CELPIP study guide: key rules on all 12 topics
Free CELPIP study guide: 76 key points from the CELPIP Guidebook for Test Takers in plain words, organised by topic, each topic linked to its practice questions.
By the Canada Exam Prep Editorial Team ·
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- 12 topics
- 76 key points
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This study guide collects our notes on every topic of the CELPIP-General Test on one page: 76 short points in our own words, grouped by topic and by handbook section. Read it from top to bottom before your first practice test, or jump to a topic from the list below.
Each topic ends with a link to its practice questions, so you can check what you just read straight away, and a link to the official chapter for the full wording. The notes summarise the CELPIP Guidebook for Test Takers from the Paragon Testing Enterprises (CELPIP); they do not replace it, and where our notes and the official source differ, the official source wins.
Study these notes as flashcards →
Test format, timing and scoring
The four components, number of parts and questions, time per component, unscored items, CELPIP levels 0–12 and how they line up with CLB and CEFR, score validity, results timing and the listed fee.
Practise Test format, timing and scoring questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter
Why Choose CELPIP
- All components are computer-delivered in one sitting; no separate Speaking appointment or interview.
- Computer features: personal timer, word counter, spell-check.
- Results available online in 2–4 business days.
- Single sitting of about 3 hours (CELPIP-General).
- Single North American accent; easy-to-understand English; vocabulary taken from everyday situations.
CELPIP Test Format
- Two versions: CELPIP-General (Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking) and CELPIP-General LS (Listening, Speaking).
- CELPIP-General: listed price $295 + taxes; total about 3 hours, one sitting.
- CELPIP-General LS: listed price $199 + taxes; total about 1 hour, one sitting.
- Time allotted: Listening 46–55 min; Reading 43–56 min; Writing 53 min; Speaking 15 min.
CELPIP Components
- Listening: Part 1 Problem Solving 8 Q; Part 2 Daily Life Conversation 5 Q; Part 3 Information 6 Q; Part 4 News Item 5 Q; Part 5 Discussion 8 Q; Part 6 Viewpoints 6 Q (total 38).
- Reading: Part 1 Correspondence 11 Q; Part 2 Apply a Diagram 8 Q; Part 3 Information 9 Q; Part 4 Viewpoints 10 Q (total 38).
- Writing: Task 1 Writing an Email; Task 2 Responding to Survey Questions.
- Speaking: 8 tasks — 1 Giving Advice; 2 Personal Experience; 3 Describing a Scene; 4 Making Predictions; 5 Comparing and Persuading; 6 Difficult Situation; 7 Expressing Opinions; 8 Unusual Situation.
- Listening and/or Reading may contain unscored content, anywhere, same format as scored; you cannot tell them apart. Time on unscored content is included in total test time and does not take time from scored tasks.
CELPIP Levels
- CELPIP levels 3–12 equal CLB 3–12. CELPIP 2 = CLB 1–2. Levels 1 and 0 = insufficient information to assess. NA = component not administered.
- CEFR: 12 = C2; 11 and 10 = C1; 9, 8, 7 = B2; 6, 5 = B1; 4, 3 = A2; 2 = A1.
- Descriptors: 12 expert, 11 advanced, 10 highly effective, 9 effective (high-stakes contexts); 8 good, 7 adequate (more/somewhat demanding); 6 developing, 5 acquiring (everyday); 4 adequate for daily life; 3 some proficiency in limited contexts.
- Express Entry: IRCC requires results less than two years old at profile completion and PR application submission. Five years of report access does not extend IRCC validity.
- CELPIP has no overall pass mark; each component gets a level. Whether a level is "enough" depends on the program (see clb-immigration).
Registration
- Create/sign in to a CELPIP account at celpip.ca, choose location, centre and date, choose ID type.
- Pay by credit card online, or mail a paper registration form with another payment method.
Viewing Test Results
- Scores online in your CELPIP account 2–4 business days after the test; email notice; optional SMS.
- Download the Official Score Report as a PDF. The current CELPIP results page says hard-copy score reports have been discontinued.
