CELPIP Speaking Task 8: Describing an Unusual Situation

Describe an unusual image to someone.

~2 min each

0 of 28 sets done

Practice sets

1 A Maple-Leaf Glass Coffee Table FREE 2 Underwater Rugby in a Pool 3 An Overloaded Pickup Truck Bed 4 Novelty Toboggan-Runner Winter Boots 5 A Cracked Maple-Leaf Coffee Mug 6 A Lost Blue-And-Yellow Macaw 7 A Handmade Maple-Leaf Patchwork Quilt 8 A Damaged Reclining Armchair 9 A Capybara by the Roadside 10 A Homemade Backyard Zip-Line Rig 11 An Evening Park Lantern-Craft Session 12 A Cocoon-Style Hanging Pod Bed 13 Three Similar Green Winter Jackets 14 A Woodland Birds-and-Berries Wallpaper 15 Buskers Playing Saw and Washboard 16 A Gingerbread-Themed Holiday Trolley Interior 17 A Decorated Fall-Fair Maple Tree 18 A Decorated Fall-Fair Maple Tree 19 A Northern-Lights Winter Accessory Set 20 An Enchanted-Forest Summer Parade Float 21 A Tree-Stump Island Quirky Kitchen 22 A Driftwood-and-Seashell Desk Lamp 23 A Cabin-Carton Whimsical Kids' Meal 24 A Board-Game And Puzzle Store 25 A Giant Maple-Leaf Shaped House 26 An Automated Bottle-and-Can Sorting Line 27 A Fantastical Winged Glowing Sneaker 28 A Toppling Ice-Cream Tricycle Cart

Guide

Task 8 closes the Speaking test with a role-play: you are looking at something the other person cannot see, and you have to describe it and ask them for help. The opening and the closing of that phone call are both scored.

What is CELPIP Speaking Task 8?

Paragon's description: "Describe a picture of an unusual item or situation to someone who can't see what you're looking at." You get 30 seconds to prepare and 60 seconds to speak. It is the final task of the test.

The official example puts you on a rural roadside, lost: "You are visiting a friend who lives out of town. You can't find her house and your GPS does not recognize the address. Call your friend. Explain in detail where you are and ask her how to get to her house."

Notice that there are two jobs: describe, and then do something (ask for directions). Task 8 has an errand. Task 3 did not.

How CELPIP Speaking Task 8 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.

Vocabulary is exposed, but in a specific way: this task is built around describing things you may have no word for. Paragon's official strategy is to build phrases out of common words when the precise word will not come. Raters credit a successful workaround; they penalise the silence and the abandoned sentence, which land under Listenability as pauses and self-correction.

Task Fulfillment covers the role-play frame itself. One official sample response was marked down with the note "No closing; cut off at the end." Finishing the phone call is worth marks.

CELPIP Speaking Task 8 strategies

Set up the role-play immediately: "Hi Jill, it's me. Listen, I think I'm a bit lost." Officially strategy number one.
Describe what is unusual, not everything that is there. That is the content the rater is looking for.
Focus on what you can describe well. Depth on a few striking details beats a shallow inventory.
Paraphrase around missing vocabulary. "It's a kind of stand with fruit laid out on it." Officially sanctioned.
End by finishing the phone call. Officially strategy number five, and one official response lost marks for skipping it.

Common CELPIP Speaking Task 8 mistakes

Skipping the role-play frame. No greeting, no sign-off. Both are officially named strategies, and a missing closing was explicitly penalised in an official sample.
Describing it like Task 3 and never doing the errand the scenario asked for.
Freezing on a word you do not know, when the officially correct move is to build the meaning out of common words and keep going.

Useful phrases for CELPIP Speaking Task 8

Open the call: "Hi Jill, it's me. I think I'm a bit lost, my GPS doesn't recognize your address."
Work around missing words: "It's a kind of..." / "It looks something like a..." / "I don't know what you'd call it, but it's basically a..."
Landmarks: "I'm parked right in front of a small corner store." / "There's a big yellow billboard just off to my left."
Convey the strangeness: "The strangest part is..." / "I've honestly never seen anything like it."
Close the call: "Okay, great. I'll wait right here. See you in a few minutes. Bye!"

Tip: Give the person a name in your first two seconds, even if the prompt does not supply one. "Hi Ritu, it's me." It instantly satisfies the "address the other person" requirement and it is exactly what the official high-scoring samples do.

CELPIP Speaking Task 8: frequently asked questions

What is the difference between CELPIP Speaking Task 3 and Task 8?

Task 3 is a plain description of a scene. Task 8 is a role-play phone call in which you describe something unusual to a specific person who cannot see it, and you usually have to do something as well (ask for directions, ask what something is, explain a problem). The role-play opening and closing are officially scored parts of Task 8.

What if I do not know the word for the object?

Paraphrase with common words. This is Paragon's own advice: "if you can't think of accurate and specific vocabulary, create phrases using common words to express your meaning."

Do I have to imagine I am on the phone?

Yes. The official strategies are to "start by setting up the role-play scenario ('Hi, Jill...')" and to "end by finishing the phone call." One official sample explicitly lost marks for having no closing.

Do I invent a name for the person I am calling?

Yes, if none is given. Naming them is what the official high-scoring sample responses do, and it immediately satisfies the requirement to address the other person.

Should I describe everything I can see?

No. Official strategy is to focus on the things you can describe well, and to cover the unique aspects. Depth beats coverage.

How long is CELPIP Speaking Task 8?

30 seconds to prepare, 60 seconds to speak. It is the last task on the Speaking test.