If you plan to move to Canada, you must pass certain selection factors to be there. Language skill is one of the most important ones. To prove your language skills, you must take CELPIP or the IELTS. These are standardized tests designed to test your proficiency in English. You can take these tests at specific times during the year depending on the country you reside in. To be well prepared for this test, here is everything you need to know about CELPIP Writing Section.

Why Choose CELPIP?

It stands for the Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program. The highest score on the test is 12. CELPIP has two types. CELPIP general is the most common test that has four categories: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. People take this test for Canadian Residency. Those who are looking for citizenship take CELPIP LS. The test is the same as CELPIP general but with only two categories of Listening and Speaking.
CELPIP is cheaper than IELTS. Each category in the test is one hour except for Speaking, which is for 20 minutes. In this article, we will be focusing on CELPIP writing.

Check out: CELPIP vs IELTS: Which Test Should You Take?

CEPIP Writing

CELPIP writing is a one-hour-long component and is completed on the computer. So you have the benefit of keeping track of word count and time. It has only two tasks as follows.

Part 1: Writing an email

Part 2: Responding to survey questions

Tips for CELPIP Writing Part 1: Writing an Email

This section is 27 minutes long, and the word limit is 150-200 words. The question will give you a situation and you will know what exactly to write in the email. It should not take you more than 5 minutes to brainstorm the idea. This timeframe should give you an outline of the email. Take 20 minutes to type the email and 2 minutes should be enough to proofread your email.

These are some tips that will help you score high in this writing section of CELPIP.

Content

Tip: The content should have a logical flow, and the ideas should be coherent. Try to stay realistic.

Grammar and sentence structure

Tip: Try to write short and simple sentences instead of going for complex and compound sentences. Practice your tenses a lot. Be careful in using the right form of the verb.

Paragraphs

Tip: Your email should ideally have 4-5 paragraphs. Each paragraph contains short sentences and covers the bullet points given in the task.

The email should start with greetings. For example, Dear Sir or Dear John. The next paragraph should explain the purpose of the email. After that, you need to explain the situation and the problem. The flow of the content should be realistic and logical. In the last paragraph, you have to give a conclusion. Check your word count and either propose a solution or request the necessary changes. This depends on the given task. Don’t forget to send the email with proper salutations using a nice closing sentence.

Vocabulary

Tip: Use a variety of vocabulary. Don’t use too simple words and if you are not sure, don’t use too difficult vocabulary. You need to read a lot to increase your vocabulary. This applies to all sections of CELPIP Writing.

Contractions

Tip: There should be no contractions in the formal writing style.

Formatting

Tip: Be very careful in giving proper spacing after each paragraph. Both greetings and salutations should be written on the left-hand side. Add commas after greetings. All first letters should be capitalized. Proofread your email for spelling and repetition.

Discover more: 7 Best CELPIP Practice Tests and Study Materials!

Tips for CELPIP Writing Task 2: Responding to the Survey Question

In this part, you have to answer a survey question, and you have 26 minutes for the task. A situation will be given, and there will be two options to choose from. You will have the choice to select the option you prefer. You need to explain the reason for choosing this option. The length is the same 150-200 words as in Writing Part 1.

The following are the important key points to consider while Writing Part 2 of CELPIP.

Format

Tip: You can write your response either in a letter or essay format. Since surveys are anonymous, there are no greetings in this task.

Kind of Topic

Tip: First of all, you need to understand the topic. If it’s an argument, you should present both sides and then agree to one. If the topic is opinion-based, then you need to give your point of view. If it’s a problem, discuss it first and then offer some solution in the conclusion of your essay.

Choosing the option

Tip: This task is easier than writing an email because it’s all about your opinion. You can choose from the two given options. You can select any option you prefer, or perhaps you can choose an option that you find is easier. It’s recommended you choose the option that you have a better understanding of. You should use the proper expression to state your choice, such as “ In my opinion, …

Paragraphs

Tip: This section should ideally have 4 paragraphs. Each paragraph has 40-50 words. The first paragraph is the introductory paragraph. Here, you explain which option you have chosen and why. You should have at least two ideas or arguments to defend your opinion. Explain to them both in a paragraph each. In the last paragraph, you have to give a conclusion. In this paragraph, you have to summarize the situation with a positive sentence. This should be in coherence with the reasons you have already provided. You should keep this tip in mind for all sections of CELPIP Writing.

You can give examples to support your argument.

Transition and connectors

Tip: Use the right transitions and connectors to show the relationships between the sentences. There should be consistency and a logical flow of ideas in the paragraphs.

Proofread

Tip: Proofreading is the most important thing. You know the rules, so make sure you don’t lose marks over small mistakes. It will take 2 minutes to read the content again and find grammatical and spelling mistakes.

See Also: CELPIP Reading: Great Tips to Increase your Score Dramatically

 

Whether you are a native speaker or non-native, you need to have strong tenses and grammar. You can take a few practice exams to find out your weak areas. We don’t want to see you struggling over vocabulary and ideas. So. read more newspapers and magazines to gather some quality ideas. We believe if you follow these guidelines, you can get a high score in the CELPIP Writing tasks. To prepare even further, check out the 7 Best CELPIP Practice Tests and Study Materials!

We hope that this article on the CELPIP Writing Section was helpful. Make sure to also check out the Canada Programs for International Students!

About the Author: Hyun Lee

Hyun is the founder at Global Scholarships. He has received a full-tuition scholarship at Birmingham-Southern College as well as $1,000 Burger King Scholarship for his undergraduate degree and has been offered a fully funded scholarship consisting of tuition, living stipend, and health insurance for computer science Ph.D. program at North Carolina State University. Read more about his scholarship journey here.

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