CELPIP® Speaking Task 6 sample: Overnight Trip or Science Fair

Level 7 sample answer

128 words

Hi Camille, do you have a minute? I have some bad news, and I'm really sorry. Zainab asked me to go on the Grade 6 overnight trip next Thursday and Friday. They need one more adult, or they have to cancel trip for 58 kids. The kids raised money since September, so I don't want them to lose it. That means I can't help you with the science fair on Thursday evening. I know I promised you, and I feel very bad. But I want to help you before I go. On Wednesday after school I can set up the tables and the signs with you. Also, I can ask some other teachers to do the judging. Um, maybe the Grade 5 teachers can help. Is that okay?

Why this answer is at level 7

This level 7 answer makes the decision clear, explains the trip's importance, and offers practical help. Compared with the higher-level answers, its wording is more repetitive, its grammar is less consistent, and its replacement plan is less developed.

• Also, I can ask some other teachers to do the judging. — Content/Coherence: This adds a relevant solution after the offer to help with set-up. However, the judging arrangement remains vague; a higher-level response would identify a suitable replacement and explain how that person would take over.
• I know I promised you, and I feel very bad. — Vocabulary: The everyday wording communicates regret clearly, but repeats the earlier description of bad news. A higher-level answer would use more precise language to acknowledge Camille's reliance on the speaker.
• They need one more adult, or they have to cancel trip for 58 kids. — Listenability: The cause and consequence are easy to follow, although the missing article before trip makes the phrasing less natural. The higher-level answers express the cancellation risk with more controlled grammar.
• That means I can't help you with the science fair on Thursday evening. — Task Fulfillment: The speaker directly tells Camille which commitment they are dropping and when. A higher-level response would also acknowledge the specific disruption to her set-up and judging plans.

Level 9 sample answer

162 words

Zainab, thanks for thinking of me for the Grade 6 trip. I know how much the kids have been looking forward to it, and I'd hate for it to be cancelled after all their fundraising. But I'm afraid I can't go.

A few weeks ago, I promised Camille I'd help her run the science fair that Thursday evening, and she's built the whole schedule around me. I'm handling set-up and coordinating the judges, and with families already registered, pulling out now would leave her in a really difficult position. It's the school's first science fair, so I'd like it to go smoothly.

That said, I don't want to just say no and walk away. I've come up with a couple of ways to fill the spot. Dalia, the lunchroom supervisor, has done overnight trips before and mentioned she's free next week. I could also post a message to the parent volunteer list this afternoon if you'd like. Would either of those work?

Why this answer is at level 9

This level 9 answer combines a clear refusal with a developed explanation of the science fair commitment and relevant alternatives for the trip. Its controlled phrasing improves on level 7, while the proposed replacement arrangements are less complete than the confirmed handoff in level 11.

• with families already registered, pulling out now would leave her in a really difficult position. — Content/Coherence: This connects an established detail to the consequences of withdrawing, making the decision persuasive. The top-level answer develops its practical response further by explaining preparation and a replacement's responsibilities.
• she's built the whole schedule around me. — Vocabulary: This natural expression conveys how much Camille depends on the speaker more precisely than simply expressing regret. The top-level answer adds a wider range of language for accountability and practical reassurance.
• That said, I don't want to just say no and walk away. — Listenability: This conversational transition clearly signals the move from refusal to solutions. Compared with level 7, the listener receives stronger guidance through the response; the top-level answer also varies its phrasing to emphasize responsibility.
• I could also post a message to the parent volunteer list this afternoon if you'd like. — Task Fulfillment: The offer gives Zainab a specific action and timeframe while respecting her role. However, finding a replacement remains unresolved; the top-level answer offers a confirmed colleague and a planned briefing.

Level 11 sample answer

185 words

Camille, I owe you an apology, and I'd rather give it to you face to face. Zainab came to me this morning: one of the supervisors for the Grade 6 overnight trip has dropped out, and unless another adult goes, the trip may be cancelled. These are 58 kids who've been selling cookie dough and running bottle drives since September, and I couldn't bring myself to be the reason it fell apart. So I've agreed to go, which means I won't be at the science fair on Thursday.

I know you planned the evening around me, and I'm not pretending this is a small thing to back out of. What I can do is make sure you're not left scrambling. I'll stay late on Tuesday and Wednesday to set up the tables, label every station and print the judging sheets. I've also spoken to Halima in Grade 5, who's agreed to coordinate the judges in my place, and I'll brief her before I leave. If anything still falls through the cracks, call me, even from the trip. Does that take some of the pressure off?

Why this answer is at level 11

This level 11 answer combines a sensitive explanation with direct ownership of the broken promise. Its varied language and sentence structures support a detailed recovery plan, including advance preparation, a confirmed replacement, and a handoff.

• So I've agreed to go, which means I won't be at the science fair on Thursday. — Content/Coherence: This draws a clear conclusion from the explanation of the trip's staffing problem. Camille can immediately understand both the decision and its consequence for her event.
• I know you planned the evening around me, — Task Fulfillment: The speaker explicitly recognizes Camille's dependence on their help. This makes the apology responsive to her situation and establishes why the following preparation and replacement arrangements matter.
• If anything still falls through the cracks, call me, even from the trip. — Vocabulary: The idiom naturally describes overlooked details, while the direct invitation conveys continuing responsibility. The language serves the practical concern of helping Camille manage unexpected gaps.
• I'll stay late on Tuesday and Wednesday to set up the tables, label every station and print the judging sheets. — Listenability: The parallel actions make a detailed preparation plan easy to follow. The concrete sequence gives the longer sentence a clear structure and helps Camille understand exactly what will be ready.