CELPIP® Speaking Task 1 sample: Cycling Through a Whitehorse Winter

Giving Advice · Preparation: 30 seconds · Response: 90 seconds · Published 23 October 2026

Original practice questions in CELPIP® task formats, created independently by CELPIP Study.

Practice question

Your brother Sébastien cycles six kilometres to work in Whitehorse and wants to continue through winter. He has a regular bicycle and $300 set aside for winter cycling gear, but his workplace has no indoor bicycle storage. Taking the bus would mean a 50-minute journey and arriving 20 minutes before his shift. Help Sébastien decide how to approach his winter commute.

Model answers

These are transcripts of a model response, provided for comparison with your own recording.

Level 7 sample answer

191 words

Sébastien, I understand why you want to keep cycling. You already enjoy getting to work that way, and spending 50 minutes on the bus doesn't sound very convenient. But, um, I think you should try winter cycling slowly before deciding to do it every day.

First, take your bicycle to a shop and ask what equipment you really need. Tell them about your $300 budget so they don't suggest too many things. Winter equipment can be expensive, so it's useful to get an advice before buying anything that looks helpful.

Also, ask your workplace if there's a sheltered place outside where you could leave the bicycle. There might be an option you haven't noticed. You should know where it will stay during your shift before you spend your money getting it ready.

Then try the route on a day when you don't have to rush to work. This will help you see how much time and effort it takes. If the conditions is difficult, take the bus instead. Arriving 20 minutes early isn't ideal, but you could bring something to read. I think using both choices would make your winter easier.

Why this answer is at level 7

This level 7 answer gives Sébastien a clear, supportive plan covering shopping, storage, a trial ride and the bus. Its general equipment advice, vague riding conditions and occasional language errors make it less precise and developed than the higher-level answers.

Then try the route on a day when you don't have to rush to work. — Content/Coherence: The trial ride follows logically after checking equipment and storage. However, the answer gives little guidance on what to observe; the higher-level answers identify icy corners, hand warmth and other specific checks.
it's useful to get an advice before buying anything that looks helpful. — Vocabulary: The meaning is understandable, but 'an advice' is incorrect, and 'anything that looks helpful' is vague. The higher-level answers use more precise purchasing language and name equipment relevant to winter riding.
But, um, I think you should try winter cycling slowly before deciding to do it every day. — Listenability: The direct address and conversational wording make the advice approachable. The written hesitation interrupts the opening recommendation, while 'try winter cycling slowly' could mean riding slowly or starting gradually. The higher-level openings communicate the proposed routine more cleanly.
Tell them about your $300 budget so they don't suggest too many things. — Task Fulfillment: This acknowledges Sébastien's spending limit, but does not explain how to prioritize purchases or respond if essential equipment costs too much. The higher-level answers turn the budget into a clearer purchasing decision.

Level 9 sample answer

236 words

Sébastien, I'd try a mixed routine before committing to cycling all winter. Six kilometres is a manageable distance for you now, but snow and ice could make the same route much slower. The bus takes longer, yet having that backup means you don't have to make every morning a test of determination.

Start by taking your bicycle to a shop with your $300 limit clearly in mind. Ask for separate prices for studded tires, front and rear lights, and any essential maintenance. Check what warm clothing you already own before buying more. Mitts that keep your hands warm while allowing you to brake would be more useful than an expensive cycling jacket you don't really need.

Storage deserves attention before you spend anything. Ask your workplace whether there's an approved outdoor spot protected from accumulating snow, and check how you'll lock the bicycle there. Since indoor storage isn't available, you'll need to allow time to clear snow off before riding home.

Once you've priced the essentials, try the route on a clear winter day when you can turn back. Pay attention to icy corners and whether your hands stay warm. If the equipment exceeds your budget or the route feels uncomfortable, use the bus for now. You could use those 20 minutes before your shift to plan your day. Keeping both options open would let you enjoy cycling without feeling obliged to ride in unsuitable conditions.

Why this answer is at level 9

This level 9 answer develops a practical mixed commute with specific equipment priorities, outdoor storage arrangements and a trial ride. It is more precise and fluent than the level 7 answer, but its riding thresholds and switching routine are less explicit than those in the level 11 answer.

