CELPIP® Writing Task 2 sample: Food Bank Volunteer Scheduling Survey

Level 7 sample answer

176 words

I think the food bank should choose Option A, the regular weekly shift.

The main reason is that the food bank needs people it can count on. Last winter I came for a Saturday shift and only four of ten volunteers was there. We packed hampers until late and some families had to wait for their food. If everyone has a fixed shift, this problem will be much smaller.

Also, a regular team works better. When you see the same people every week, you learn the job fast and you become friends. My friend Hodan and I always sign up for Tuesday together, so now we know where everything goes and we finish faster than new people.

Of course, some volunteers are students or work changing shifts, and three months is hard for them. Maybe the food bank can keep a few open spots for these people. But most of the work should be done by a steady group.

For these reasons, I choose Option A. It's better for the staff, the volunteers and the families.

Why this answer is at level 7

This level 7 answer clearly supports Option A with relevant volunteer experiences and an understandable argument. Compared with level 9, its vocabulary is simpler, its grammar is less controlled, and its proposed accommodation needs more explanation.

• We packed hampers until late and some families had to wait for their food. — Content/Coherence: The example connects volunteer absences to consequences for families, making reliability matter. A higher-level answer would explain more carefully why a fixed commitment would reduce cancellations, rather than mainly asserting that it would.
• you learn the job fast and you become friends. — Vocabulary: The language clearly communicates learning and friendship, but remains general. A higher-level answer would describe the benefits more precisely through ideas such as shared responsibility, retained skills, or less repeated training.
• only four of ten volunteers was there. — Readability: The meaning is clear, but the plural subject requires 'were'. Compared with the other answers, this agreement error shows less grammatical control, even though it does not interrupt understanding.
• Maybe the food bank can keep a few open spots for these people. — Task Fulfillment: This acknowledges volunteers who cannot make a regular commitment while keeping Option A as the main choice. A higher-level answer would explain how these open spots could fit the weekly roster without creating extra work for the limited staff.

Level 9 sample answer

195 words

Speaking as someone who has volunteered at Larchwood for two years, I would choose Option B: keeping online sign-up while adding an orientation and a stricter cancellation rule.

Flexibility is the main reason so many people help out. Plenty of volunteers in Grande Prairie work rotations in the oil patch or at the hospital, and their schedules change from month to month. My friend Logan, for example, works two weeks on and one week off, so he could never promise the same Thursday for three months. Under Option A, the food bank would lose people like him, and that is a high price to pay when donations peak in December.

At the same time, the current system needs more structure. A required two-hour orientation would mean that no one arrives on their first shift without knowing how to check expiry dates or build a hamper, which would save staff countless hours. The 24-hour cancellation rule would also make volunteers think twice before booking a shift casually.

I admit that a fixed team would be more predictable. Still, I believe Option B offers the best balance between reliability and keeping the door open to busy people.

Why this answer is at level 9

This level 9 answer develops a persuasive case for Option B through a specific scheduling example, clear organization, and natural vocabulary. Compared with level 11, it examines its preferred option less critically, especially when assuming orientation and cancellation rules will produce reliability.

• My friend Logan, for example, works two weeks on and one week off, so he could never promise the same Thursday for three months. — Content/Coherence: Logan's rotation makes the disadvantage of Option A concrete and directly supports flexible sign-up. A higher-level answer would connect this strong recruitment argument to an equally developed explanation of how Option B would maintain dependable coverage.
• the best balance between reliability and keeping the door open to busy people. — Vocabulary: The natural expression 'keeping the door open' neatly captures volunteer inclusion. A higher-level answer would maintain this fluency while using more measured language where the claimed reliability still needs support.
• At the same time, the current system needs more structure. — Readability: This transition clearly moves from the benefits of flexibility to the need for safeguards. The organization is easy to follow; the higher-level answer also builds connections within sentences through more varied, controlled clause structures.
• The 24-hour cancellation rule would also make volunteers think twice before booking a shift casually. — Task Fulfillment: This directly addresses the proposed cancellation rule and links it to volunteer responsibility. A higher-level answer would distinguish discouraging casual bookings from ensuring shifts remain covered, particularly with only two paid staff available.

Level 11 sample answer

197 words

Having packed hampers at Larchwood most Saturdays since 2023, I would urge the board to adopt Option A and ask volunteers to commit to a weekly shift for three months.

The open sign-up system has been generous to volunteers but unfair to everyone else. Last January, when temperatures hovered around minus 35°C, eleven of the eighteen people booked for one Saturday cancelled that morning, and the remaining few didn't lock the doors until well after dark. A fixed roster would not prevent every absence, but people who know their teammates are counting on them are less likely to cancel without a serious reason.

A committed team would also make better use of the staff's limited time. Instead of re-explaining the sorting system to a stream of first-timers, the two coordinators could train a core group and then delegate. Aoife, our unofficial Saturday lead, already shows newer volunteers how to spot dented cans and balance a hamper, which is exactly the sort of expertise that only develops through repetition.

Granted, shift workers may find a three-month promise unrealistic. Even so, a dependable team is what keeps the shelves stocked, which is why Option A is the wiser choice.

Why this answer is at level 11

This level 11 answer combines a clear recommendation with detailed examples, precise vocabulary, and controlled sentence structures. Its strongest feature is explaining how regular commitments could improve both attendance and the use of staff time, while acknowledging that absences and scheduling difficulties would remain.

• people who know their teammates are counting on them are less likely to cancel without a serious reason. — Content/Coherence: This explains the mechanism behind the recommendation: regular teammates create personal accountability. Unlike the simpler prediction in the level 7 answer, it gives a reason attendance might improve without claiming every absence would disappear.
• train a core group and then delegate. — Vocabulary: These concise, precise verbs describe how experienced volunteers could reduce the coordinators' workload. The wording moves beyond simply saying a regular team works faster and identifies a practical organizational benefit.
• Instead of re-explaining the sorting system to a stream of first-timers, the two coordinators could train a core group and then delegate. — Readability: The opening clause establishes the current burden before presenting the improvement. This controlled sentence structure makes the operational comparison clear, while the following example of Aoife shows what delegation could look like.
• Granted, shift workers may find a three-month promise unrealistic. — Task Fulfillment: The answer recognizes a direct disadvantage of its chosen model. Alongside its discussion of cancellations and repeated training, this concession shows a considered response to the board's decision while preserving a firm preference for Option A.