nobody at the test company has rated them, and we make no claim about the level either would receive. We wrote them to show a way of working: cover every part of the task, choose the right tone, give a specific detail, and use paragraphs. They are about 175 and 185 words long.
The email task, with our prompt
You rent an apartment. The building manager has told tenants that the laundry room will close for six weeks for repairs, starting next month. You use it every week and you do not have a washing machine at home. Write an email to the building manager. In your email, explain how the closure affects you, ask for one thing that would help, and suggest how the manager could tell tenants about the repair dates. Write about 150 to 200 words.
Dear Mr. Okafor,
I am writing about the closure of the laundry room next month. I live in apartment 4B, and I use the laundry room every week because I do not have a washing machine in my unit.
Six weeks without it will be hard for me. I work shifts at a hospital, so I need clean uniforms several times a week, and the nearest laundromat is a long bus ride away. Paying for every wash would also add a cost that I had not planned for.
Would it be possible to arrange a temporary option, such as a discount card for a nearby laundromat? Even a small amount of help would make the repairs much easier for tenants like me.
I would also suggest posting the repair dates on the lobby notice board and sending them by email, so that everyone can plan ahead. If the work finishes early, a short update would be appreciated.
Thank you for your time, and for looking after the building.
Kind regards,
Priya Nair
Apartment 4B
- It does the three jobs in the order the prompt gives them: the effect on you, one request, one suggestion. A reader can tick them off.
- The first sentence says why you are writing, so the manager knows the point before reading further.
- The detail is specific: you work shifts, you need uniforms, the laundromat is a bus ride away. That is evidence, not just a feeling.
- The request is polite and specific, and it asks for one thing because the prompt asks for one.
- The tone stays calm and does not blame the manager. Paragon's own blog says a phrase such as "Would it be possible to..." tends to suit a request better than a command.
- Each paragraph has one job, and the email ends with thanks and a sign-off that matches the greeting.
The survey task, with our prompt
The town council has one empty lot in the downtown and asks residents to choose how to use it. Option A: a community garden with small plots for residents. Option B: a paid car park for people who visit the downtown shops. Choose the option you prefer. Explain the reasons for your choice. Write about 150 to 200 words.
I prefer Option A, the community garden, for two main reasons. It would serve more residents, and it would make the downtown a better place to spend time.
First, a garden gives something back to local people every week. I live in an apartment without a yard, and many of my neighbours are in the same situation. A small plot would let us grow vegetables, save a little money on groceries and meet people we would not otherwise talk to. A car park helps the drivers who park there, but a garden is there for every resident.
Second, a garden would make the area more pleasant. An empty lot looks neglected, but flowers and a few benches would make people want to walk around and stop for a coffee. That could also help the nearby shops, because people who stay longer may spend more.
I understand that parking is a real problem on busy Saturdays. However, the council could try a shuttle from an existing lot, which would cost far less than giving up the only open space downtown.
For these reasons, I choose Option A.
- The first paragraph states the choice and names both reasons, so the structure is clear from the first two sentences.
- Each reason gets its own paragraph, introduced by First and Second, with a personal example instead of a general claim.
- It deals with the other side in one calm paragraph ("I understand ... However") and then moves on. It does not attack option B.
- Sentences vary in length, and the connectors do real work: First, Second, because, However.
- The closing sentence is short and repeats the choice. Nothing new is added at the end.
- Paragon's blog advice for this task is that strong responses acknowledge the situation, give reasons, and explain ideas clearly, and that is the pattern here.
A template that stays original
Templates answer 'what goes where', not 'what do I say'.
People search for a CELPIP writing template because they want a safe shape. The shape is useful. The sentences are the risk. Paragon warns that responses that are not original can be cancelled, and it lists memorising test answers as cheating.
"providing responses that are not original and/or spontaneous may result in score cancellation"
"Paragon considers cheating to include any action (i.e., memorizing test answers"
So use a skeleton of jobs, not a script of sentences. Fill each job with sentences about the prompt in front of you.
| Task 1: email | Its job | A question to ask yourself |
|---|---|---|
| Greeting | Match the level of formality to the reader. | Is this a manager, a landlord, a neighbour or a friend? |
| Opening line | Say why you are writing. | Could the reader act on my first two sentences alone? |
| Body, part one | Cover the first thing the prompt asks. | Did I give a detail and not only a feeling? |
| Body, part two | Cover the remaining things the prompt asks. | Is each one easy to find, in its own sentence or paragraph? |
| Request or suggestion | Say what you want to happen next. | Is it polite and specific? |
| Close | Thank the reader, then sign off. | Does the sign-off match the greeting? |
| Task 2: survey answer | Its job | A question to ask yourself |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | State your choice and name your reasons. | Would a stranger know my choice after one sentence? |
| Reason one | Explain it with an example from your own life or area. | Is this a reason, or just a repeat of my choice? |
| Reason two | Do the same with a different kind of reason. | Is it different from reason one? |
| The other side | Acknowledge it briefly, then answer it. | Did I stay respectful? |
| Closing sentence | Repeat the choice in a short sentence. | Did I add anything new? I should not. |
Paragon's blog also says the two tasks need different tones, and warns about using one style for both.
