CELPIP® Speaking Task 5 sample: Childcare at a Family Gathering
Comparing and Persuading · Choose: 60 seconds · Preparation: 60 seconds · Response: 60 seconds · Published
Original practice questions in CELPIP® task formats, created independently by CELPIP Study.
Practice question
You're helping a friend organize her family's gathering in Yellowknife. Six children aged five to nine will attend. The adults want a quiet, two-hour discussion about next year's reunion, and everyone would like to participate. Your childcare budget is $300, and keeping the children nearby matters. Consider these two arrangements and choose the one you would recommend.
On-Site Childcare Workers
- $240 total for six children
- Three hours of childcare
- Room beside the adults' gathering
- Two paid childcare workers lead games and crafts
Children's Clay Workshop
- $180 total for six children
- Two hours of childcare
- Studio 3 km from the gathering
- Two instructors lead clay projects
Your friend’s alternative
Family Supervision Rotation
- Free for all six children
- Three hours of childcare
- Same room as the adults' gathering
- Relatives rotate supervision with books and colouring
Your friend, Samira, suggests the Family Supervision Rotation. She likes saving the childcare budget and keeping the children in the same room. Persuade her that your selected arrangement would work better for the gathering, while recognizing those advantages.
Model answers
These are transcripts of a model response, provided for comparison with your own recording.
The models choose On-Site Childcare Workers before responding to the friend’s alternative.
Level 7 sample answer
120 words
Samira, I understand why you'd like the family rotation. It's free, and the children would stay with everyone. But I think we should book the On-Site Childcare Workers. The children would be right next door, so they wouldn't be far away. Also, two childcare workers would look after them while the adults talk. With the rotation, some relatives would miss part of discussion because they're helping the children. Um, the games and crafts would give the kids something to do together. The workers stay for three hour, so there's extra time around the two-hour discussion. It costs $240, but that's within our $300 budget. I think it's worth paying so everyone can take part. Could we book the childcare workers?
Why this answer is at level 7
This level 7 answer gives a clear recommendation supported by relevant facts about distance, supervision, time and cost. Its reasons mostly appear as separate points, while broad wording and small grammatical slips make it less precise and polished than the level 9 answer.
With the rotation, some relatives would miss part of discussion because they're helping the children.
— Content/Coherence: This connects the rotation to the gathering's central problem: relatives could miss the discussion. The level 9 answer develops the conflict more concretely by showing how helping a child competes with following the reunion plans.something to do together
— Vocabulary: This communicates the benefit of games and crafts, but the wording is broad. A higher-level answer would explain their purpose more precisely, connecting organized activities with adults being able to concentrate.The workers stay for three hour, so there's extra time around the two-hour discussion.
— Listenability: The cause-and-effect structure is easy to follow, but the singular 'hour' after 'three' creates a grammatical distraction. A higher-level answer would express the timing smoothly and clarify when the extra care would help.It costs $240, but that's within our $300 budget.
— Task Fulfillment: This checks an essential constraint and supports choosing the paid arrangement. The level 9 answer handles Samira's objection more fully by acknowledging the difference from free supervision and identifying the money remaining.
Level 9 sample answer
149 words
Samira, keeping the children with their relatives and spending nothing on childcare would certainly be convenient. My concern is that a supervision rotation asks people to do two things at once. If someone is helping a five-year-old with colouring, they could miss an important part of the reunion discussion. I'd choose the On-Site Childcare Workers because the children would still be close, just in the room beside us. Two childcare workers could run games and crafts while the adults concentrate on making plans. We'd also have three hours of care for a two-hour discussion, giving us some breathing room before and afterwards. The $240 charge is a significant difference from free supervision, but it leaves $60 within our budget. Since everyone wants to contribute, I think paying for separate supervision is a fair way to make that possible. Would you be comfortable using the budget for the childcare workers?
Why this answer is at level 9
This level 9 answer builds a persuasive case through a concrete example, clear comparisons and natural vocabulary. Compared with level 11, it leaves the gathering's central priority less explicitly stated and gives a less specific explanation of how the extra childcare time would help.
If someone is helping a five-year-old with colouring, they could miss an important part of the reunion discussion.
— Content/Coherence: The example turns divided attention into a situation Samira can picture. It develops the level 7 reasoning effectively; the level 11 answer sharpens the consequence further by connecting supervision with missing a decision.giving us some breathing room before and afterwards.
— Vocabulary: The natural expression 'breathing room' conveys useful flexibility without sounding technical. The level 11 answer adds precision by explaining the practical activities that could fill that extra time.Two childcare workers could run games and crafts while the adults concentrate on making plans.
— Listenability: The parallel actions make the arrangement easy to follow: workers lead activities while adults plan. The level 11 answer builds on this clarity by explicitly explaining how the arrangement removes competing responsibilities.The $240 charge is a significant difference from free supervision, but it leaves $60 within our budget.
— Task Fulfillment: This directly recognizes Samira's financial advantage and answers it with accurate budget information. The level 11 answer makes the trade-off more candid by acknowledging that childcare would use most of the allowance.
Level 11 sample answer
167 words
Samira, the rotation has two clear advantages: it preserves the entire $300 budget and keeps the children in the room with their relatives. I'd still recommend the On-Site Childcare Workers because our main challenge is giving every adult a fair chance to contribute. However carefully we arrange the rotation, whoever is supervising may have to step away from the discussion just as a decision is being made. With two paid childcare workers leading games and crafts next door, that responsibility wouldn't fall on the people trying to plan the reunion. We'd retain the benefit of proximity without asking relatives to divide their attention. The three-hour booking also gives us an hour beyond the discussion itself, which we could divide between getting the children settled and bringing everyone back together. At $240, this uses most of our allowance, although we'd still have $60 left. I think that's a reasonable price for an arrangement that includes the adults as thoughtfully as the children. Shall we reserve the childcare workers?
Why this answer is at level 11
This level 11 answer organizes the recommendation around every adult's chance to contribute. It recognizes Samira's priorities, explains the practical consequences of each arrangement and weighs the cost openly, using precise language and clear connections throughout.
However carefully we arrange the rotation, whoever is supervising may have to step away from the discussion just as a decision is being made.
— Content/Coherence: This anticipates the possibility of a well-organized rotation and explains why the underlying problem remains. Linking supervision to a decision gives the recommendation a sharper purpose than simply saying relatives could miss some discussion.We'd retain the benefit of proximity without asking relatives to divide their attention.
— Vocabulary: The precise wording brings together the competing needs: keeping children close and allowing adults to participate. 'Retain' and 'divide their attention' express that relationship economically and clearly.which we could divide between getting the children settled and bringing everyone back together.
— Listenability: The paired activities give the extra time a clear sequence and practical purpose. The conditional 'could' also makes it easy to understand that this is a proposed use of the booking.At $240, this uses most of our allowance, although we'd still have $60 left.
— Task Fulfillment: This weighs the expense honestly while confirming affordability. Alongside the acknowledgment of free supervision and nearby children, it addresses Samira's actual priorities and supports a recommendation tailored to this gathering.
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.
Make your chosen option clear and compare it with the friend’s alternative using the stated facts. Explain how those differences meet your needs and persuade the listener respectfully.
- 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
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