CELPIP® Writing Task 2 sample: Winter Snowshoe Service 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 Ashgrove Recreation Office in Sudbury is surveying residents about a new winter snowshoe service. Its budget can cover either thirty pairs of snowshoes available for free one-week loans without instruction, or eight free Saturday outings led by an instructor, with equipment provided and twelve places per outing. Equipment and staffing costs prevent offering both services, so residents must weigh flexible independent access against organized support with limited spaces.

Which snowshoe service would you support, and why is it the better choice for residents?

Option A: Lend thirty pairs of snowshoes free for one week at a time, with borrowers arranging their own outings without instruction.
Option B: Run eight free instructor-led Saturday snowshoe outings, each limited to twelve people, with equipment included.

Model answers

Level 7 sample answer

173 words

I prefer Option A because borrowing snowshoes for a week would give people more freedom. Residents could choose a day that suits them instead of arranging everything around a Saturday outing.

First, some people works on Saturdays. I sometimes have weekend shifts, so I would not be able to attend every organized activity. With a loan, I could go on a weekday afternoon and still have time to return the equipment. A full week would also let people wait for a day when the weather is comfortable.

Also, borrowing equipment would be useful for people who already know how to snowshoe. They could go with friends and move on their own pace. An instructor is helpful for beginners, but everyone does not need a lesson each time they go outside.

The guided outings would give new users confidence, and I understand why people would choose them. However, only twelve people could join each outing. I think the loan service would fit more different schedules, so it is the better use of the budget.

Why this answer is at level 7

This level 7 answer gives a clear preference and relevant reasons involving work schedules, weather, and experienced users. Its straightforward development communicates the choice, but grammatical errors, awkward phrasing, and a brief comparison of the services keep it below the more controlled and developed answers.

A full week would also let people wait for a day when the weather is comfortable. — Content/Coherence: This extends the scheduling argument with a practical reason for keeping equipment for a week. A higher-level answer would connect changing weather more directly to the comparison, explaining how rescheduling preserves an opportunity that a fixed Saturday outing might lose.
They could go with friends and move on their own pace. — Vocabulary: The meaning fits independent snowshoeing, but the expression should be “at their own pace.” A higher-level answer would use accurate phrasing and explain more precisely how independent groups could accommodate different abilities.
First, some people works on Saturdays. — Readability: The paragraph opens with a clear reason, but “people works” contains a subject–verb agreement error. A higher-level answer would maintain grammatical control while developing the same relevant scheduling concern.
However, only twelve people could join each outing. — Task Fulfillment: This correctly uses the outing limit to support the preference for loans. However, the comparison remains brief. A higher-level answer would weigh limited places against the instructional benefit more fully and explain why flexible access deserves priority.

Level 9 sample answer

183 words

Option B would be my choice because access to equipment is only part of what beginners need. An instructor could help people turn an unfamiliar winter activity into something they actually enjoy.

I have considered trying snowshoeing, but I would not know how to adjust the equipment or judge a suitable pace. Borrowing a pair for a week would leave those questions unanswered. On a guided outing, I could ask questions as they came up and learn alongside other beginners, rather than feeling that I was holding experienced friends back.

The organized format would also provide a reason to follow through. It is easy to plan an outdoor activity and then put it off when nobody else is expecting you. Having a Saturday outing on the calendar would help me make time for it and meet people with similar interests.

Twelve places per outing is a real limitation, and Saturday schedules will not suit everyone. Even so, the eight sessions would offer a clear starting point for residents who lack experience. I would prioritize that support over the convenience of borrowing equipment independently.

Why this answer is at level 9

This level 9 answer develops a persuasive case for instruction through equipment questions, beginner confidence, and motivation to participate. Its language is controlled and its concession is fair, but the reasoning stays largely personal and could explain the trade-off for residents more fully.

Borrowing a pair for a week would leave those questions unanswered. — Content/Coherence: This links the preceding concerns about equipment adjustment and pace directly to the weakness of independent loans for beginners. A higher-level answer would develop the wider public benefit with similarly concrete detail, extending the argument beyond the writer’s own uncertainty.
I would prioritize that support over the convenience of borrowing equipment independently. — Vocabulary: “Prioritize” and “borrowing equipment independently” express the decision accurately and naturally. The distinction between “support” and “convenience” is clear, though a higher-level answer would describe the competing benefits more specifically, including schedule flexibility and access for experienced residents.
On a guided outing, I could ask questions as they came up and learn alongside other beginners, — Readability: The sentence coordinates related benefits smoothly, making the beginner’s experience easy to follow. Compared with the level 7 answer, the phrasing is more controlled. A higher-level answer would sustain this fluency while shifting more naturally between personal experience and implications for residents.
Twelve places per outing is a real limitation, and Saturday schedules will not suit everyone. — Task Fulfillment: The answer directly acknowledges the strongest restrictions on its preferred service. However, the following conclusion mainly restates the value of beginner support. A higher-level answer would explain more fully why that benefit outweighs restricted places and Saturday-only availability.

Level 11 sample answer

186 words

I support Option A: thirty pairs of snowshoes available for one-week loans. Guided outings would lower the barrier for beginners, but a public equipment collection would accommodate a wider range of schedules and ways of participating.

My friend Étienne works alternating weekends, while I am usually available on weekday mornings. A Saturday-only program would make it difficult for us to take part together. A week-long loan would let us choose a mutually convenient day and, if the forecast changed, reschedule without losing our opportunity altogether.

Independent borrowing would also let experienced users introduce friends to the activity at an appropriate pace. Rather than fitting everyone into twelve places on a scheduled outing, residents could arrange their own small groups. For someone who already understands the equipment, access to a pair may be the only missing ingredient.

Instruction certainly has value; I would encourage inexperienced borrowers to obtain guidance before heading out. Nevertheless, the proposed outings combine limited capacity with a fixed day, which narrows their reach. Because the office must choose one service, I would favour equipment that residents can use flexibly throughout the loan period.

Why this answer is at level 11

This level 11 answer combines a clear public-service judgment with concrete scheduling examples and a distinct argument about experienced users helping friends. Precise vocabulary, controlled complex sentences, and a balanced treatment of instruction make its preference for flexible equipment access convincing.

Independent borrowing would also let experienced users introduce friends to the activity at an appropriate pace. — Content/Coherence: This adds a distinct benefit beyond scheduling: experienced residents could help friends participate in small groups. It develops the case for loans while recognizing that users have different experience levels, giving the argument greater breadth than the level 7 answer.
For someone who already understands the equipment, access to a pair may be the only missing ingredient. — Vocabulary: “The only missing ingredient” expresses the equipment barrier naturally and memorably. The qualification “may” keeps the claim measured, while the opening phrase identifies exactly which residents would benefit without implying that every borrower needs no instruction.
A week-long loan would let us choose a mutually convenient day and, if the forecast changed, reschedule without losing our opportunity altogether. — Readability: The conditional phrase fits smoothly inside a controlled sentence. It connects shared availability, weather changes, and rescheduling without obscuring the main point, developing the flexibility argument more precisely than the shorter weather example in the level 7 answer.
Because the office must choose one service, I would favour equipment that residents can use flexibly throughout the loan period. — Task Fulfillment: The conclusion explicitly returns to the office’s required choice and names the deciding benefit. Together with the acknowledgment of instruction’s value and the outings’ restrictions, it presents a balanced recommendation grounded in the survey’s competing services.

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