"Another challenge is using the same writing style for both tasks."
Five common mistakes in writing samples
Ours, with Paragon's tone advice behind two of them.
- Answering part of the task. The prompt lists the things you must do. A fluent email that covers two of three is still a missing piece. Before you write, number the parts of the prompt, and before you finish, check each one off.
- The wrong tone for the reader. Too casual to a manager, too stiff to a friend, or too angry when disagreeing. Paragon's blog gives the example of "Hey, I need this fixed right away" as too informal for a manager or a customer service representative, and says that in Task 2 some test takers become aggressive when defending their opinion.
- Memorised openings that do not fit. A learned sentence about "in today's modern world" tells a rater nothing about your English and may not match the prompt. Start from the prompt's own facts. Paragon says responses that are not original may be cancelled.
- Length far from the range. A very short answer cannot cover the task. A very long one repeats itself and leaves little time to check. Aim for the middle of the range and use the word counter.
- No paragraphs and no proofreading. One long block hides your structure, and format and paragraphing is one of the things Paragon lists. Leave time to read your answer once, looking for the errors you make most often. Our reading: a spelling checker mainly flags misspelled words, so it may not tell you that a correctly spelled word is the wrong word. Paragon says it is sometimes difficult to choose the right word when the checker offers you a choice.
Four quick rewrites show the fixes in action. They are our own, and each one changes one thing.
| Before | After | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| Hey, my heater is broken, fix it. | I am writing to report that the heater in my apartment stopped working on Monday. Would it be possible to arrange a repair this week? | Tone and request. A fact, then a polite question. |
| The closure is very bad for me. | I work shifts at a hospital, so I need clean uniforms several times a week. | A feeling became evidence. |
| I like Option A because it is good and good for people and it is good for the town. | I prefer Option A because it gives residents a place to meet and keeps the town greener. | The repeated word went, and the reasons became specific. |
| The bus is cheap but it is late I think we need more buses. | The bus is cheap. However, it is often late, so I would suggest adding more buses at peak times. | A run-on became two sentences joined by connectors. |
"phrases such as “Hey, I need this fixed right away” may sound too informal when writing to a manager or customer service representative."
"In Task 2, some test takers become aggressive while defending their opinion. Strong arguments are built on clear reasons and examples, not on dismissing other viewpoints."
"The CELPIP Writing Test does include an automatic spelling checker, but keep in mind that it is sometimes difficult to choose the right word when the spelling checker offers you a choice."
How to use samples to get better
A routine that does not depend on any sample being perfect.
- Write your own answer to a prompt first, with a timer, before you read any model. Reading first teaches you to copy.
- Read one of Paragon's sample responses and its response analysis next. Note the specific words and connectors it praises or corrects. If your target is below the levels it shows, read the descriptors for your level and ask how your answer meets each one.
- Mark your own answer against the four dimensions, one line each: ideas, vocabulary, readability, task. Be honest about the weakest one.
- Rewrite only the weakest paragraph, and compare the two versions.
- Ask a friend, tutor or colleague to read your answer and tell you what the reader was asked to do. If they cannot say, the task is not clear enough.
- Repeat with a different kind of prompt each time, so you practise both tasks and several reader types. Our CELPIP writing topics page has original prompts, and our CELPIP writing practice test page has a timed set.
For the wider picture, see our CELPIP writing tips and CELPIP test format and timing pages.
Common questions
Paragon, which runs CELPIP, shows sample responses on its Scoring Levels page. For writing, the tab we read covers Levels 12, 11 and 10, and each level has the descriptors, the sample responses and a response analysis. Paragon's free Writing Pro and Speaking Pro webinars also hand out a study pack with sample responses, in the Level 4-5 range for Target 5 sessions and the Level 8-12 range for Target 9 sessions. We give you original examples on this page, which Paragon has not rated.
Paragon publishes its level descriptors as a PDF. The descriptors say what a writer can do at each level, but they are not sample answers. The sample writing responses are on its Scoring Levels page, for Levels 12, 11 and 10. A PDF of writing samples from an unknown site may be out of date or copied from elsewhere, so start with Paragon's own pages.
In Paragon's own sample prompts, each task asks for about 150-200 words. Paragon says a score may suffer if you are significantly over or under the word count limits, so read the instruction on your screen and use the word counter.
Task 1 is Writing an Email. In Paragon's sample prompts you get a situation, a person to write to, and a list of things your email must do. The whole writing test is 53 minutes for both tasks.
Task 2 is Responding to Survey Questions. Paragon's blog says you are usually sharing your opinion about two options, such as whether a community should build a sports complex or a public library.
Use a shape, not a script. A good shape is: your choice and reasons, reason one with an example, reason two with an example, a short answer to the other side, a closing sentence. Do not memorise sentences. Paragon says providing responses that are not original and/or spontaneous may result in score cancellation.
Paragon rates writing on four dimensions: Content/Coherence, Vocabulary, Readability and Task Fulfillment. It says each writing performance is rated by four to six writing raters, and its FAQ describes an AI-human hybrid system with a human rating panel.
No. They are for learning how to cover a task, not for reuse. Paragon says responses that are not original and/or spontaneous may result in score cancellation, and the prompt you get will not be ours.