The CELPIP (Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program) is a computer-based English language proficiency test accepted by the Canadian government for immigration purposes.
The subsidiary of UBC (University of British Columbia), Paragon Testing Enterprises, conducts the CELPIP test.
Here, in today’s blog, we will discuss the format of CELPIP and its syllabus, but before that, you must understand what CELPIP is.
What Is CELPIP?
It is an English language test that gives a chance to the test takers to show their English language abilities. It tests the English language skill of candidates in four modules, Listening, Reading, Speaking, and Writing.
The CELPIP test accurately tests the candidate’s English language skills in daily situations, like communicating with friends, interacting with co-workers, and understanding newscasts.
There are four modules of the CELPIP test:
- Listening
- Reading
- Writing
- Speaking
The CELPIP test of two types:
- CELPIP-General
- CELPIP-General LS
For both the exam, the CELPIP test format is different that is going to discuss in detail, below.
NOTE: The CELPIP exam is quite a popular exam for PR purposes: The main reason is that the Single North American Accent is used for this exam. So for exam takers, it is very easy to adapt.
CELPIP Test Formats
Below, we will explain the format for both exam types in detail to help you understand what you will face during the exam.
CELPIP-General
The CELPIP general measures the exam takers listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills in English. This type of CELPIP test is used for professional designations and permanent residence (PR) applications.
The cost for this exam is $280 + Taxes in Canada. This is a 3-hour long exam that is done in a single sitting.
For PR applications Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has approved the CELPIP exam. So students can take this exam both to prove their English language proficiency and for immigration or PR purposes.
Within 4 to 5 days, the result for the CELPIP-general is declared.
Now that you completely know what the CELPIP general exam is let’s discuss the CELPIP-General format.
Listening
The time allotted for listening in CELPIP General is 47-55 minutes.
| The number of Questions | Component Sections | Format | Type of questions |
| 1 | Practice Task | – | – |
| 8 | Part 1 – Listening to Problem Solving | 3 different audio clips, 1-1.5 minutes long each | Verbal questions |
| 5 | Part 2 – Listening to a Daily Life Conversation | 1 audio clip, 1.5-2 minutes long | Verbal questions |
| 6 | Part 3 – Listening for Information | 1 audio clip, 2-2.5 minutes long | Verbal questions |
| 5 | Part 4 – Listening to a News Item | 1 audio clip, 1.5 minutes long | Written questions |
| 8 | Part 5 – Listening to a Discussion | 1 video clip, 1.5-2 minutes long | Written questions |
| 6 | Part 6 – Listening to Viewpoints | 1 audio clip, 3 minutes long | Written questions |
Reading
The time allotted for reading in CELPIP General is 55-60 minutes.
| The number of Questions | Component Sections | Time | Format |
| 1 | Practice Task | – | – |
| 11 | Part 1 – Reading Correspondence | 11 minutes | Answer MCQs & complete response of an e-mail |
| 8 | Part 2 – Reading to Apply a Diagram | 9 minutes | Answer MCQs & complete response of an e-mail |
| 9 | Part 3 – Reading for Information | 10 minutes | Select paragraph that has the given information |
| 10 | Part 4 – Reading for Viewpoints | 13 minutes | Answer MCQs & complete a reader’s comment |
Writing
The time allotted for writing in CELPIP General is 53-60 minutes.
| The number of Questions | Component Sections | Time | Length | CELPIP Test Format For Writing |
| 1 | Task 1 – Writing an Email | 27 minutes | 150–200 words | Regarding day-to-day matters write an email |
| 1 | Task 2 – Responding to Survey Questions | 26 minutes | 150–200 words | Justify your choice after responding to an opinion survey about commonly encountered issues |
Speaking
The time allotted for speaking in CELPIP General is 15-20 minutes.
| The number of Questions | Component Sections | Preparation Time | Speaking Time | Format |
| 1 | Practice Task | 30 seconds | 60 seconds | Practice speaking through the microphone. |
| 1 | Task 1 – Giving Advice | 30 seconds | 90 seconds | Help someone prepare for something or make a decision. |
| 1 | Task 2 – Talking about a Personal Experience | 30 seconds | 60 seconds | Tell a story about an experience. |
| 1 | Task 3 – Describing a Scene | 30 seconds | 60 seconds | Describe what happens after looking at the illustration. |
| 1 | Task 4 – Making Predictions | 30 seconds | 60 seconds | Describe what will happen in the future by looking at the same illustration. |
| 1 | Task 5 – Comparing and Persuading | 60-60 seconds for both parts | 60 seconds | Part 1 – select your preferred option from two choices. Part 2 – make someone agree with the option you have made |
| 1 | Task 6 – Dealing with a Difficult Situation | 60 seconds | 60 seconds | Explain a decision to a family member or friend. |
| 1 | Task 7 – Expressing Opinions | 30 seconds | 90 seconds | Explain why you disagree or agree with a statement. |
| 1 | Task 8 – Describing an Unusual Situation | 30 seconds | 60 seconds | Describe a photo of an item or situation to someone who can’t see the photo. |
Unscored Items
There are unscored items in the reading and listening sections of the exam, and these unscored items can be found anywhere between the listening and reading sections. Students need help distinguishing between the scored and unscored items of these sections. So students are advised to put effort into every question in these sections.
These unscored items are for the test developments.
CELPIP-General LS
The CELPIP-General LS measures the exam takers listening and speaking skills in English. This type of CELPIP test is used for professional designations and citizenship applications.
The cost for this exam is $195 + Taxes in Canada. This is a 1-hour long exam that is also done in a single sitting.
The IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) has approved this exam for Canadian citizenship applications.
Within 4 to 5 days, the result for the CELPIP-general LS is declared.
