CELPIP® Speaking Task 2 sample: Making More Room for Rest

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 tried to change an everyday habit to get more rest, but it conflicted with something else that mattered to you. What prompted the change, and what was difficult? How did you adjust your approach? What happened in the end?

Model answers

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

Level 7 sample answer

125 words

When I was living in Fredericton, I noticed I felt tired most mornings. I was staying up since two weeks to talk with my cousin Simran, who lived farther west. Her free time was usually late for me. I liked our calls, so I felt guilty about cutting them short. Um, I tried ending one call quickly, but that felt uncomfortable too. Eventually, I explained the problem and asked her call earlier on the weekend. During the week, we sent short voice messages that we could answer later. I missed the long evening conversations at first, but we still had plenty to talk about. After a while, my mornings became easier. I learned that changing a habit doesn't have to mean losing something I enjoy.

Why this answer is at level 7

This level 7 answer clearly explains the conflict between rest and keeping in touch, then gives a workable adjustment and outcome. Compared with the other answers, its language is simpler, some grammar disrupts the flow, and the unsuccessful first attempt receives less explanation.

I liked our calls, so I felt guilty about cutting them short. — Content/Coherence: This clearly connects the valued relationship to the difficulty of changing bedtime habits. A higher-level answer would develop the uncomfortable first attempt further, showing why shortening calls felt difficult and how that shaped the eventual solution.
I was staying up since two weeks to talk with my cousin Simran, who lived farther west. — Listenability: The reason for staying awake is understandable, but the time expression makes the sentence less smooth to follow. A higher-level answer would use a natural construction such as “I had been staying up late for two weeks.”
Eventually, I explained the problem and asked her call earlier on the weekend. — Task Fulfillment: This directly answers how the speaker adjusted the approach, and the following voice-message detail makes the solution practical. A higher-level answer would explain more fully why this arrangement worked better than abruptly ending a call.
After a while, my mornings became easier. — Vocabulary: The everyday wording communicates improvement clearly, but “easier” leaves the benefit broad. A higher-level answer would describe the change more precisely, connecting improved mornings to feeling rested or maintaining a manageable routine.

Level 9 sample answer

152 words

In my Fredericton apartment building, I used to do laundry late at night because the machines were usually available then. It seemed efficient until I noticed how often I stayed awake waiting for the final load. I wanted more regular sleep, but moving laundry to the weekend meant competing with everyone else for two machines. At first, I tried an earlier bedtime without changing laundry day, which obviously didn't solve the problem. Then I compared notes with a neighbour, Cillian, whose schedule was different from mine. We discovered that he preferred Sunday evenings while I could use an early Saturday slot. We agreed to message each other if either of us changed plans, without treating the machines as reserved. I also stopped saving every load for one huge session. Within a few weeks, laundry no longer dictated my bedtime. The lesson was that a rest goal needed a practical change behind it.

Why this answer is at level 9

This level 9 answer develops a clear practical problem, an unsuccessful attempt, and a considerate solution with precise supporting details. Its language is more controlled and specific than the level 7 answer, while its closing reflection explores less of the habit’s personal value than the level 11 answer.

It seemed efficient until I noticed how often I stayed awake waiting for the final load. — Content/Coherence: This efficiently explains both the attraction of late laundry and the discovery that prompted change. The level 11 answer develops the attachment to the original habit further, making the eventual adjustment feel more personally revealing.
At first, I tried an earlier bedtime without changing laundry day, which obviously didn't solve the problem. — Listenability: The clear sequence and conversational “obviously” make the failed attempt easy to follow. A higher-level answer would retain that ease while explaining the speaker’s reaction more fully, as the drawing answer does with resentment.
Within a few weeks, laundry no longer dictated my bedtime. — Vocabulary: “Dictated my bedtime” precisely expresses how a household chore controlled the speaker’s rest. The level 11 answer extends this expressive precision into the emotional meaning of stopping, giving its reflection greater depth.
We agreed to message each other if either of us changed plans, without treating the machines as reserved. — Task Fulfillment: This concrete adjustment addresses shared-machine access while respecting other residents. A higher-level answer would connect the successful arrangement more explicitly to what made the original habit appealing and explain why the replacement remained satisfying.

Level 11 sample answer

170 words

Last winter in Fredericton, I decided to protect an earlier bedtime after realizing that I was regularly starting the day feeling unrefreshed. The complication was my drawing: late evening was the only stretch when I could become completely absorbed without interruptions. Setting a strict stopping time sounded sensible, but in practice I resented it and often ignored it. My friend Solveig, who'd joined me for occasional sketching sessions, noticed that I was watching the clock more than my page. That made me reconsider the arrangement. Instead of expecting myself to abandon a drawing halfway through, I began choosing smaller projects on weeknights and leaving longer ones for the weekend. We also moved our shared session to Saturday afternoon. I kept a notebook beside my supplies so I could leave myself a clear next step. That made stopping feel like a pause rather than a loss. After several weeks, I was getting more rest while still drawing regularly. The change lasted because it respected what the old habit was giving me.

Why this answer is at level 11

This level 11 answer combines a fully developed personal conflict with precise, natural language and a convincing explanation of lasting change. Compared with the other answers, it shows more clearly how the revised routine protects both rest and the value the original habit provided.

Instead of expecting myself to abandon a drawing halfway through, I began choosing smaller projects on weeknights and leaving longer ones for the weekend. — Content/Coherence: The adjustment directly addresses the reason the strict stopping time failed. Choosing projects that fit the available time creates a convincing link between the speaker’s difficulty and the revised approach.
That made stopping feel like a pause rather than a loss. — Vocabulary: The contrast between “pause” and “loss” expresses the emotional effect of leaving a clear next step. It gives the notebook detail a precise purpose and explains why stopping became easier.
Setting a strict stopping time sounded sensible, but in practice I resented it and often ignored it. — Listenability: The balanced sentence moves naturally from the proposed rule to the speaker’s actual response. Its clear contrast and direct verbs make a nuanced personal reaction easy to follow.
After several weeks, I was getting more rest while still drawing regularly. — Task Fulfillment: The outcome explicitly returns to both competing priorities: getting rest and continuing to draw. Together with the final explanation of why the change lasted, this completes the account with a clear connection between the adjustments and their benefit.

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.

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