CELPIP® Speaking Task 3 sample: Sandbag station during spring flooding

Level 7 sample answer

141 words

Okay, so it's really busy here at the community centre. The parking lot is a sandbag station now because of the flooding, and it's raining a little bit. On the left, a woman in a yellow raincoat is holding a bag and a teenage boy in a green hoodie is putting sand in it. They are smiling, but too much sand is going in. Behind them, a man in navy jacket is putting sandbags on a pickup truck. In the middle, a old man is trying to lift a sandbag and it looks very heavy for him. A young woman in a purple vest is coming to help. On the right, a lady in red is pouring drinks at a table, and um, a little girl in pink boots is jumping to a puddle. Her dad is trying to stop her.

Why this answer is at level 7

This answer gives the coworker a clear overview and follows an easy spatial order. Compared with the higher-level answers, it uses more general wording, has some grammatical slips, and leaves out details that would make the activity and problems easier to picture.

• On the left, a woman in a yellow raincoat is holding a bag — Content/Coherence: The location and clothing help the listener identify the woman immediately. The answer moves logically around the parking lot, although the higher-level answers connect people's actions more closely and include more activity within each area.
• a teenage boy in a green hoodie is putting sand in it. — Vocabulary: The description is understandable, but 'putting' is a general verb. The higher-level answers use 'shovels' and describe the sand spilling, giving the coworker a more precise picture of both the action and its result.
• In the middle, a old man is trying to lift a sandbag — Listenability: The location marker makes the description easy to follow, but 'a old man' is an article error. Repeated patterns such as 'is putting' and 'is trying' also make the delivery less varied than the higher-level versions.
• The parking lot is a sandbag station now because of the flooding, and it's raining a little bit. — Task Fulfillment: This gives the arriving volunteer useful context about the work and weather. However, the answer omits the dwindling sand supply, approaching dump truck, and sliding bag, which the higher-level answers use to convey what is happening across the station.

Level 9 sample answer

170 words

It's hectic here. The community centre's parking lot has turned into a sandbag station because of the flooding, and it's drizzling, with darker clouds rolling in.

On the left, a woman in a yellow raincoat is holding a sack open while a teenage boy in a green hoodie shovels sand into it. They're both grinning, but he's overdoing it — sand's spilling over the top. Behind them, a man in a navy jacket is stacking bags on a pickup's tailgate, and the top one is sliding off.

In the middle, an elderly man in a tan rain jacket is struggling with a sandbag. His face is red, so a young woman in a purple volunteer vest is rushing over. Further back, a guy in an orange safety vest is pointing at the almost-empty sand pile while a dump truck backs up to it.

On the right, a woman in red is pouring hot drinks, and a girl in pink boots is leaping toward a puddle while her dad reaches for her.

Why this answer is at level 9

This answer combines clear organization with specific actions and useful details about the station's workload and small mishaps. Compared with the top answer, some descriptions remain more straightforward, with less compact integration of physical effort, emotion, and simultaneous movement.

• Behind them, a man in a navy jacket is stacking bags on a pickup's tailgate, and the top one is sliding off. — Content/Coherence: The answer links a clear location, an ongoing job, and a developing mishap. This adds detail missing from the lower-level version. The top answer handles the same moment slightly more economically, using 'uppermost' and 'already' to sharpen the description.
• They're both grinning, but he's overdoing it — sand's spilling over the top. — Vocabulary: The conversational phrase 'overdoing it' captures the boy's excessive filling, while 'grinning' conveys the pair's mood. The top answer integrates that interpretation directly into the shovelling action through 'a little too enthusiastically,' making the description more tightly connected.
• His face is red, so a young woman in a purple volunteer vest is rushing over. — Listenability: This short sentence clearly connects the man's visible difficulty with the volunteer's response. The top answer folds the red face, physical strain, and approaching help into a flowing sentence, showing greater structural variety while keeping the scene understandable.
• pointing at the almost-empty sand pile while a dump truck backs up to it. — Task Fulfillment: This gives the arriving coworker useful information about dwindling supplies and truck activity, extending the coverage beyond the lower-level answer. The top answer also conveys the worker's anxiety, helping the listener picture the urgency surrounding this action.

Level 11 sample answer

183 words

It's organized chaos over here. The parking lot has been converted into a sandbag station, there's a steady drizzle, and judging by the clouds rolling in, it's about to get heavier.

On the left, a woman in a yellow raincoat is holding a sack open while a teenage boy in a green hoodie shovels sand into it a little too enthusiastically; they're both grinning even as the sand spills over the top. Behind them, a man in a navy jacket is piling bags onto a pickup's tailgate, and the uppermost one is already sliding off.

In the centre, an elderly man in a tan rain jacket is straining, red-faced, to lift a sandbag, and a young volunteer in a purple vest is hurrying over to rescue him. Further back, a man in an orange safety vest is gesturing anxiously at what's left of the sand pile as a dump truck reverses toward it.

On the right, a woman in red is pouring hot drinks, while a little girl in pink rain boots launches herself at a puddle, her father reaching for her arm.

Why this answer is at level 11

This answer builds a vivid, coherent picture through precise verbs, compact descriptions, and varied sentence structures. It combines the station's busy atmosphere with individual expressions, physical effort, and simultaneous actions, while maintaining a conversational voice suited to the coworker's call.

• they're both grinning even as the sand spills over the top. — Content/Coherence: The phrase connects the volunteers' cheerful expressions with the overflowing sack. 'Even as' makes the contrast explicit and helps the scene feel like connected activity rather than a list of separate observations.
• shovels sand into it a little too enthusiastically — Vocabulary: The precise action verb and restrained interpretation capture how the boy is working and why sand is spilling. This expresses more than the lower-level answer's general 'putting' and integrates the meaning more smoothly than a separate comment about overdoing it.
• while a little girl in pink rain boots launches herself at a puddle, her father reaching for her arm. — Listenability: The sentence moves smoothly from the child's leap to her father's simultaneous reaction. The shared focus on their movement gives the listener a clear sequence to picture, while the shortened final clause adds variety without repeating another full sentence pattern.
• gesturing anxiously at what's left of the sand pile as a dump truck reverses toward it. — Task Fulfillment: This combines the worker's concern, the low sand supply, and the truck's movement in a compact description. Those details help the coworker understand both the practical activity and the atmosphere at the station.