CELPIP speaking
Personal Experience
How to Master CELPIP Speaking Task 2: Personal Experience
This task tests your ability to tell a short, clear story from your past. You'll be given a prompt like, "Talk about a time you helped a friend," or "Describe a memorable celebration." Your goal is to tell a simple, well-structured story.
What You Will Do
- You will have 30 seconds to prepare your story.
- You will only have 60 seconds to record your speaking. This is a very fast task.
The #1 Trap to Avoid
The biggest mistake is running out of time. Most test-takers spend 50 seconds on the beginning of the story and never get to the end. The grader must hear a complete story with a beginning, middle, and end. The second mistake is making the story too complex. Simple is better.
The CLB 9+ "3-Part Story Template" (Use in your 30s prep!)
You only have 30 seconds to plan. Don't write sentences. Just write 3-4 keywords for this 3-part structure:
- Part 1: The Setup (approx. 15 seconds): Start immediately. State the who, when, and where. (e.g., "I'm going to talk about a time I helped my friend move. This was last year when my friend, Mark, was moving to a new apartment downtown.").
- Part 2: The Main Event (approx. 30 seconds): Describe what happened. This is the core of your story. (e.g., "The main challenge was his sofa; it was too big to fit in the elevator. We had to pivot and carry it up six flights of stairs. It was exhausting, but we worked as a team...").
- Part 3: The Feeling or Result (approx. 15 seconds): Conclude with the outcome or how you felt. (e.g., "In the end, we finally got it into his new place. We were so tired, but he was incredibly grateful. It felt great to be able to help him out." Stop speaking).
Final Tips
- Use Past Tense: This is a story about your past. Use "I went," "we helped," "it was..."
- Simple is Safe: Choose a simple, true story. If you can't think of one, it's 100% okay to make one up! The grader only cares about your English.
Ready to Get Your Speaking Graded?
Can you tell a full story in 60 seconds? This task is all about structure and timing. You must practice it out loud.
Our webapp uses advanced AI to grade your speaking. Find out your estimated score, check your pace, and see your filler words in 5 seconds.