CELPIP® Speaking Task 2 sample: Helping Guests Feel Included

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

Describe a gathering with friends or relatives where someone had trouble joining in. What made the situation awkward, and how did you first react? What did you change while considering the other guests? How did people respond?

Model answers

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

Level 7 sample answer

126 words

I invited some friends to a games night at a community centre in Whitehorse. My friend Dylan brought his cousin, who didn't know anybody else. We started a game with lots of rules, and I noticed she were quiet. At first, I thought she wasn't interested on playing. But when I asked her during a break, she said she couldn't follow our quick explanations. Um, I didn't want to stop everyone's fun, so I suggested playing in pairs for the next round. She joined my team, and I explained things as we went. Soon she was making suggestions and laughing with us. The others enjoyed having teams too. I learned that someone can look uninterested when they really just need an easier way into the group.

Why this answer is at level 7

This level 7 example tells a clear, complete story about helping a newcomer participate while keeping the games night enjoyable. Its straightforward development and noticeable grammar and word-choice errors distinguish it from the more controlled, detailed higher-level examples.

At first, I thought she wasn't interested on playing. — Vocabulary: The initial misunderstanding is easy to understand, but the correct phrase is 'interested in playing.' The higher-level examples use more accurate expressions to explain their assumptions and the barriers guests faced.
We started a game with lots of rules, and I noticed she were quiet. — Listenability: The sentence follows a simple, easy-to-follow sequence, but 'she were' should be 'she was.' The higher-level examples maintain grammatical control while explaining more complicated social situations.
I didn't want to stop everyone's fun, so I suggested playing in pairs for the next round. — Task Fulfillment: This directly answers what changed and shows consideration for the other guests. A higher-level response would explain more fully why the adjustment suited both the newcomer and the existing group.
Soon she was making suggestions and laughing with us. — Content/Coherence: These observable reactions show that the intervention worked and give the story a clear outcome. The higher-level examples develop the result further through new connections, later feedback, or plans to meet again.

Level 9 sample answer

156 words

At a picnic in Whitehorse, I brought together two groups of friends who hadn't met before. My friend Mahina came on her own, and after about twenty minutes, I noticed she was sitting quietly while everyone else discussed memories from their separate groups. I felt responsible because I'd assumed introductions would be enough. However, I didn't want to embarrass her by announcing that she was being left out. During a pause, I asked everyone to help choose a few activities for another picnic. That gave us a shared topic without requiring anyone to know our history. Mahina suggested a simple outdoor guessing game, which led to a lively discussion about games we'd played growing up. By the time we packed up, she was exchanging contact details with two people. Later, she told me she'd almost left early. That made me realize a host sometimes needs to create common ground, even when all the guests are friendly.

Why this answer is at level 9

This level 9 example develops the host's responsibility, the risk of embarrassing Mahina, and the successful outcome with clear detail and controlled language. Compared with level 11, it explains less precisely how the new activity was designed to make participation easier for everyone.

I felt responsible because I'd assumed introductions would be enough. — Content/Coherence: The host connects an earlier assumption with a later feeling of responsibility, adding depth beyond simply noticing a quiet guest. The level 11 example extends this reasoning by considering an initial solution and explaining why it would fail.
However, I didn't want to embarrass her by announcing that she was being left out. — Listenability: The transition clearly signals a complication, and the sentence explains the social concern in natural, controlled language. The level 11 example sustains this clarity through a more developed sequence of possible actions and decisions.
During a pause, I asked everyone to help choose a few activities for another picnic. — Task Fulfillment: The timing respects the ongoing conversation, and asking everyone avoids singling Mahina out. The level 11 example makes the adjustment more explicit by giving each guest a clear contribution and demonstrating an accessible starting point.
create common ground, even when all the guests are friendly. — Vocabulary: The expression 'create common ground' precisely captures why friendliness alone did not ensure inclusion. The level 11 example supports similarly thoughtful language with more specific details about how the host changed participation.

Level 11 sample answer

177 words

I hosted a book exchange for seven friends in Whitehorse, including Ikaika, who knew only me. I'd imagined that putting books on a table would get everyone talking, but several guests immediately began discussing novels they'd all read. Ikaika hadn't read any of them and gradually withdrew from the conversation. At first, I considered introducing him again, then realized that repeating his name wouldn't remove the barrier. I also didn't want to interrupt a conversation the others were clearly enjoying. When they reached a natural pause, I suggested that each person choose one book and explain who might enjoy it, without revealing the ending. I started with a cookbook to make clear that literary expertise wasn't required. Ikaika picked a collection of travel essays and told a funny story about getting lost on a local walking trail. That gave two other guests an opening to speak with him directly. By the end, he'd borrowed a book and arranged to return it over coffee. The gathering taught me that inclusion often depends on how a conversation is structured.

Why this answer is at level 11

This level 11 example combines a fully developed personal story with precise language and careful social reasoning. Its strength comes from explaining the barrier, weighing possible responses, demonstrating an inclusive activity, and showing how that change led to an ongoing connection.

then realized that repeating his name wouldn't remove the barrier. — Content/Coherence: This explains why another introduction would not solve the actual problem: Ikaika lacked the shared reading experience. The reasoning makes the eventual change feel purposeful and develops the host's first reaction more fully than the other examples.
When they reached a natural pause, I suggested that each person choose one book — Task Fulfillment: The host considers the other guests by waiting for a pause, then introduces a structure that gives everyone a turn. This directly connects consideration for the group with a practical way to include Ikaika.
I started with a cookbook to make clear that literary expertise wasn't required. — Vocabulary: The phrase 'literary expertise' identifies the perceived participation requirement precisely. Pairing it with the concrete cookbook example makes the language meaningful and shows how the host lowered that barrier.
I also didn't want to interrupt a conversation the others were clearly enjoying. — Listenability: This sentence clearly adds another consideration without overloading the explanation. Its natural phrasing helps the listener follow the host's competing concerns before hearing the chosen solution.
By the end, he'd borrowed a book and arranged to return it over coffee. — Content/Coherence: The ending provides concrete evidence of inclusion through both participation and a future meeting. It completes the causal chain from changing the conversation's structure to helping Ikaika form a connection.

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