CELPIP® Speaking Task 3 sample: Apartment Lobby Key Handover

Describing a Scene · Preparation: 30 seconds · Response: 60 seconds · Published 23 October 2026

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

Practice question

You're describing this lobby to a friend on an audio call. They cannot see the picture. Give them a detailed account of the setting and activity. You have 30 seconds to prepare and 60 seconds to speak.

View diagonally across a Winnipeg apartment lobby during a replacement-key handout on a snowy February afternoon. Seven residents occupy the entrance area. Centre foreground, Dalia, a woman around 40 in purple, concentrates behind a small table, holding a key ring above an open box of blank envelopes. Loose blank envelopes near the table's edge lift in a gust from the open front door. Left foreground, an impatient man around 30 in navy waits with one palm extended towards Dalia. Left background, Freya, a woman around 60 in teal, pushes the front door inward with her shoulder while balancing two parcels; the upper parcel slips sideways, and her smile looks strained. Centre background, a focused man around 20 in red pushes an empty luggage cart towards the entrance along a clear route. Right foreground, a distracted girl around seven in yellow crouches beside a mitten on the floor. Right middle ground, an alert man around 50 in brown holds a slack leash attached to a small dog staring at the mitten. Right background, a woman around 70 in grey sits on a bench, struggling to remove a boot. No writing, logos, brands, signs or landmarks.

Model answers

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

Level 7 sample answer

124 words

This is an apartment lobby in Winnipeg, where residents are getting replacement keys. It's a snowy February afternoon. Dalia is behind a small table in the centre, holding a key ring above a box of blank envelopes. A man in navy waits with his hand out. He looks impatient. On the left, Freya pushes the door with her shoulder and carries two parcel. The top one is slipping. A man in red pushes an empty luggage cart towards her along a clear route. Um, loose envelopes are lifting at the table's edge. On the right, a girl crouches beside a mitten. A small dog watches it while a man holds its loose leash. An older woman sit on a bench, pulling at her boot.

Why this answer is at level 7

The level 7 model gives a clear overview and covers the main residents and activities. Its mostly separate observations, basic descriptions and grammatical slips make it less connected and precise than the higher-level models.

Um, loose envelopes are lifting at the table's edge. — Content/Coherence: This detail appears after the luggage cart, moving attention back to the table. A higher-level answer would connect the envelopes to the open door and gust, making the scene easier to follow.
A small dog watches it while a man holds its loose leash. — Vocabulary: The language clearly communicates the dog's attention and the leash's condition, but remains general. A higher-level answer would describe the dog's focus and the man's alertness more precisely.
Freya pushes the door with her shoulder and carries two parcel. — Listenability: The action is understandable, but the singular noun after 'two' creates a grammatical stumble. A higher-level answer would maintain accurate grammar while smoothly connecting the shoulder movement, balanced parcels and slipping package.
On the right, a girl crouches beside a mitten. — Task Fulfillment: This helps the friend locate the girl and understand her position. A higher-level answer would also use her yellow clothing and distracted manner to make this part of the picture more distinctive.

Level 9 sample answer

155 words

You're looking across an apartment lobby in Winnipeg during a replacement-key handout on a snowy February afternoon. Dalia, wearing purple in the centre foreground, is concentrating on a key ring above an open box of blank envelopes. A man in navy waits to her left with his palm extended, looking impatient. Behind him, Freya uses her shoulder to push open the entrance while balancing two parcels. Her smile is strained, and the top parcel is sliding sideways. The open door also lets in a gust that's lifting loose envelopes near the table's edge. A young man in red pushes an empty luggage cart towards the entrance along a clear route. On the right, a girl in yellow crouches beside a mitten. A small dog watches it intently while an alert man holds its slack leash. Farther back, a woman in grey sits on a bench, struggling with her boot. Several residents have their hands full.

Why this answer is at level 9

The level 9 model offers detailed coverage, clear spatial guidance and more precise descriptions than the level 7 model. It remains somewhat list-like as it moves between residents; the level 11 model uses more varied sentence structures and stronger connections between nearby activities.

The open door also lets in a gust that's lifting loose envelopes near the table's edge. — Content/Coherence: This explains the connection between the entrance and the moving envelopes, improving on the separate observations in the lower-level model. A higher-level answer would sustain this connected description across more of the scene.
Her smile is strained, and the top parcel is sliding sideways. — Vocabulary: The wording captures both Freya's expression and the parcel's movement accurately. A higher-level answer would weave these precise details into a more flexible sentence that also incorporates her effort to open the door.
A young man in red pushes an empty luggage cart towards the entrance along a clear route. — Listenability: The sentence gives a clear subject, action and direction, which supports easy understanding. However, its structure resembles several surrounding sentences; a higher-level answer would vary sentence openings and rhythm while preserving clarity.
Farther back, a woman in grey sits on a bench, struggling with her boot. — Task Fulfillment: This completes the coverage of the residents and gives the listener a useful location and clothing detail. A higher-level answer would specify that she is trying to remove the boot, making the action more exact.

Level 11 sample answer

171 words

The picture captures a busy replacement-key handout in a Winnipeg apartment lobby on a snowy February afternoon. Dalia, in purple at the centre front, concentrates on a key ring held above an open box of blank envelopes. To her left, an impatient man in navy has his palm extended, ready to receive it. The entrance presents a juggling act: Freya, wearing teal, pushes the door inward with her shoulder while balancing two parcels, the upper one slipping sideways despite her strained smile. Through that open doorway, a gust lifts loose envelopes near Dalia's table edge. Approaching from the centre background along a clear route, a focused young man in red pushes an empty luggage cart. Across the lobby, the contrast is striking. A distracted girl in yellow crouches beside a mitten, while a small dog has its sights set on the same object. Its slack leash is held by an alert man in brown. Behind them, a woman in grey remains seated on a bench, struggling to pull off a boot.

Why this answer is at level 11

The level 11 model combines detailed coverage with precise vocabulary, varied sentences and purposeful movement through the lobby. It makes simultaneous actions easy to picture by connecting the doorway, table and nearby residents while retaining specific visual details.

Through that open doorway, a gust lifts loose envelopes near Dalia's table edge. — Content/Coherence: The reference to the doorway carries the listener naturally from Freya to Dalia's table. It explains how activity in one area affects another, giving the description continuity.
the upper one slipping sideways despite her strained smile. — Vocabulary: The precise movement and expression make Freya's awkward situation vivid. Combined with the surrounding description of her parcels and shoulder, the wording conveys several details economically.
Approaching from the centre background along a clear route, a focused young man in red pushes an empty luggage cart. — Listenability: The opening phrase establishes location and movement before identifying the resident. This varies the sentence pattern while keeping the action clear, giving the written response a more flowing spoken rhythm.
Behind them, a woman in grey remains seated on a bench, struggling to pull off a boot. — Task Fulfillment: The closing observation gives the friend a precise location, clothing cue, posture and action. It completes the scene with an observable detail rather than a vague reference to difficulty with footwear.

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.

Orient the listener to the scene, then group visible details by location or activity. Use precise descriptions and spatial connections rather than an unconnected inventory.

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