I'd try a mixed routine before committing to cycling all winter. — Content/Coherence: This establishes a clear recommendation that connects the later shopping, storage and trial advice. The level 11 answer develops the routine further by specifying when to decide and how to prepare for a change of transport.
Mitts that keep your hands warm while allowing you to brake — Vocabulary: This describes equipment through its practical function, making the clothing advice specific and easy to understand. The level 11 answer extends that precision to route hazards and removable lights exposed to cold.
The bus takes longer, yet having that backup means you don't have to make every morning a test of determination. — Listenability: The conversational phrase 'a test of determination' makes the recommendation memorable, and the sentence clearly explains the value of a backup. The level 11 answer pairs similarly natural delivery with a more explicit account of the bus's time costs.
If the equipment exceeds your budget or the route feels uncomfortable, use the bus for now. — Task Fulfillment: This gives Sébastien a fallback tied to both affordability and riding conditions. However, 'feels uncomfortable' leaves the threshold broad; the level 11 answer names conditions that trigger taking the bus and explains how to make switching straightforward.

Level 11 sample answer

256 words

Sébastien, I'd make the decision each evening, based on the next day's conditions, rather than promise yourself an entire winter on the bicycle. Keeping that six-kilometre ride is appealing, but ice, darkness and cold can change what an otherwise familiar route demands.

Before spending your $300, make an equipment checklist with a bicycle shop: traction, visibility and warmth. Ask whether studded tires are appropriate for your route, price front and rear lights, and check whether your existing mitts let you operate the brakes comfortably. Request an itemized quote; if the essentials exceed your budget, postpone regular winter riding instead of buying half a workable setup. A bargain isn't much use if your hands become too cold to control the bicycle.

I'd also settle the storage question before purchasing anything. Ask your workplace about an approved, sheltered outdoor rack, since indoor storage isn't available. Find out how you'd secure the bicycle and clear accumulated snow before leaving. If you buy rechargeable lights, choose ones you can remove and bring inside during your shift, following their cold-weather instructions.

Then test both directions on a clear day, without a work deadline. Note shaded icy sections, snowbanks that narrow the route, and how your clothing performs once you've warmed up. Set a clear rule: freezing rain or unmanageable ice means taking the bus. That 50-minute journey is inconvenient, and arriving 20 minutes early adds another cost in time, but it's predictable. Preparing your bus fare and work bag the night before would make switching plans straightforward, without a last-minute scramble.

Why this answer is at level 11

This level 11 answer integrates the budget, outdoor storage, winter hazards and bus inconvenience into a clear decision process. Precise language, concrete fallback rules and practical preparation make the advice detailed while keeping it focused on Sébastien's commute.

I'd make the decision each evening, based on the next day's conditions, — Content/Coherence: This establishes a decision process that the rest of the answer supports through equipment checks, route testing and advance preparation. Compared with the other answers, it makes the proposed mixed routine easier to carry out.
Note shaded icy sections, snowbanks that narrow the route, and how your clothing performs once you've warmed up. — Vocabulary: Precise descriptions make the trial ride purposeful. 'Shaded icy sections' and 'snowbanks that narrow the route' identify observable problems, while the clothing check recognizes that comfort can change during the ride.
That 50-minute journey is inconvenient, and arriving 20 minutes early adds another cost in time, but it's predictable. — Listenability: The sentence acknowledges both time disadvantages before ending with a clear reason to retain the bus option. Its balanced structure makes a detailed comparison easy to follow and maintains a sympathetic, conversational tone.
Request an itemized quote; if the essentials exceed your budget, postpone regular winter riding instead of buying half a workable setup. — Task Fulfillment: The budget directly determines the recommendation. Sébastien receives both a concrete shopping action and a clear response if the necessary equipment is unaffordable, developing the spending advice beyond the other answers.
If you buy rechargeable lights, choose ones you can remove and bring inside during your shift, following their cold-weather instructions. — Task Fulfillment: This connects an equipment choice to the lack of indoor bicycle storage. The conditional wording keeps the advice appropriately qualified, while explaining a practical detail that the other answers leave undeveloped.

What moves an answer from 7 to 9 to 11

These are model answers written to show each level. The labels are practice estimates, not examiner scores.

Give advice that fits the person and their constraints. Develop suggestions with reasons, practical steps and a supportive tone rather than listing tips.

Content/Coherence: Level 7 models communicate the main ideas; level 9 models develop relevant details with clear connections; level 11 models sustain precise, well-integrated development.
Vocabulary: Compare adequate everyday wording with more varied, accurate choices at level 9 and flexible, precise expression at level 11.
Listenability: Higher-level delivery needs clear pronunciation, rhythm, intonation and controlled pauses. Transcripts suggest phrasing and organisation, but cannot demonstrate these audio features; a recording is needed.
Task Fulfillment: Compare how fully the response addresses the request, develops enough relevant detail and maintains an appropriate tone for the audience within the task limits.

Assess the criteria together. A longer answer or rarer words alone do not establish a higher level.

Answer this question and get your level