CELPIP® Writing Task 2 sample: Bakery Weekend Staffing Survey

Responding to Survey Questions · 26 minutes · 150–200 words · Published 23 October 2026

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

Practice question

Early Crust Bakery in Airdrie is asking production employees how manager Alejandro should assign weekend work for the next three months. The bakery must fill the same number of weekend shifts each week, and its payroll budget cannot cover extra staff or weekend premiums. It can assign fixed weekday and weekend crews, considering employees' preferences, or rotate employees so everyone works every third weekend. Fixed crews offer predictable days off, while rotation shares weekend duties but changes which weekdays employees have free.

Which weekend staffing arrangement would you support, and how would it affect employees and the bakery?

Option A: Assign fixed crews for three months; consider preferences, although some employees may work every weekend.
Option B: Rotate weekend duties so everyone works every third weekend, with changing weekdays off.

Model answers

Level 7 sample answer

161 words

I prefer Option A, with fixed crews for three months. Knowing my working days ahead of time would make my life easier. I could arrange appointments on same days each week, instead of checking a different schedule all the time.

Also, people have different preferences. Some workers may like having weekdays free because stores and services are less busy. Alejandro could ask everyone for their preferred crew before making assignments. He cannot give everyone their first choice, but asking would help employees feel included.

A rotating schedule does share weekend work more equally. However, it also changes our days off. This can be difficult for anyone who depend on a regular ride to work. I sometimes travel with a coworker, so matching our schedules matters to me.

The bakery needs reliable weekend workers, and fixed crews could provide that. I think we should try this arrangement for the three months and discuss whether the assignments were fair before the next schedule.

Why this answer is at level 7

This level 7 answer clearly supports fixed crews and gives relevant personal reasons, including appointments and shared transport. Its straightforward development, occasional grammatical errors and limited explanation of fairness and bakery operations hold it below the more developed answers.

The bakery needs reliable weekend workers, and fixed crews could provide that. — Content/Coherence: This connects the recommendation to the bakery, but mostly asserts a benefit. A higher-level answer would explain how stable assignments could help employees maintain reliable attendance or coordinate transport.
Knowing my working days ahead of time would make my life easier. — Vocabulary: The language communicates the benefit clearly, but “make my life easier” is broad. A higher-level answer would describe the practical value of predictability more precisely, as the stronger answers do with competing requests and transportation arrangements.
This can be difficult for anyone who depend on a regular ride to work. — Readability: The transport example is easy to understand, but “anyone who depend” needs “depends.” Higher-level writing would maintain grammatical control while connecting this example smoothly to the argument for stable schedules.
He cannot give everyone their first choice, but asking would help employees feel included. — Task Fulfillment: This appropriately recognizes that preferences cannot all be satisfied. A higher-level response would also address the continuing burden on employees assigned every weekend and explain how assignments could be reviewed.

Level 9 sample answer

185 words

I would choose Option B because a rotating roster shares a difficult responsibility across the whole bakery. With no additional weekend premium available, permanently assigning certain employees to weekends would give them a heavier social cost for the same pay.

Every third weekend is a reasonable compromise. Employees would still have most weekends available for visiting friends, attending classes or simply resting. I occasionally take part in a Saturday walking group, and I could plan around a regular rotation much more easily than give it up for three months.

There is also a fairness issue when preferences conflict. Alejandro could collect requests for fixed crews, but popular weekday positions would remain limited. A transparent rotation would reduce the chance that staff interpret the final assignments as favouritism. Everyone would take a turn instead of drawing the short straw for three months.

Fixed crews would certainly suit employees who need consistent weekdays off. Nevertheless, publishing the complete three-month rotation early would give us time to prepare. If occasional shift exchanges were permitted without reducing coverage, this option could share the load while still allowing some flexibility.

Why this answer is at level 9

This level 9 answer develops a persuasive case for rotation through shared sacrifice, social commitments and transparent assignments. Its vocabulary and organization are stronger than the level 7 answer, though the bakery’s operational benefits remain less fully explained than the employee benefits.

A transparent rotation would reduce the chance that staff interpret the final assignments as favouritism. — Content/Coherence: The preceding discussion of limited weekday positions gives this fairness argument a clear cause and effect. Further development could connect reduced resentment to cooperation or staffing reliability at the bakery.
Everyone would take a turn instead of drawing the short straw for three months. — Vocabulary: The idiom naturally conveys the disadvantage of receiving an unwanted fixed assignment. This is more expressive than the level 7 wording; greater precision would also acknowledge that some employees might actively prefer weekend work.
Nevertheless, publishing the complete three-month rotation early would give us time to prepare. — Readability: The transition smoothly moves from acknowledging fixed crews’ advantages to offering a practical response. A stronger argument would distinguish preparation time from actually preserving consistent weekdays off, since advance notice only partly resolves that concern.
If occasional shift exchanges were permitted without reducing coverage, this option could share the load while still allowing some flexibility. — Task Fulfillment: This conditional suggestion respects the bakery’s need to maintain coverage and adds useful flexibility. A higher-level response would develop its effect on the bakery more explicitly, alongside the already detailed employee benefits.

Level 11 sample answer

182 words

Option A would serve the bakery best, provided Alejandro explains how preferences will be weighed when fixed crews are assigned. Predictability has practical value, even when employees cannot all receive their first choice.

My commute illustrates the benefit. A coworker and I share a ride on Fridays, and a stable schedule would let us coordinate transportation for all three months. If our weekdays off kept changing, we would repeatedly have to find separate rides or rearrange our plans. Knowing where we stand would take that pressure off.

Fixed crews could also accommodate different priorities. Someone taking a Tuesday course might actively prefer weekend work. Collecting preferences before assigning positions would reveal those opportunities and could reduce unwanted assignments.

The strongest objection is that a standing weekend assignment may feel unfair when no premium is offered. Alejandro should therefore explain how competing requests will be resolved and review the arrangement after three months. Employees should then be able to request different assignments for the following schedule. With those safeguards, fixed crews would offer meaningful stability without allowing an unpopular assignment to become permanent.

Why this answer is at level 11

This level 11 answer combines a clear recommendation with concrete personal evidence, a practical use of employee preferences and a direct response to unfair weekend assignments. Its controlled language and specific review process make the argument developed and balanced.

Collecting preferences before assigning positions would reveal those opportunities and could reduce unwanted assignments. — Content/Coherence: This follows the Tuesday-course example with a clear explanation of how preferences could improve assignments. The cautious “could” recognizes that collecting requests helps without guaranteeing that everyone receives a suitable crew.
Knowing where we stand would take that pressure off. — Vocabulary: These natural expressions summarize the uncertainty and inconvenience established by the shared-ride example. Their meaning is grounded in a specific situation, giving the vocabulary a clear purpose within the argument.
Option A would serve the bakery best, provided Alejandro explains how preferences will be weighed when fixed crews are assigned. — Readability: The opening integrates the recommendation and its condition in a controlled sentence. It immediately establishes that support for fixed crews depends on a transparent assignment process, preparing the reader for the later safeguards.
The strongest objection is that a standing weekend assignment may feel unfair when no premium is offered. — Task Fulfillment: This directly addresses the central disadvantage of fixed crews under the payroll constraint. The following explanation and review process give employees a route to request changes after the proposed period, strengthening the recommendation.

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 a clear survey choice and develop reasons with concrete examples. Explain consequences, connect paragraphs and address the competing option where useful without losing your position.

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.
Readability: Look for increasingly controlled grammar, sentence variety, punctuation and paragraphing. Complexity helps when it keeps the message easy to read.
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