CELPIP® Speaking Task 6 sample: Tablet Setup or Laptop Rescue

Dealing with a Difficult Situation · Preparation: 60 seconds · Response: 60 seconds · Published 23 October 2026

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

Practice question

You live in a condo building in Regina, and people know you are good with technology. You work Saturday morning and have a family dinner Saturday evening, so Saturday afternoon is your only free time this weekend. Your neighbour Solveig bought her first tablet and has asked you to spend that afternoon setting up video calls so she can watch her grandson's graduation online on Sunday morning. She is very excited. However, your friend Diego just called: his laptop won't start, and he has an online job interview on Monday that needs a working computer and the presentation files saved on that laptop. Recovering the files could take the whole afternoon. You cannot help both of them. Pick ONE person and tell them your decision: EITHER Solveig OR Diego.

Tell Solveig you cannot set up her tablet on Saturday afternoon and explain why
Tell Diego you cannot spend Saturday recovering his laptop files and explain why

Model answers

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

Level 7 sample answer

135 words

Hi Solveig, um, can we talk about Saturday? I'm really sorry, but I can't come in the afternoon. My friend Diego has a big problem. His laptop won't start, and he has a job interview on Monday. All his files are on that laptop, so it will take whole afternoon to fix it. I work Saturday morning and I have family dinner in the evening, so I really don't have other time.

I know you want to see your grandson's graduation, and I don't want you to miss it. So here is my idea. Tonight I will write the steps on paper for you, very simple, with big letters. Maybe your grandson's family can call you before Sunday and help you to do a test call. Is that okay? I'm sure you will see him.

Why this answer is at level 7

This answer makes the decision clear, explains the scheduling conflict, and offers Solveig an alternative. Compared with the higher-level answers, its vocabulary is simpler, some phrasing is awkward, and its reassurance is stronger than its arrangements justify.

so it will take whole afternoon to fix it. — Content/Coherence: This links Diego's computer problem to the unavailable afternoon, but treats the repair time as certain. The higher-level answers explain the competing commitments more carefully without needing to guarantee how long a repair will take.
My friend Diego has a big problem. — Vocabulary: The meaning is clear, but 'big problem' is broad and basic. The higher-level answers use more specific language about the presentation, file recovery, and the consequences for Diego's interview.
I work Saturday morning and I have family dinner in the evening, so I really don't have other time. — Listenability: The chronological explanation is easy to follow, but missing articles and the awkward phrase 'don't have other time' interrupt the natural flow. The higher-level answers express the same constraint more smoothly.
Maybe your grandson's family can call you before Sunday and help you to do a test call. — Task Fulfillment: This acknowledges Solveig's need and proposes relevant help, but 'Maybe' leaves the arrangement uncertain, especially with her first tablet. The strongest answer adds an agreed visit from someone comfortable with tablets.

Level 9 sample answer

163 words

Hey Diego, thanks for calling me first. I can tell you're stressed, and honestly, I would be too. The thing is, I can't spend Saturday on your laptop. I'm working in the morning and I've got a family dinner that evening, so the afternoon is all I have, and I already promised my neighbour Solveig I'd set up her new tablet so she can watch her grandson's graduation on Sunday. If I back out now, she'll miss it, and there's no second chance for something like that.

That said, I'm not leaving you stuck. Let's spend fifteen minutes on the phone tonight checking your email and any online storage, because if you've ever sent the presentation to yourself, you're already halfway there. If the laptop's really dead, there's a repair shop downtown that does same-day data recovery. And just in case, you can borrow my old laptop for the interview. It's a bit slow, but the camera works fine. Does that sound fair?

Why this answer is at level 9

This answer combines an empathetic refusal with a clear explanation and practical alternatives for Diego's computer and files. It is more fluent and specific than the simpler answer, though some absolute claims and assumed solutions make it less measured than the strongest answer.

If I back out now, she'll miss it, and there's no second chance for something like that. — Content/Coherence: This makes the graduation's timing central to the decision and gives Diego a clear reason. However, it assumes Solveig would certainly miss it. The strongest answer recognizes the stakes while considering another person who could help.
because if you've ever sent the presentation to yourself, you're already halfway there. — Vocabulary: The familiar expression 'halfway there' makes the file-search suggestion conversational and encouraging. Compared with the strongest answer's more precise account of the problem, it loosely suggests progress before confirming that a usable copy exists.
That said, I'm not leaving you stuck. — Listenability: This short transition clearly signals a move from refusal to support, helping Diego follow the response. The strongest answer sustains this conversational ease while weaving together more detailed arrangements and longer sentence structures.
there's a repair shop downtown that does same-day data recovery. — Task Fulfillment: The repair suggestion addresses the presentation files, while the laptop loan elsewhere addresses interview access. However, the shop's availability and successful recovery remain unconfirmed. The strongest answer makes its alternative more dependable by stating that the helper has already agreed.

Level 11 sample answer

185 words

Solveig, have you got a moment? I'm afraid I have to back out of Saturday, and I'd much rather tell you face to face than over the phone. My friend Diego's laptop has suddenly refused to start, and the presentation he needs for Monday's job interview is trapped on its hard drive. If I left him to sort it out alone, he could well walk into that interview empty-handed, and since I'm working Saturday morning and at a family dinner that evening, the afternoon is the only window I've got.

That said, I know how much your grandson's graduation means to you, and I'm determined you won't miss it. Tonight I'll print step-by-step instructions in large type, with a picture of every screen, and tape them beside your tablet. I've also spoken to Ikaika on the third floor, who's comfortable with tablets, and he's offered to drop by Saturday afternoon to do a practice call with you. And if your grandson's family could ring you on video beforehand as a test, you'd go into Sunday morning completely confident. Would that put your mind at ease?

Why this answer is at level 11

This answer combines a tactful decision, a precise explanation of Diego's predicament, and detailed support for Solveig. Its controlled sentence structures, expressive vocabulary, and already-arranged practice visit make the response especially coherent and reassuring.

the afternoon is the only window I've got. — Content/Coherence: This neatly concludes the explanation linking the work shift, family dinner, and Diego's urgent need. Solveig can understand both the decision and the scheduling constraint without having to piece together separate reasons.
he could well walk into that interview empty-handed — Vocabulary: The phrase 'could well' expresses a serious possibility without presenting it as certain. 'Empty-handed' vividly conveys the consequence of losing access to the presentation, giving the explanation emotional weight and precision.
That said, I know how much your grandson's graduation means to you, and I'm determined you won't miss it. — Listenability: The transition clearly shifts attention back to Solveig, and the sentence moves naturally from acknowledging her feelings to offering reassurance. The concrete arrangements that follow give that reassurance substance.
he's offered to drop by Saturday afternoon to do a practice call with you. — Task Fulfillment: An agreed visit directly addresses Solveig's lack of tablet experience and the need to prepare before Sunday. Combined with illustrated instructions, this makes the alternative concrete while preserving the speaker's afternoon for Diego.

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 a clear decision, explain it tactfully to the person addressed and develop the reasons. Acknowledge the other person’s needs and offer a practical way forward.

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