The Reading section of the CELPIP Language test seeks to assess whether you can read various passages with different tones and on several topics, and use the information you learn to answer questions. Just like the CELPIP test as a whole, the ultimate goal is to see whether you can use the English language in a whole range of environments, from communicating with colleagues and superiors at your work to interacting with friends, understanding newscasts, and interpreting and responding to any type of written materials. In this article, we will be looking at the CELPIP Reading section and give you some helpful tips!
Overview of CELPIP Reading Section
The Reading section is one of the longest in the test, and it allows you 55-60 minutes both to read the materials available and to respond to related questions
Like all the other sections, each part of the test is given a level, and you can find more information about these levels on the official CELPIP website.
To prepare for the test, you can use the official website and download free resources such as a Guidebook and Overview file, as well as a free sample practice test which will show you the areas you need to work on to improve. You can also enroll in official courses to prepare or purchase materials such as guidebooks, and other books on vocabulary building, etc.
To begin with, taking the sample test, especially for CELPIP Reading, will give you an idea of how the sections come together and allow you to try the timing function in a safe environment. Once you have done this, you can follow up with more techniques as per the tips below.
On test day, you can expect the Reading section to start with a warm-up Practice Task, which is then followed by the following themes:
- Reading Correspondence
- Reading to Apply a Diagram
- Reading for Information
- Reading for Viewpoints
Check Also: Canada Programs for International Students
Useful Tips for CELPIP Reading
Tip 1: Read in English
- Try to practice as much as possible and as regularly as possible, reading various types of text in English; this can be novels, magazines, online articles, etc. Any reading in English will help improve your overall comfort with the language and increase your speed reading and processing the information in CELPIP Reading
- Make sure you use different tones and types of material, not just academic books for example; remember that the CELPIP aims to assess your ability to interpret all types of written communication
Tip 2: Practice Extracting Information from Texts
- When you’re reading, don’t try to memorize the information, but rather understand and process it. You can use strategies such as skimming and scanning the text in front of you; by doing this, especially for easier questions, you are freeing up more time to work on the difficult questions where you may need to re-read passages more closely and spend time considering your answer
- Try this with varying types of written text in day-to-day life, for example with newspaper articles; again, the more practice, the easier it will be on test day
Tip 3: Scan the Questions
- Another useful way to move quickly through the CELPIP Reading section is to scan the questions, so you know what you’re looking for in the text and what information is required
- You might be able to anticipate the answer by doing this; If you think you know the answer right away, quickly look through the multiple-choice answers for one that matches what you have in mind
Tip 4: Don’t Stress over Certain Words
- If you don’t understand a word in the text, rely on context and don’t allow it to slow you down. You don’t need to understand every single word. Even if you don’t understand it from context, just move on
- To practice this in everyday life, try to understand the meaning of words you come across without referring to the dictionary
Tip 5: Focus Only on the Text Provided
- You don’t need to be an expert on every topic and therefore many of the subjects you will read will be unfamiliar. You will be able to answer the questions based on just the information given. However, you may also be familiar with some topics treated – be careful and don’t let this distract you, especially if you think you know the answers to the questions from personal experience or knowledge! You must always answer based on the text in front of you only, as you can understand that is being tested, not your general knowledge
Tip 6: Guess if you Have to
- Your aim should be to answer every question. If you’re not completely sure of an answer, try to eliminate those multiple-choice answers which you know are wrong, and make an educated guess from the remaining options. Remember – on multiple-choice sections, there is no penalty for selecting the wrong answer, so it is better to answer a question than leave it blank
Tip 7: Watch your Time
- Don’t underestimate the importance of time-keeping; especially when reading, it is easy to forget about how long you take on the text
- The timer will be on the screen so keep checking it. Remember that for every section, you have to not only read the passage but also answer several questions, so don’t spend all your time reading. Refer to the above tips and glance at the questions or multiple-choice options to speed up your reading
Tip 8: Check your Answers
- Make sure you’ve selected an answer before moving to the next question, as you will not be able to go back in most parts of the test; if you have time, double-check your answers as you go along.
We hope that this article on CELPIP Reading was helpful. Make sure to also check out the Canada Programs for International Students!