Free CELPIP Prep
- 2 free complete online practice tests with answer keys and Listening transcripts.
Score Comparison Chart (celpip.ca)
- Speaking descriptors: Content/Coherence, Vocabulary, Listenability, Task Fulfillment.
- Writing descriptors: Content/Coherence, Vocabulary, Readability, Task Fulfillment.
Reading Part 1: Reading Correspondence
Original letters and emails in the style of Reading Part 1: find the writer's purpose, requests, details and tone, and choose words that fit a reply.
Practise Reading Part 1: Reading Correspondence questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter
Reading Part 1: Reading Correspondence
- 11 questions in the official test; Reading component 43–56 minutes in total.
- Our practice: five original letters/emails (personal and formal, 180–210 words) with 5 questions each:
- All passages, names, businesses and events are invented. No official sample text is used.
Reading Part 2: Reading to Apply a Diagram
Original schedules, price lists and listings paired with an email, in the style of Reading Part 2: match a person's needs to the right option and work out costs.
Practise Reading Part 2: Reading to Apply a Diagram questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter
Reading Part 2: Reading to Apply a Diagram
- 8 questions in the official test.
- Our practice: five original "diagrams" written as text (swim schedule, phone plans, garden plots, career-day timetable,
- Text layout stands in for the picture used on the real test; there are no images.
Reading Part 3: Reading for Information
Original three-paragraph articles in the style of Reading Part 3: decide which paragraph contains a piece of information, or whether it is not given, and answer detail questions.
Practise Reading Part 3: Reading for Information questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter
Reading Part 3: Reading for Information
- 9 questions in the official test.
- Our practice: five original three-paragraph articles labelled A–C. Paragraph-location questions offer
- The real test format may use a different number of paragraphs; our 3-paragraph layout keeps every question to 4 choices.
Reading Part 4: Reading for Viewpoints
Original opinion articles in the style of Reading Part 4: identify who holds which view, the reasons behind it, the writer's stance and words that complete a reader's comment.
Practise Reading Part 4: Reading for Viewpoints questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter
Reading Part 4: Reading for Viewpoints
- 10 questions in the official test.
- Our practice: five original opinion articles (leaf-blower ban, later school start, free museum entry, return to office,
Vocabulary and grammar in context
Word choice, collocations, phrasal verbs, linking words, conditionals, tenses, prepositions and register in everyday Canadian contexts, the language the Vocabulary and Readability descriptors reward.
Practise Vocabulary and grammar in context questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter
Vocabulary and Readability descriptors
- Writing descriptors reward precise word choice (Vocabulary) and connected ideas plus grammar control (Readability);
- Our practice: original sentences testing collocations (make a complaint, pay attention), phrasal verbs (look after, put off,
- Grammar points follow standard Canadian English usage; no CELPIP-specific facts are tested here.
Writing Task 1: Writing an Email
What a Task 1 email must do: cover every listed point in about 150–200 words, pick the right greeting, tone and closing, state your purpose and develop each point with specific detail.
Practise Writing Task 1: Writing an Email questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter
Writing
- Writing component: 53 minutes, 2 tasks; Task 1 is Writing an Email.
- Computer features include a word counter and spell-check (guidebook p. 3).
Writing sample Task A
- Official sample email prompt: about 150–200 words, and "your email should do the following things" followed by three bullet points.
- Writing descriptors: Content/Coherence, Vocabulary, Readability, Task Fulfillment; Task Fulfillment includes a tone and style appropriate to the situation.
- Our questions are strategy/language questions with original example sentences; the official sample prompt and response are not reproduced.
Writing Task 2: Responding to Survey Questions
How to answer the survey task: choose one option, give developed reasons and examples in about 150–200 words, handle the other option and keep a suitable tone.
Practise Writing Task 2: Responding to Survey Questions questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter
Writing sample Task B
- Official sample survey prompt: choose the option you prefer (Option A or Option B) and explain the reasons; about 150–200 words.
- Descriptors as for Task 1 (Content/Coherence, Vocabulary, Readability, Task Fulfillment).
