What is CELPIP Speaking Task 1?
Paragon describes Task 1 as helping someone "either make a decision or prepare for something." You get 30 seconds to prepare and 90 seconds to speak. There is no picture: the prompt is text only, describing a friend or family member in a bind and asking you to advise them.
A real official example reads: "Your friend has a classmate who asks too many questions in class. Your friend finds this very annoying, but the teacher doesn't do anything about it. Your friend is upset. Advise your friend about what he should do to solve this problem."
| Preparation | Speaking | On screen |
|---|---|---|
| 30 seconds | 90 seconds | Text only, no image |
How CELPIP Speaking Task 1 is scored
Every CELPIP Speaking response is rated by trained human raters (Paragon says each performance is seen by three to five of them, working independently) on the same four dimensions: Content/Coherence, Vocabulary, Listenability and Task Fulfillment. Your Speaking level is a product of your scores across all eight tasks, so no single task can sink you, and no single task can carry you.
Paragon does not publish a per-task weighting, and you should be sceptical of any site that claims one. What the official rater commentary does show is which dimension tends to get flagged on which task, and that is what the notes below describe.
On Task 1 specifically, Content/Coherence is the pressure point. Ninety seconds is a lot of airtime, and Paragon's own strategy asks for three suggestions, each with a reason or example. A thin plan is audible almost immediately. Official rater notes on a Level 9 response praised it for addressing the friend directly and speaking for the full time; a Level 5 response was marked down because a slow pace "reduces content."
CELPIP Speaking Task 1 strategies
These are Paragon's own published strategies for the task, not folklore:
- Speak directly to the person. Say "Mark, if I were you..." rather than "My friend should...". Raters credit direct address explicitly.
- Give at least three suggestions. This is the officially stated target.
- Attach a practical reason or example to each one. Advice without a "because" is filler.
- Signal each new suggestion with a transition: "If I were you, I'd...", "Another thing you could do is...", "One final thing is...".
- Keep the tone helpful and thoughtful. You are a friend, not a consultant.
Common CELPIP Speaking Task 1 mistakes
- Running out of advice at the 45-second mark. Two suggestions and then padding. Plan three, and hold one in reserve.
- Talking about the friend instead of to them. Both official rater analyses reward second-person address.
- Trailing off with no closing. A Level 8 sample earned specific credit for ending with "So, good luck with it, Mark." Land the plane.
Useful phrases for CELPIP Speaking Task 1
- Open with empathy: "Hey Mark, I heard about the situation in your class. I know it's frustrating, but there are a few things you could try."
- Signal each point: "If I were you, I'd..." / "Another thing you could do is..." / "One final thing is..."
- Attach the reason: "...because that way, you won't have to..."
- Soften: "It might be worth..." / "Have you thought about...?"
- Close: "Anyway, that's just my two cents. Let me know how it goes."
