CELPIP® Speaking Task 1 sample: Drop the Evening Course?

Level 7 sample answer

191 words

Hi Layla. I know you're really stressed right now, so I want to give you some advice about the course.

I don't think you should drop it too fast. You signed up because you want to become office manager, and that goal is still important. If you quit now, you lose six hundred dollars and also the six weeks you already did.

Maybe you can talk to your instructor before Friday. Tell her you are behind and ask if you can have more time for the assignments. A lot of teachers understand that adult students are working full-time, so she might say yes.

Also, about the Saturday shifts, I think you should say no, or maybe take only one or two. I know the extra money is nice, but if you work six days, you won't have any time to study and you will be more tired.

Oh, and um, try to make a simple schedule, like two evenings a week just for homework. It's not easy, but it's only for a few more months.

So, my advice is keep going with the course. I think you can do it, Layla.

Why this answer is at level 7

This level 7 answer gives Layla clear, relevant advice in everyday language, with understandable reasons and practical suggestions. Compared with the higher-level answers, its reasoning is simpler, its transitions are less controlled, and its recommendation to continue does not depend on whether catching up is realistic.

• If you quit now, you lose six hundred dollars and also the six weeks you already did. — Content/Coherence: This connects the recommendation to Layla's investment, but treats past spending and effort as reasons to continue. A stronger answer would focus on whether the remaining workload is manageable before Friday.
• I know the extra money is nice — Vocabulary: The meaning is clear, but 'nice' gives only a broad description of the financial benefit. The higher-level answers use more precise language to explain the trade-off between extra income and study time.
• Oh, and um, try to make a simple schedule, like two evenings a week just for homework. — Listenability: The conversational wording sounds friendly, and the schedule is easy to understand. However, 'Oh, and um' makes the suggestion feel added on; a stronger answer would connect it more smoothly to the catch-up plan.
• Tell her you are behind and ask if you can have more time for the assignments. — Task Fulfillment: This gives Layla a useful action before the withdrawal deadline. However, it does not explain what she should do if the instructor refuses; the strongest answer provides a clear alternative.

Level 9 sample answer

220 words

Layla, I can tell this course is really wearing you down, so let me share a few thoughts before Friday.

The main thing I'd say is don't make this decision when you're exhausted. Getting half your tuition back sounds tempting, but you'd still be out six hundred dollars, and more importantly, you'd be walking away from the reason you enrolled. You told me last spring you were tired of doing the same front-desk tasks, and this certificate is your ticket to the office manager job.

That said, something has to give, and I think it's the Saturday shifts. I understand the extra pay would help, but if you're already behind on assignments, giving up your Saturdays would just put you further behind. Maybe tell your manager you can pick up shifts once the course is finished.

I'd also email your instructor this week. Be honest about where you are and ask whether you could submit the overdue work in stages. Most college instructors who teach evening classes are used to students juggling jobs and families.

Finally, see if the college has a tutoring centre or an online study group. Working through problems with a couple of classmates can save you hours.

You've already done six weeks, Layla, and that's often the hardest part. I really think you can push through.

Why this answer is at level 9

This level 9 answer develops the advice more fully than level 7, using natural expressions, clear transitions, and specific ways to reduce Layla's workload. It falls below the strongest answer because it assumes continuing is achievable and does not provide a withdrawal option if the instructor cannot accommodate her.

• Getting half your tuition back sounds tempting, but you'd still be out six hundred dollars — Content/Coherence: This acknowledges the appeal of a refund before arguing for continuing, giving the discussion more balance than level 7. However, a stronger argument would compare future costs and feasibility rather than emphasize money already spent.
• Most college instructors who teach evening classes are used to students juggling jobs and families. — Vocabulary: The expression 'juggling jobs and families' describes competing responsibilities naturally and efficiently. This is more flexible than level 7's everyday wording; the strongest answer combines that fluency with more exact language about assessing unfinished work.
• That said, something has to give, and I think it's the Saturday shifts. — Listenability: The transition clearly signals a qualification: keeping the course requires changing her workload. This guides the listener more smoothly than level 7's added-on suggestions; the strongest answer also makes its conditional decision structure easy to follow.
• Be honest about where you are and ask whether you could submit the overdue work in stages. — Task Fulfillment: Submitting work in stages is a concrete, relevant request that improves on simply asking for more time. To reach the strongest answer's standard, the advice would also explain how the instructor's response should determine Friday's decision.

Level 11 sample answer

245 words

Layla, before you fill out that withdrawal form, hear me out, because I think you're closer to finishing this than it feels right now.

The real question isn't the money you've already spent; it's whether you can realistically catch up. So before Friday, email your instructor, list exactly which assignments are outstanding, and ask whether a catch-up plan with new due dates would be acceptable. If she says yes, you're in good shape. If she tells you it's not feasible, then withdrawing and re-enrolling next fall, when life is calmer, would be a perfectly sensible choice, not a failure.

Assuming she's open to it, the next thing I'd reconsider is the Saturday shifts. I know overtime is hard to turn down, but the extra income won't be worth much if it costs you the certificate. If your manager is offering shifts now, she'll almost certainly offer them again once your final exam is behind you.

And I'd protect two weeknights, say Tuesdays and Thursdays, strictly for coursework. Book a study room at the library if home is too distracting; even ninety focused minutes adds up faster than you'd expect.

Remember why you started: you wanted to be running that office, not just answering its phones. Hitting a wall halfway through is completely normal, and it's no reason to give up on something you clearly want. So if your instructor's on board, let Friday's deadline pass, and give yourself the chance to finish what you started.

Why this answer is at level 11

This level 11 answer turns Layla's dilemma into a clear decision process: establish whether catching up is feasible, then choose whether to continue before the refund deadline. Its specific actions, conditional reasoning, natural vocabulary, and supportive tone make it the strongest answer, although its confidence about future Saturday shifts is unsupported.

• The real question isn't the money you've already spent; it's whether you can realistically catch up. — Content/Coherence: This establishes the central decision clearly and avoids letting past spending determine the recommendation. The following advice consistently develops that question, giving the answer a stronger organizing principle than the other responses.
• I know overtime is hard to turn down — Vocabulary: The precise word 'overtime' and natural expression 'turn down' acknowledge why the Saturday offer is attractive. The language stays conversational while expressing Layla's competing priorities efficiently.
• Assuming she's open to it, the next thing I'd reconsider is the Saturday shifts. — Listenability: This transition reminds the listener that continuing depends on instructor support, then introduces the next action. The clear sequence makes a more complex argument easy to follow when spoken.
• So before Friday, email your instructor, list exactly which assignments are outstanding, and ask whether a catch-up plan with new due dates would be acceptable. — Task Fulfillment: This gives Layla a specific action, a deadline, and a concrete request. Together with the later withdrawal alternative, it addresses both her academic difficulties and the need to decide while a refund remains available.