- Our questions use original survey topics (pool vs library, mail delivery days) and test choosing, supporting, conceding and concluding.
Speaking Tasks 1–4
Giving Advice, Talking about a Personal Experience, Describing a Scene and Making Predictions: task names, the language each one calls for, and what the Speaking descriptors look for.
Practise Speaking Tasks 1–4 questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter
Speaking
- Speaking: 15 minutes, 8 tasks, computer-delivered; you reply verbally to on-screen prompts in the same sitting.
- Task 1 Giving Advice; Task 2 Talking about a Personal Experience; Task 3 Describing a Scene; Task 4 Making Predictions.
Speaking descriptors
- Content/Coherence; Vocabulary; Listenability (control of grammar, intelligible rhythm, pronunciation, intonation);
Speaking Tasks 5–8
Comparing and Persuading, Dealing with a Difficult Situation, Expressing Opinions and Describing an Unusual Situation: comparisons, polite refusals, clear opinions and precise description.
Practise Speaking Tasks 5–8 questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter
Speaking Tasks 5–8
- Task 5 Comparing and Persuading; Task 6 Dealing with a Difficult Situation; Task 7 Expressing Opinions; Task 8 Describing an Unusual Situation.
Speaking descriptors and sample Task B
- The official sample describing an unusual object asks the speaker to describe it in detail and ask the listener a question; answering every part of the prompt matters for Task Fulfillment.
- Higher levels use figures of speech and idioms accurately.
- Our questions use original examples (cabin vs hotel, noisy neighbour, shift change) and test comparatives, softening, opinion structure and precise description.
Listening format and strategies
The six Listening parts and their question counts, timing, and text-based practice in the skills Listening tests: catching corrections, signal words, attitude, paraphrase and quick note-taking.
Practise Listening format and strategies questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter
Listening
- 46–55 minutes; six parts: 1 Problem Solving (8 Q), 2 Daily Life Conversation (5), 3 Information (6), 4 News Item (5), 5 Discussion (8), 6 Viewpoints (6); 38 listed questions.
- Part 6 is "Listening to Viewpoints" on celpip.ca and "Listening for Viewpoints" in the guidebook.
- Unscored content may appear; give full effort throughout.
- Single North American accent; vocabulary from everyday situations (p. 3).
- Free practice tests include answer keys and Listening transcripts (p. 10).
- We have no audio, so strategy questions use short written quotes (corrections, signal words, attitude, paraphrase).
CELPIP scores for PR and citizenship
How IRCC uses CELPIP-General results: CLB minimums for the Federal Skilled Worker, Canadian Experience Class and Skilled Trades programs, the two-year validity rule, and CLB 4 speaking and listening for citizenship.
Practise CELPIP scores for PR and citizenship questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter
Express Entry: Language test results
- Approved English tests include CELPIP; you must take the CELPIP-General test (not LS) for Express Entry.
- IRCC measures English with the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB), French with NCLC.
- Canadian Experience Class: TEER 0 or 1 job → CLB 7 in all 4 abilities; TEER 2 or 3 → CLB 5.
- Federal Skilled Worker Program: first official language CLB 7 in all 4 abilities; second official language minimum CLB/NCLC 5 (for points).
- Federal Skilled Trades Program: CLB 5 speaking and listening; CLB 4 reading and writing.
- Results must be less than 2 years old when you complete your Express Entry profile and when you submit your PR application.
- If results will expire first: retest, apply before they expire, or decline the invitation and return to the pool.
- PR application with expired results is refused.
- FSWP selection grid (first official language, max 24): per ability CLB 7 = 4 pts, CLB 8 = 5, CLB 9 = 6, CLB 10+ = 6. CELPIP-G level = CLB level for these rows.
Citizenship eligibility: language skills
- Applicants aged 18 to 54 on the day they sign must show adequate English or French: speaking and listening at CLB/NCLC 4.
- Adults 55+ and minors under 18 do not need to prove language skills or take the citizenship test.
