CELPIP® Writing Task 2 sample: Campground Vehicle Access 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

The Cattail Bend Camping Club near Windsor is surveying members about vehicle access at its campground. Vehicles currently remain beside tents, but the club could instead allow unloading at campsites and require overnight parking in an existing lot 400 metres away. Campsites have limited space, and there is no land or funding for another access route, so members must choose between these two arrangements.

Where should campers keep their vehicles overnight? Write about 150–200 words explaining your preference, using up to 26 minutes.

Option A: Keep vehicles at campsites for convenient storage and easy departures, accepting less tent space and vehicle activity near campers.
Option B: Allow unloading, then require overnight parking 400 metres away, creating roomier campsites but making vehicle access less convenient.

Model answers

Level 7 sample answer

168 words

I would choose Option A and keep vehicles beside the tents. The extra space under Option B sounds useful, but having a vehicle nearby would make camping easier for many members.

First, people often need something from their vehicle after setting up. On my last camping trip, I leave my warm sweater in the back seat. It was easy to get it when the evening became cool. Walking 400 metres each way would be less pleasant, especially in the rain or after dark.

Also, a nearby vehicle helps people organize their belongings. A tent can become crowded with bags, shoes and spare blankets. Keeping some things in a vehicle gives campers more space inside. This is useful for people who have a small tent.

I understand that parked vehicles take up room outside. However, members could be careful about where they park and avoid unnecessary driving. For me, the convenient of having supplies nearby is more valuable than extra outdoor space. I would therefore keep the current arrangement.

Why this answer is at level 7

This level 7 answer gives a clear preference for keeping vehicles beside tents and supports it with relevant, accessible examples. Compared with the higher-level answers, its discussion of the trade-off is less developed, and errors in tense and word form reduce precision.

Keeping some things in a vehicle gives campers more space inside. — Content/Coherence: This explains a useful distinction between storage inside the tent and space outside it. The reasoning supports Option A, but a higher-level answer would develop why that storage benefit outweighs the outdoor space occupied by the vehicle.
On my last camping trip, I leave my warm sweater in the back seat. — Readability: The sweater example makes the inconvenience of distant parking easy to understand. However, “leave” conflicts with the past-time setting. The higher-level answers maintain consistent past tense in their camping examples, allowing the reader to follow them without this interruption.
the convenient of having supplies nearby is more valuable than extra outdoor space. — Vocabulary: The comparison expresses the central choice clearly, but “convenient” is an adjective where the noun “convenience” is needed. A higher-level answer would use the correct word form while making the same practical comparison.
However, members could be careful about where they park and avoid unnecessary driving. — Task Fulfillment: This acknowledges the drawbacks of the chosen arrangement and suggests ways to reduce them. A higher-level response would also explain why the space vehicles still occupy is an acceptable cost, even when members park carefully.

Level 9 sample answer

177 words

Option B would improve the camping experience enough to justify the walk to the parking lot. Since unloading would still be permitted at campsites, the most difficult part of carrying equipment would already be addressed.

The main benefit would be usable outdoor space. On a recent trip, our parked car occupied the only level area beside the tent. We ended up squeezing our chairs into a narrow gap rather than sitting comfortably together. Removing vehicles would give campers more flexibility when arranging tents, chairs and cooking equipment.

It would also make the campground feel more peaceful. A car door closing or an engine starting can interrupt an otherwise quiet evening. With overnight parking concentrated away from the tents, campers could enjoy more of the atmosphere they came for.

The 400-metre distance would require planning, particularly if someone forgot a warm jacket. Nevertheless, checking supplies before moving the vehicle seems a reasonable trade-off. I would accept that inconvenience in exchange for a roomier campsite and fewer interruptions during the evening. Those improvements would benefit neighbouring campers as well.

Why this answer is at level 9

This level 9 answer develops a persuasive case through a concrete space problem, a separate benefit for the campground atmosphere, and a practical concession. Its language is controlled and clear, although the level 11 answer examines the walking burden and shared disturbances with greater precision.

We ended up squeezing our chairs into a narrow gap rather than sitting comfortably together. — Content/Coherence: The example shows exactly how a parked vehicle can reduce enjoyment of a campsite. It connects the space problem to campers’ experience. The level 11 answer extends this reasoning into a broader principle about arranging equipment around campers’ needs.
Removing vehicles would give campers more flexibility when arranging tents, chairs and cooking equipment. — Vocabulary: The specific equipment list and natural phrase “more flexibility” explain the benefit clearly. The level 11 answer uses more compact, precise wording about reclaiming scarce space, linking the vocabulary more closely to the campground’s fixed limits.
It would also make the campground feel more peaceful. — Readability: This clear topic sentence introduces a separate reason, making the argument easy to follow. The level 11 answer develops the connection between individual vehicle activity and the shared atmosphere more fully, giving the paragraph greater depth.
Nevertheless, checking supplies before moving the vehicle seems a reasonable trade-off. — Task Fulfillment: The answer accepts the inconvenience and proposes preparation as a practical response. The level 11 answer weighs this drawback more precisely by identifying the round-trip distance and explaining again how unloading access limits the burden.

Level 11 sample answer

184 words

I support Option B because it preserves access for unloading while reclaiming scarce campsite space. That distinction makes the proposed arrangement practical: campers would move their vehicles after pitching their tents, rather than carry every item from the parking lot.

Space matters throughout a stay. When my friend Andrei and I camped together, our vehicle occupied a level patch that would otherwise have accommodated our chairs and folding table. A vehicle-free site would let campers arrange equipment around how they use the space, instead of fitting everything around a parked car.

Concentrating overnight parking could also improve the shared atmosphere. Even considerate campers occasionally open a door repeatedly while searching for something. Moving that activity away from tents would reduce small disturbances that accumulate when several neighbouring sites are occupied.

The walking distance is a meaningful drawback. Anyone returning for a forgotten item would face an 800-metre round trip, so preparing before parking would become essential. Still, unloading access substantially limits the burden. With no additional land available, I would accept a little more planning to gain space and quieter evenings across the campground.

Why this answer is at level 11

This level 11 answer combines precise language, well-developed examples, and a balanced judgment grounded in the campground’s limited space. It explains how unloading preserves practicality, how vehicle activity affects neighbours, and why the walking burden remains acceptable.

it preserves access for unloading while reclaiming scarce campsite space. — Vocabulary: “Preserves,” “reclaiming,” and “scarce” express the practical compromise economically. The wording captures both the access campers retain and the limited campsite space they gain, making the preference precise from the opening.
instead of fitting everything around a parked car. — Content/Coherence: This completes the explanation of the camping example by identifying how a vehicle dictates the layout. The argument moves beyond saying that cars occupy space to showing how their removal changes campers’ use of that space.
Moving that activity away from tents would reduce small disturbances — Readability: “That activity” clearly refers back to repeatedly opening a vehicle door. This connection carries the reader smoothly from a familiar action to its effect on nearby campers, supporting a cohesive explanation of the shared benefit.
Anyone returning for a forgotten item would face an 800-metre round trip — Task Fulfillment: The answer translates the parking distance into the actual inconvenience of retrieving something. This gives the opposing consideration meaningful weight before the writer explains why unloading access and better preparation make the arrangement worthwhile.

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