CELPIP® Speaking Task 7 sample: Main Roles for Local Beginners

Expressing Opinions · Preparation: 30 seconds · Response: 90 seconds · Published 23 October 2026

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

Practice question

Manpreet directs an amateur theatre group in Airdrie that relies on ticket sales and can stage only one production each season. Should the group reserve half its main roles for local beginners, or select every performer through open auditions that also attract experienced people from nearby towns? Explain your preference and the reasons behind it.

Model answers

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

Level 7 sample answer

194 words

I'd reserve half the main roles for local beginners. Since this is an amateur theatre group, giving people a chance to learn should be an important part of its work.

First, beginners might never get a main role if they always compete with experienced performers. They could attend auditions every season and still have little chance. With only one production, there isn't another show where they can try again soon.

Also, beginners could bring people from Airdrie into the audience. Their friends and neighbours might buy tickets to support them. That could help sales, although of course it wouldn't guarantee a full theatre. People may enjoy seeing someone they know on stage.

Another reason is that the group would still have experienced performers in the other roles. Beginners could learn by working beside them. Um, this mix could make the production interesting and help the group develop more local talent.

Manpreet would need to choose beginners who are serious and willing to practise. Some might need an extra advice during rehearsals, and that takes time. Still, I think the benefit are worth it. Reserving half the main roles would give newcomers a real opportunity.

Why this answer is at level 7

This level 7 answer presents a clear preference and relevant reasons about access, local audiences, and learning. Its straightforward development, an assumption about experienced cast members, and small language errors make it less precise and controlled than the higher-level answers.

the group would still have experienced performers in the other roles. — Content/Coherence: This supports the idea that beginners could learn from experienced cast members, but reserving roles for beginners would not guarantee experienced performers elsewhere. The higher-level answers qualify assumptions about experience and explain suitability more carefully.
Some might need an extra advice during rehearsals, and that takes time. — Vocabulary: The rehearsal concern is relevant, but 'an extra advice' uses the uncountable noun 'advice' incorrectly. The higher-level answers use more accurate language and specify useful support, such as explaining audition expectations or practising voice projection.
Still, I think the benefit are worth it. — Listenability: The short sentence makes the conclusion easy to follow, but 'the benefit are' creates a small grammatical stumble. The higher-level answers maintain more consistent grammatical control while bringing their arguments to a clear close.
I'd reserve half the main roles for local beginners. — Task Fulfillment: The opening directly chooses an option, and the answer supports it with reasons specific to amateur theatre. A higher-level response would more fully explain how this reservation could work while protecting ticket income and managing rehearsal demands.

Level 9 sample answer

237 words

I'd choose every performer through open auditions. The group can offer beginners a meaningful opportunity without promising them half the main roles before anyone has auditioned.

The biggest concern is the production itself. Since the group stages only one show each season and depends on ticket sales, each casting decision carries weight. A main role may require someone who can learn a large amount of dialogue or handle a demanding scene. Manpreet should be able to choose the person best suited to that particular part, whether they're a beginner or an experienced visitor.

Open auditions would also be fairer to the performers. Suppose a local beginner gives an excellent audition, while an experienced person from a nearby town struggles with the role. The beginner should win on merit. The reverse should be possible too. A fixed division could force the director to overlook a strong candidate simply because the reserved places were already filled.

There's still room to support newcomers. Manpreet could explain audition expectations clearly and offer useful feedback afterward. Beginners who earn roles would then know they'd been selected for what they brought to the production.

I understand the wish to build local talent, especially when opportunities come around only once a season. However, reserving half the main roles seems too rigid. Fair, welcoming auditions would give everyone a foot in the door while keeping the director responsible for putting together the strongest possible cast.

Why this answer is at level 9

This level 9 answer develops a clear, persuasive case through role requirements, a balanced audition example, and practical support for beginners. Compared with level 7, it handles tradeoffs more carefully; level 11 adds greater precision about casting relationships and how auditions can remain genuinely accessible.

Suppose a local beginner gives an excellent audition, while an experienced person from a nearby town struggles with the role. — Content/Coherence: The concrete comparison shows why open auditions could benefit a beginner, making the fairness argument more convincing than a general claim. The level 11 answer extends this reasoning to character demands and how cast members' abilities work together.
give everyone a foot in the door — Vocabulary: This familiar idiom naturally expresses access to an opportunity and suits the conversational conclusion. The level 11 answer uses more precise expressions about evaluating suitability and explaining criteria, which clarify what fair access would involve.
The reverse should be possible too. — Listenability: This concise sentence clearly signals that the same principle applies when the experienced performer auditions better. It gives the comparison an easy rhythm. The level 11 answer sustains similar clarity while integrating more qualifications within its sentences.
Manpreet could explain audition expectations clearly and offer useful feedback afterward. — Task Fulfillment: This practical suggestion addresses the concern that open auditions might discourage beginners. However, 'useful feedback' remains broad. The level 11 answer identifies specific skills for feedback and warns against treating previous credits as proof of suitability.

Level 11 sample answer

262 words

I'd favour open auditions for every role, combined with deliberate support for local beginners. Reserving half the main parts would be a blunt way to pursue a worthwhile goal, particularly when the group has only one production each season.

Casting depends on more than experience. A beginner might be exactly right for a central character, while a veteran might struggle with that character's humour or emotional range. Open auditions would let Manpreet assess those differences. A quota could constrain the final choices even when the strongest fit was clear, which would serve neither the performers nor the production.

The financial responsibility matters too. Because ticket sales sustain the group, the audience needs a convincing reason to return. Experienced performers don't guarantee quality, but the director should be free to assemble a cast whose abilities complement one another. With only one seasonal production, there would be little opportunity to offset a disappointing result through another show.

My third reason is that beginners deserve opportunities they can trust. Someone selected under a reserved category might wonder whether they would have earned the role otherwise. A transparent audition process, with criteria explained in advance, could make a successful beginner's achievement feel more substantial. Feedback on voice projection or comic timing would give unsuccessful applicants specific skills to practise.

The catch is that open auditions must actually feel open. Manpreet should make the process understandable and avoid treating previous credits as proof of suitability. I'd judge each audition on its merits while helping newcomers prepare. That would support local participation without predetermining half the main roles.

Why this answer is at level 11

This level 11 answer combines a firm preference with careful qualifications about experience, financial responsibility, and beginner access. Precise vocabulary, connected reasoning, and specific audition safeguards make its argument more developed and controlled than the other answers.

With only one seasonal production, there would be little opportunity to offset a disappointing result through another show. — Content/Coherence: This explains why the production limit matters financially. It connects a specific constraint in the question to the consequences of casting decisions, strengthening the case for giving Manpreet flexibility.
a blunt way to pursue a worthwhile goal — Vocabulary: This compact phrase distinguishes the value of supporting beginners from the suitability of reserving roles. 'Blunt' precisely criticizes the policy's rigidity, while 'worthwhile' acknowledges the opposing position respectfully.
Experienced performers don't guarantee quality, but the director should be free to assemble a cast whose abilities complement one another. — Listenability: The concession and main claim fit together smoothly in a controlled sentence. The listener can follow the qualification before reaching the central point: successful casting depends on how performers work together.
Manpreet should make the process understandable and avoid treating previous credits as proof of suitability. — Task Fulfillment: This turns the preference for open auditions into a concrete standard for running them fairly. It directly addresses the risk that experienced visitors could receive an automatic advantage, keeping local beginners central to the proposed solution.

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.

State your position and develop distinct reasons with concrete examples. Connect the argument and explain relevant trade-offs while keeping your position clear.

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