Now that you completely know what the CELPIP general LS exam is, let’s discuss the CELPIP-General LS format.
Listening
The time allotted for listening in CELPIP General is 47-55 minutes.
| The number of Questions | Component Sections | Format | Type of questions |
| 1 | Practice Task | – | – |
| 8 | Part 1 – Listening to Problem Solving | 3 different audio clips, 1-1.5 minutes long each | Verbal questions |
| 5 | Part 2 – Listening to a Daily Life Conversation | 1 audio clip, 1.5-2 minutes long | Verbal questions |
| 6 | Part 3 – Listening for Information | 1 audio clip, 2-2.5 minutes long | Verbal questions |
| 5 | Part 4 – Listening to a News Item | 1 audio clip, 1.5 minutes long | Written questions |
| 8 | Part 5 – Listening to a Discussion | 1 video clip, 1.5-2 minutes long | Written questions |
| 6 | Part 6 – Listening to Viewpoints | 1 audio clip, 3 minutes long | Written questions |
Speaking
The time allotted for speaking in CELPIP General is 15-20 minutes.
| The number of Questions | Component Sections | Preparation Time | Speaking Time | Format |
| 1 | Practice Task | 30 seconds | 60 seconds | Practice speaking through the microphone. |
| 1 | Task 1 – Giving Advice | 30 seconds | 90 seconds | Help someone prepare for something or make a decision. |
| 1 | Task 2 – Talking about a Personal Experience | 30 seconds | 60 seconds | Tell a story about an experience. |
| 1 | Task 3 – Describing a Scene | 30 seconds | 60 seconds | Describe what is happening after looking at the illustration. |
| 1 | Task 4 – Making Predictions | 30 seconds | 60 seconds | Describe what will happen in the future by looking at the same illustration. |
| 1 | Task 5 – Comparing and Persuading | 60-60 seconds for both parts | 60 seconds | Part 1 – select your preferred option from two choicesPart 2 – make someone agree with the option you have made |
| 1 | Task 6 – Dealing with a Difficult Situation | 60 seconds | 60 seconds | Explain a decision to a family member or friend. |
| 1 | Task 7 – Expressing Opinions | 30 seconds | 90 seconds | Explain why you disagree or agree with a statement. |
| 1 | Task 8 – Describing an Unusual Situation | 30 seconds | 60 seconds | Describe a photo of an item or situation to someone who can’t see the photo. |
NOTE: The CELPIP test format for both exam types is the same for listening and speaking.
Unscored Items
Like the CELPIP General, the format for unscored items in listening is the same for CELPIP General LS. There are unscored items in the listening section of the exam, and these unscored items can be found anywhere in the listening section. Students cannot distinguish between the scored and unscored items in this section. So students are advised to put effort into every question for the General LS section of CELPIP (Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program).
These unscored items are for the test developments.
After learning about the CELPIP test format, now you must learn about the study material you can use to get a good score in the CELPIP exam.
CELPIP Study Material
To prepare for the CELPIP exam, you can use different study materials. For you, both options, paid and free material, are available on the official website of CELPIP (https://www.celpip.ca/prepare-for-celpip/).
Let’s first discuss paid CELPIP study material:
CELPIP – General Paid Study Material
| Material | Price |
| CELPIP-General Practice Tests,Sets 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 (Online) | $130 CAD |
| CELPIP-General Practice Tests,Sets 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 (Online) | $130 CAD |
| CELPIP-General Practice Tests,Sets 1, 2, 3, 4,5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 (Online) | $225 CAD |
| CELPIP-General Practice Tests,Set 10 (Online) | $35 CAD |
| CELPIP-General Practice and Analysis (Online) | $35 CAD |
CELPIP-LS
| Material | Price |
| CELPIP – LS Practice Test Bundle(Sets 1-5) | $90 CAD |
| CELPIP – LS Practice Test Bundle(Sets 6-10) | $90 CAD |
| CELPIP – LS Practice Test Bundle(Sets 1-10) | $160 CAD |
| CELPIP – LS Practice Test Set 10 | $25 CAD |
| CELPIP – LS Practice and Analysis | $20 CAD |
CELPIP Test Free Resources
After knowing the CELPIP test format, to prepare for the CELPIP test, free resources for the CELPIP exams will also be beneficial. So let’s have a look at some free resources for the CELPIP exam.
- Guidebook for Test Takers
- Overview for Test Takers
- Free CELPIP-General Practice Tests
- Free CELPIP-General LS Practice Tests
Conclusion: CELPIP Test Format
In this blog, we have discussed the CELPIP test format. We have explained every minor or major detail you must know before taking the CELPIP exam.
We have explained the format of each section differently to make you understand easily.
We hope we have cleared all your queries about the CELPIP test format. For more content like this, keep visiting CourseMentor™.
Some students say CELPIP is easier than the IELTS and vice versa. If you are also one of those who have been confused about CELPIP vs IELTS: Which is better and easy? Then click on CELPIP vs IELTS to get an answer.
FAQs: CELPIP Test Format
How and when do I get my CELPIP scores?
You will get your result online within 4 to 5 calendar days. You will receive the notification through email. You can download your CELPIP pdf result once your result is out.
What kind of identification document (ID) can I use?
Here are some ID proofs you can use for the CELPIP exam.
Passport Booklet
Refugee Travel Document
Canadian Permanent Resident Card
Canadian Refugee Protection Claimant Document*
US Passport Card
What is the CELPIP exam fee in India?
The registration test fee for the CELPIP exam is 10845 INR plus taxes. You have to pay the full fee in advance for the test to book the test. In Canada, the fee for the CELPIP exam is $280 + Taxes.
