CELPIP® Speaking Task 6 sample: Evening Class or Later Shift

Level 7 sample answer

127 words

Hi Kalani, thanks for asking me about the later shift. I know you're short-staffed right now, and I really want to help. But I can't work until 8 on weekdays. I'm taking a bookkeeping course on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6 to 9, and also I drive my neighbour Navdeep to class because he doesn't have car. If I change to the online class, he can't go anymore. So I have to say no, and I'm sorry about that. But maybe I can help in a different way. I can work late in Tuesdays and Thursdays, because I don't have class those days. Or I can come in early in the morning. Um, I think that could help a little. Let me know what works for you.

Why this answer is at level 7

This level 7 answer makes a clear decision, explains Navdeep’s dependence on the ride, and offers practical help. Compared with the other answers, its simpler vocabulary, repetitive linking, and noticeable grammar slips make the explanation less polished.

• If I change to the online class, he can't go anymore. — Content/Coherence: This clearly connects changing sections with the consequence for Navdeep. However, it leaves his Saturday work unstated. A higher-level answer could include that detail to explain why he cannot simply change sections too.
• But maybe I can help in a different way. — Vocabulary: The wording communicates a helpful attitude but remains broad and basic. The level 11 answer expresses the same concern more precisely through language about leaving Kalani in a bind and filling the staffing gap.
• I can work late in Tuesdays and Thursdays, because I don't have class those days. — Listenability: The proposed availability is easy to understand, although the incorrect preposition before the weekdays interrupts the natural phrasing. The level 11 answer presents similar availability more smoothly and connects it directly to the evenings Kalani needs covered.
• But I can't work until 8 on weekdays. — Task Fulfillment: The speaker addresses Kalani and clearly declines the requested arrangement. However, this sounds like refusing every weekday before offering some weekday evenings. A higher-level answer would distinguish declining the full arrangement from offering partial coverage.

Level 9 sample answer

168 words

Navdeep, have you got a minute? There's something I need to tell you, and I've been putting it off because I know it affects you. My manager has asked me to work until eight on weekdays for the next two months while one of my coworkers is away. She's really short-staffed, and the extra three dollars an hour would really make a difference for me, so I've said yes.

That means I'll be switching to the Saturday online section of our course, and I won't be able to drive you on Mondays and Wednesdays anymore. I feel bad about this, especially since you told me how much the course means to you.

So I've looked into a few options. The number 7 bus stops two blocks from the college, and it gets there by 5:45. I also asked around, and another student in our class, Taras, lives just three streets over from us and said he'd be happy to pick you up. Can I give him your number?

Why this answer is at level 9

This level 9 answer combines a clear decision with sensitive language and concrete transport alternatives, making it more developed than the level 7 response. Its repeated emphasis words and less economical opening leave room for the precision and controlled phrasing shown at level 11.

• So I've looked into a few options. — Content/Coherence: This moves logically from explaining the lost ride to discussing solutions. The bus and Taras’s offer make the response concrete. A higher-level answer could strengthen the plan by checking whether the proposed transport also covers getting home after class.
• the extra three dollars an hour would really make a difference for me — Vocabulary: This gives a natural, personal reason for accepting the shift. However, the surrounding sentence also uses really for the staffing shortage. A higher-level answer would use more varied, precise wording to distinguish financial need from the manager’s staffing pressure.
• There's something I need to tell you, and I've been putting it off because I know it affects you. — Listenability: The conversational opening prepares Navdeep for difficult news and acknowledges its impact. It also delays the decision with an extended introduction. A higher-level answer could preserve that sensitivity while reaching the change of plans more directly.
• I also asked around, and another student in our class, Taras, lives just three streets over from us — Task Fulfillment: The speaker takes responsibility for helping Navdeep continue attending, rather than merely announcing the change. This develops the task beyond the level 7 response. A higher-level answer could explicitly acknowledge that Navdeep’s Saturday work prevents him from joining the online section.

Level 11 sample answer

175 words

Kalani, I've given your offer a lot of thought, and I wanted to answer you in person rather than by text. I'm going to have to turn down the later shift, and I'm genuinely sorry, because I know how stretched the team is with someone away for two months.

Here's the situation. I'm partway through a bookkeeping course that runs Monday and Wednesday evenings, and I'm not just responsible for myself. My neighbour Navdeep doesn't drive, so I'm his only way of getting to class. If I switched to the Saturday online section, I'd essentially be pulling the rug out from under him halfway through the term.

That said, I don't want to leave you in a bind. I could stay until eight on Tuesdays and Thursdays, which would cover two of the five evenings, and I'd be willing to pick up a Saturday morning shift as well. And once the course wraps up, I'd happily take on more late hours if you still need them. Would that go some way toward filling the gap?

Why this answer is at level 11

This level 11 answer delivers a firm refusal with empathy, explains the responsibility to Navdeep, and offers specific ways to help Kalani. Its precise vocabulary, clear transitions, and measured negotiation make the response strong across the criteria.

• I'm partway through a bookkeeping course that runs Monday and Wednesday evenings, and I'm not just responsible for myself. — Content/Coherence: This connects the existing course commitment with the responsibility to Navdeep. It prepares the listener for the transport explanation, making the refusal feel reasoned and cohesive rather than a list of unrelated difficulties.
• I'd essentially be pulling the rug out from under him halfway through the term. — Vocabulary: The idiom vividly expresses the disruption Navdeep would face if reliable transport disappeared during the course. It gives the decision emotional weight while remaining relevant to the practical problem.
• That said, I don't want to leave you in a bind. — Listenability: This short transition clearly signals the move from explaining the refusal to offering help. The conversational phrasing keeps the response easy to follow and acknowledges Kalani’s difficulty without weakening the decision.
• I could stay until eight on Tuesdays and Thursdays, which would cover two of the five evenings — Task Fulfillment: The alternative directly addresses Kalani’s staffing shortage while preserving the class rides. Explaining how much coverage it provides makes the offer useful, and the closing question invites Kalani to assess whether the proposed help meets the team’s needs.