- IRCC may also assess language when you talk with an official or at a hearing.
Citizenship language proof, Step 2 (test results)
- CELPIP-G taken on or after April 1, 2014: level 4 or higher (up to 12) in listening and speaking.
- CELPIP-G taken on or before March 31, 2014: 2H or higher in listening and speaking.
- Applies only to results you submitted when you applied for permanent residence: include a copy even if they have expired, as long as the levels are high enough. Without PR-application results, use other proof (Step 5: a new CELPIP-G or CELPIP-G LS test, level 4+).
Written in our own words from: CELPIP Guidebook for Test Takers
FAQ
CELPIP study guide: common questions
What is the best way to use this CELPIP study guide?
Read one topic, then answer that topic's practice questions while the rules are fresh. Note the questions you miss, re-read those notes, and finish with a full practice test across all 12 topics.
Is this the official CELPIP handbook?
No. It is our own summary of the CELPIP Guidebook for Test Takers. Use it to review, and use the official handbook when you need the exact wording of a rule.
Can I print the study guide?
Yes, with your browser's print command. For practice questions on paper with an answer key, use our printable questions and answers page instead.
Keep practising
- CELPIP reading practice (printable PDF)50 original CELPIP-style questions with reading passages, an answer key and explanations. Print them or save them as a PDF to study offline. Free, no sign-up.
- CELPIP passing score for immigration and citizenship
- CELPIP Mock Exam 1 – 38 QuestionsTimed practice · 55 minutes · answers explained
- CELPIP Mock Exam 2 – 38 QuestionsTimed practice · 55 minutes · answers explained
- CELPIP Practice Test 130 questions with explanations
- CELPIP Practice Test 230 questions with explanations
- CELPIP Practice Test 330 questions with explanations
Practice by topic
- Test format, timing and scoringThe four components, number of parts and questions, time per component, unscored items, CELPIP levels 0–12 and how they line up with CLB and CEFR, score validity, results timing and the listed fee.
- Reading Part 1: Reading CorrespondenceOriginal letters and emails in the style of Reading Part 1: find the writer's purpose, requests, details and tone, and choose words that fit a reply.
- Reading Part 2: Reading to Apply a DiagramOriginal schedules, price lists and listings paired with an email, in the style of Reading Part 2: match a person's needs to the right option and work out costs.
- Reading Part 3: Reading for InformationOriginal three-paragraph articles in the style of Reading Part 3: decide which paragraph contains a piece of information, or whether it is not given, and answer detail questions.
- Reading Part 4: Reading for ViewpointsOriginal opinion articles in the style of Reading Part 4: identify who holds which view, the reasons behind it, the writer's stance and words that complete a reader's comment.
- Vocabulary and grammar in contextWord choice, collocations, phrasal verbs, linking words, conditionals, tenses, prepositions and register in everyday Canadian contexts, the language the Vocabulary and Readability descriptors reward.
- Writing Task 1: Writing an EmailWhat a Task 1 email must do: cover every listed point in about 150–200 words, pick the right greeting, tone and closing, state your purpose and develop each point with specific detail.
- Writing Task 2: Responding to Survey QuestionsHow to answer the survey task: choose one option, give developed reasons and examples in about 150–200 words, handle the other option and keep a suitable tone.
- Speaking Tasks 1–4Giving Advice, Talking about a Personal Experience, Describing a Scene and Making Predictions: task names, the language each one calls for, and what the Speaking descriptors look for.
- Speaking Tasks 5–8Comparing and Persuading, Dealing with a Difficult Situation, Expressing Opinions and Describing an Unusual Situation: comparisons, polite refusals, clear opinions and precise description.
- Listening format and strategiesThe six Listening parts and their question counts, timing, and text-based practice in the skills Listening tests: catching corrections, signal words, attitude, paraphrase and quick note-taking.
- CELPIP scores for PR and citizenshipHow IRCC uses CELPIP-General results: CLB minimums for the Federal Skilled Worker, Canadian Experience Class and Skilled Trades programs, the two-year validity rule, and CLB 4 speaking and listening for citizenship.