CELPIP® Speaking Task 2 sample: Feeding Someone with Different Needs

Talking about a Personal Experience · Preparation: 30 seconds · Response: 60 seconds · Published 23 October 2026

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

Practice question

Think of a time when you needed to share or prepare food for someone whose diet was different from yours, for example, a guest with an allergy, a friend who doesn't eat meat, or a relative on a low-salt diet. What made it tricky? What did you do about it? How did the other person react?

Model answers

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

Level 7 sample answer

137 words

OK, so last year my coworker Naoko came to my place in Burlington for dinner, and she told me just two days before that she is vegan. I usually cook chicken or beef, and I use butter in almost everything, so I was a little worried. I didn't want her to eat only salad. First I looked for recipes online, but many of them needed special things I didn't have. Then I decided to make a chickpea curry with coconut milk, and rice. It was simple and cheap, maybe fifteen dollars for everything. Um, I also checked the bread package because I wasn't sure if it had milk. Naoko was really happy and she asked me for recipe. She said people usually forget about her. I learned that it's better to ask early and keep it simple.

Why this answer is at level 7

The answer gives a clear, complete account of the dinner, with a practical solution and a positive reaction. Compared with the higher-level examples, its vocabulary is less precise, its reasoning is less developed, and a small grammatical slip makes the wording less polished.

Then I decided to make a chickpea curry with coconut milk, and rice. — Content/Coherence: The sequence is easy to follow, and the meal directly solves the vegan dinner problem. A higher-level answer would explain the choice more fully, connecting the ingredients to both the guest's needs and the host's usual cooking.
many of them needed special things I didn't have. — Vocabulary: The difficulty is understandable, but 'special things' is vague. A higher-level answer would identify unfamiliar ingredients or explain what made the recipes impractical, making the obstacle easier to picture.
Naoko was really happy and she asked me for recipe. — Listenability: The short sentence communicates the outcome easily, but the missing article before 'recipe' makes the phrasing less smooth. Higher-level wording would maintain this conversational ease with more consistent grammatical control.
She said people usually forget about her. — Task Fulfillment: This directly develops the guest's reaction and shows why preparing a suitable meal mattered emotionally. A higher-level answer would connect that feeling of inclusion more explicitly to the host's decisions throughout the story.

Level 9 sample answer

158 words

Last fall I hosted a small potluck in my apartment in Burlington, and my friend Navdeep, who has celiac disease, was coming. I'd known he couldn't eat gluten, but I hadn't realized how careful you have to be until I started planning. It's not just about skipping bread. Even a wooden spoon that's touched regular pasta can be a problem for him. What made it tricky was that other people were bringing dishes too, so I couldn't control everything. In the end, I set up a separate little table just for gluten-free food, with its own serving spoons, and I asked everyone to tell me their ingredients ahead of time. I made a big pot of rice noodles with vegetables myself, using a brand-new cutting board. When Navdeep saw the table, he was genuinely touched. He said he usually just eats before going to parties. Honestly, it showed me that a little extra effort goes a long way.

Why this answer is at level 9

The answer develops a more demanding hosting problem than the level 7 example and links specific precautions to that problem. Its controlled sentence structures and meaningful guest reaction make it strong, although its decision-making and final reflection are less layered than in the level 11 example.

What made it tricky was that other people were bringing dishes too, so I couldn't control everything. — Content/Coherence: This identifies the central complication clearly and prepares the listener for ingredient checks and separate serving arrangements. The higher-level example adds another layer by weighing a practical solution against its possible social effect.
I set up a separate little table just for gluten-free food — Vocabulary: The dietary term and natural phrase 'set up' describe a concrete arrangement clearly. The higher-level example uses a wider range of precise food vocabulary alongside expressions that communicate subtle social judgments.
I'd known he couldn't eat gluten, but I hadn't realized how careful you have to be until I started planning. — Listenability: The contrast between previous knowledge and a new realization gives the sentence a clear direction despite its length. Higher-level phrasing would sustain this control while adding more nuanced qualifications and varied conversational rhythms.
He said he usually just eats before going to parties. — Task Fulfillment: This makes the friend's gratitude meaningful by revealing how he normally handles parties. The higher-level example develops this social dimension earlier, showing how concern for the guest's comfort actively shapes the menu decision.

Level 11 sample answer

188 words

Every Victoria Day long weekend my family has a barbecue in my parents' backyard in Burlington, and I'm usually the one in charge of the marinades. Two years ago my brother mentioned, almost in passing, that his new girlfriend, Gabriela, was coming and had a fairly serious sesame allergy. That was a problem, because practically everything I make relies on sesame oil or tahini, and my relatives had come to expect those exact flavours. My first instinct was to quietly make her a separate plate, but I realized that would've singled her out on her first visit, which was the last thing I wanted. So I reworked the whole menu: the chicken got a lemon-garlic marinade, I swapped the tahini dressing for one made with sunflower seed butter, and I scrubbed the grill twice. I also read every label, including the one on the hamburger buns, which, surprisingly, listed sesame under 'may contain'. Gabriela was visibly relieved and ended up asking for the dressing recipe. Nobody missed the sesame, either, which says a lot about how attached we are to our habits rather than to the food itself.

Why this answer is at level 11

The answer combines a specific dietary challenge with family expectations and the guest's comfort, making the decisions feel carefully motivated. Precise food vocabulary, flexible conversational phrasing, and a reflection grounded in the outcome distinguish it from the simpler accounts.

but I realized that would've singled her out on her first visit — Content/Coherence: This explains why the speaker rejects the initial solution. The story develops through reconsideration, connecting the decision to change the whole menu with the desire to make a new guest feel included.
my brother mentioned, almost in passing, — Vocabulary: The expression conveys how casually the information arrived, which contrasts meaningfully with the planning it required. This adds nuance to the situation without interrupting the story with a separate explanation.
So I reworked the whole menu: the chicken got a lemon-garlic marinade, — Listenability: The clear transition announces the decision, and the concrete example immediately explains it. The conversational wording helps the listener follow a detailed menu change without making the account sound like a formal set of instructions.
Gabriela was visibly relieved and ended up asking for the dressing recipe. — Task Fulfillment: The reaction shows both emotional relief and enjoyment of the food. Asking for the recipe gives a concrete payoff to the replacement dressing, tying the outcome directly to an earlier action.

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.

Tell a specific personal experience in a clear sequence. Explain what happened, how you reacted and why it mattered, using details that help the listener follow the story.

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