CELPIP® Writing Task 1 sample: Training Before the Doors Open

Level 7 sample answer

160 words

Dear Delphine,

I am writing about the volunteer plan for next Thursday's open house at the community centre.

The four new volunteers will start welcoming visitors at 6 p.m., but their training does not begin until 6:30 p.m. The two experienced volunteers cannot arrive until 6:15 p.m., so there is nobody experienced at the desk when we open.

This could be difficult for the new volunteers because they may not understand their duties yet. They might need to stop and ask questions, and visitors could spend time waiting for help. It could also make a long line at entrance.

Could we move the training to before the doors open? If that is not possible, perhaps a staff member could explain the main tasks and stay at the desk until 6:15. Also, a simple list of desk duties would help everyone. Please send the revised plan tomorrow so everyone know what they should do.

Thank you for considering these changes.

Pita

Why this answer is at level 7

This level 7 sample clearly explains the scheduling problem, its likely effects, and a sensible backup plan. Compared with the higher-level samples, its language is more general, some grammar is less controlled, and coverage during training remains unresolved.

• The four new volunteers will start welcoming visitors at 6 p.m., but their training does not begin until 6:30 p.m. — Content/Coherence: This clearly establishes that welcome duties begin before training. The higher-level samples develop the implications more precisely, especially the distinction between receiving experienced support and actually being prepared.
• This could be difficult for the new volunteers because they may not understand their duties yet. — Vocabulary: The meaning is clear, but “difficult” and “duties” give a general description. The higher-level samples specify pressure, visitor questions, and uncertainty about who handles requests, making the consequences easier to picture.
• Please send the revised plan tomorrow so everyone know what they should do. — Readability: The requested action is easy to understand, but “everyone know” needs “everyone knows.” The higher-level samples maintain more consistent grammatical control while making similarly polite requests.
• perhaps a staff member could explain the main tasks and stay at the desk until 6:15. — Task Fulfillment: This offers practical support until the experienced volunteers arrive. However, the briefing should explicitly happen before opening, and the plan should explain who covers the desk during training, as the higher-level samples consider more directly.

Level 9 sample answer

178 words

Dear Delphine,

Before you send out tomorrow's volunteer plan, could we adjust the welcome desk arrangements for Thursday's open house?

The four new volunteers begin at 6 p.m., yet their training is booked for 6:30. Since neither experienced volunteer can arrive before 6:15, the desk would open without anyone who has been briefed.

That gap could put unnecessary pressure on the newcomers, especially if visitors ask about activity locations or registration. A hesitant welcome could also create a bottleneck at the entrance, delaying people who arrive for the opening. We should give the volunteers a fair chance to feel prepared.

Could the initial briefing take place before 6 p.m., with a staff member explaining the room layout and the most common questions? That person could remain until the experienced volunteers arrive at 6:15. The longer training could still run at 6:30 if the desk has enough coverage. This would keep the doors opening on schedule while providing practical support during the busiest transition.

Please let me know whether this can be included in tomorrow's plan.

Thank you,

Pita

Why this answer is at level 9

This level 9 sample combines a clear explanation with precise vocabulary, fluent sentences, and a practical briefing proposal. It is less fully developed than the level 11 sample because preparation is not checked and coverage during the longer training remains conditional.

• Since neither experienced volunteer can arrive before 6:15, the desk would open without anyone who has been briefed. — Content/Coherence: This connects the experienced volunteers’ arrival time directly to the opening problem. The level 11 sample develops the reasoning further by explaining that experienced help arriving does not itself mean the newcomers have been trained.
• A hesitant welcome could also create a bottleneck at the entrance, delaying people who arrive for the opening. — Vocabulary: “Hesitant welcome” and “bottleneck” describe a specific chain of effects more precisely than the level 7 sample’s general difficulties. The level 11 sample adds another concrete consequence: conflicting answers caused by unclear responsibilities.
• Could the initial briefing take place before 6 p.m., with a staff member explaining the room layout and the most common questions? — Readability: This fluent, polite question combines timing, responsibility, and briefing content without becoming hard to follow. The level 11 sample uses similarly controlled language to add clearer follow-through through acknowledgement and advance questions.
• The longer training could still run at 6:30 if the desk has enough coverage. — Task Fulfillment: This recognizes that training must not interrupt visitor service, improving on the level 7 plan. However, “enough coverage” leaves the arrangement unspecified; the level 11 sample proposes staggered attendance with experienced support.

Level 11 sample answer

178 words

Dear Delphine,

Could we revise Thursday's welcome desk arrangements before the volunteer plan goes out tomorrow?

At present, four newcomers start at 6 p.m. but receive training at 6:30. Neither experienced volunteer arrives before 6:15, leaving the opening fifteen minutes unsupported and the newcomers untrained for half an hour.

That distinction matters: having experienced help arrive does not automatically prepare four people for their roles. Unless responsibilities are clear, visitors could receive conflicting answers while volunteers struggle to decide who should handle each request.

Could we send a written briefing with tomorrow's plan, outlining desk duties and whom to contact for assistance? Please ask each newcomer to acknowledge it and raise questions beforehand. Assigning clear roles would then allow the doors to open at 6 as required. Once the experienced volunteers arrive, they could check understanding before the 6:30 training. If that session can be delivered twice, two newcomers could attend at a time, leaving the others at the desk with experienced support.

This would make preparation and continuous coverage explicit responsibilities in the plan.

Thank you,

Pita

Why this answer is at level 11

This level 11 sample separates the support gap from the training gap and turns that analysis into specific preparation and coverage arrangements. Precise language, controlled sentences, and explicit follow-through make the recommendation more developed than the other samples.

• leaving the opening fifteen minutes unsupported and the newcomers untrained for half an hour. — Content/Coherence: This distinguishes the opening period without experienced help from the longer period before training. That distinction gives the recommendations a clear purpose: address preparation as well as staffing.
• visitors could receive conflicting answers while volunteers struggle to decide who should handle each request. — Vocabulary: “Conflicting answers” and “handle each request” identify concrete service problems. The wording explains how unclear responsibilities could affect visitors and volunteers together, giving more detail than a general concern about waiting.
• That distinction matters: having experienced help arrive does not automatically prepare four people for their roles. — Readability: The colon introduces a concise explanation of the preceding timing distinction. This helps the reader follow the reasoning from the scheduling facts to the need for preparation before opening.
• Please ask each newcomer to acknowledge it and raise questions beforehand. — Task Fulfillment: This turns the written briefing into an action that requires a response. Alongside clear roles, it provides a concrete way to check preparation before the doors open.
• two newcomers could attend at a time, leaving the others at the desk with experienced support. — Task Fulfillment: This specifies how training attendance and desk coverage could work together. The surrounding condition about delivering the session twice makes the proposal appropriately dependent on whether repeated training is available.