CELPIP, Speaking
CELPIP Speaking Task 2: Talking about a Personal Experience
You describe a past experience on a given topic.
Format and scoring
| Skill | Speaking |
|---|---|
| Preparation | 30 seconds |
| Response time | Up to 60 seconds |
| How it's scored | Scored on content and coherence, vocabulary, listenability and task fulfillment. |
| Weight (estimate) | About 13% of your speaking score |
How to answer Speaking Task 2: Talking about a Personal Experience
- 1Set the scene: when, where, who.
- 2Tell what happened in order.
- 3Say how you felt and what you learned.
Common mistakes
- Mixing past and present tenses.
Sample question
When a plan fell apart
Talk about a time when something you had carefully planned did not go as expected. What happened, and how did you deal with it?
Show a model answer (Level 12)
A couple of summers ago, I planned a surprise camping trip for my brother's thirtieth birthday. I'd booked a campsite in Algonquin Park months in advance, packed all the food, and even borrowed a canoe from a friend. But when we arrived, the ranger told us our campground had been closed that morning because of a forest fire nearby. My brother looked so disappointed, and honestly, I panicked for a minute. Then I took a deep breath and called a small motel in Huntsville. They had one room left, so we took it, rented a canoe on a calm lake the next morning, and had a barbecue at a public picnic area. In the end, my brother said it was his favourite birthday ever. What I learned is that a backup plan matters more than a perfect plan, so now I always check park alerts before I leave.