How many suggestions should I give?
Two or three. Each needs a reason or example, and three thin ideas with no support score worse than two developed ones.
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Speaking Task 1Demo
Giving Advice
The exact exam interface with a sample question. Nothing is recorded or saved.
CELPIP Speaking (Demo) - Task 1 1/1
Preparation time: 30 seconds
Time remaining: 90 seconds
Your friend wants to welcome a new neighbour who has just moved in next door by making some homemade food. Give her advice on what to consider when preparing food for her new neighbour.
Preparation Time
30
Step 1 of 3: preparation time. Think of two or three pieces of advice you would actually give, and a quick reason for each. In practice you can skip this wait. In the real exam you cannot, and it ends with a loud "Start speaking now".
CELPIP Speaking Task 1 Guide:Giving Advice Tips, Template and CLB 9 Sample
In Task 1 a friend, family member, or coworker describes an everyday problem and asks what they should do. You get 30 seconds to prepare and 90 seconds to answer. Raters are not judging whether your advice is wise, they are judging how clearly and naturally you deliver it. The demo above uses the exact interface and timing of the real test, so everything you practice here transfers directly.
The format at a glance
Preparation
30 seconds to line up two or three suggestions and a reason for each
Response
90 seconds of recorded speech, the timer submits automatically
Audience
One person you know well, so a warm conversational tone fits best
How Task 1 is scored
Trained raters score every CELPIP speaking task on four equally weighted dimensions. Knowing what each one rewards tells you exactly where the points are.
Content and Coherence
The number and quality of your ideas, and whether they follow a logical order. Two or three developed suggestions beat five rushed ones.
Vocabulary
Range and precision. Swapping a repeated word like important for crucial or essential shows the rater your range without any fancy idioms.
Listenability
Rhythm, pronunciation, intonation, and grammar working together. It means easy to follow, not sounds Canadian. Silent pauses beat filler words every time.
Task Fulfillment
Did you actually give advice, to the right person, in the right tone, for the full time? Incomplete answers lose more points here than grammar slips do.
A 90 second answer template that works
Preparation30 seconds, before the answer
Line up two or three suggestions and a reason for each. When the 30 seconds run out you hear a loud "Start speaking now" and recording begins immediately, there is no button to press.
Acknowledge first10 to 15 seconds
Open by responding to the person and their situation before any advice. Jumping straight into suggestions is one of the most common Task 1 mistakes.
Two or three suggestions, each with a reasonabout 60 seconds
Signal each new idea with a clear transition, give the suggestion, then say why it helps or add a quick example. Reasons are what turn a list into advice.
Close with encouragement10 to 15 seconds
A short, warm wrap up makes the answer sound finished on purpose. Ending 20 seconds early reads as an incomplete response to raters.
Transitions that do the signposting for you
These phrases mark each new suggestion so the rater can follow your structure without effort. Practice them until they come out automatically.
If I were you, I would...Have you thought about...?Another thing you could do is...One more thing that might help...
Mistakes that cost points
Filler wordsListenability
Um, like, and you know fill every pause but cost points. A brief silent pause always scores better than a filler.
A memorized scriptListenability
Raters hear recitation right away and it flattens your delivery. Speak from a short mental outline instead.
Advice with no acknowledgmentTask Fulfillment
Jumping straight into suggestions weakens your tone. Respond to the person and their situation first.
Stopping earlyTask Fulfillment
Ending long before the timer reads as an incomplete answer. Keep speaking for the full 90 seconds.
Repeating one basic wordVocabulary
Leaning on the same word caps your range. Swap in a synonym the second time you need it.
Task 1 questions people ask
Is 90 seconds enough time?
Yes, once you follow a structure. A 15 second opening, two or three supported suggestions, and a short close fill the time naturally without rambling.
What level do I need for immigration?
CELPIP scores map directly to CLB levels. Many Express Entry candidates target CLB 9, which means scoring 9 on the speaking test, and that is the target level of the sample answer in this demo.
