How many questions are in Listening Part 1?

Paragon's test-format page lists 8 questions for Listening to Problem Solving. You hear the conversation only once, so knowing the decision-making phrases in this list ahead of time helps you keep up without replaying anything in your head.

Should I take notes while I listen to the problem-solving conversation?

Yes, Paragon suggests taking notes during the Listening test. A quick way is to jot each option the speakers mention and cross it out when you hear a phrase like rule out or the catch is, so the surviving option stands out.

What do the CLB levels on each word mean?

They are {brand}'s own estimates of the level at which a learner can use the word comfortably, not official Paragon ratings. Treat them as a rough guide for deciding which words to review first.

Listening Part 1: Problem Solving

Listening Part 1: Problem Solving belongs to the Listening component of CELPIP. The task gives you 8 questions and 4 minutes. Your result counts the questions you answer correctly.

Questions: 8
Time: 4 minutes
Prompts here: 23 published

Problem, figures, final decision

Our method for this task — study advice, not an official rule.

1
Pin down the problem in the opening exchange
Who needs help, and with what? Every later question hangs on that.
2
Note figures and names as they are spoken
Times, prices, dates and names are hard to rebuild afterwards. Jot them down as they pass.
3
Answer with what was finally agreed
These conversations often change course — a first idea turned down, a time corrected. The last version is the one that counts.

The audio plays once: write down the detail, not the gist.

A general memory of the conversation rarely keeps the exact figure a question asks for.

This list collects the spoken words and phrases people reach for when something goes wrong and they have to agree on a fix. Learn to hear them in fast, natural speech so you can follow who suggests what, which options get dropped, and what the speakers finally decide.

As you study each entry, say the example lines out loud at normal speed, including the contractions, so the sound becomes familiar. Pay special attention to the phrases that signal a rejected idea or a final choice, such as rule out and go with, because those turning points are where the useful details usually sit.

CELPIP · Listening

An Unsettled Insurance Claim

From a bank of 23 prompts · free to read, no account needed

Instructions

The audio plays once.
Choose the best answer for each question.

What the recording says

On test day the recording plays one time only; here you can read it at your own pace.

Customer: Hi. I'm calling about the accident I reported last week. I received a message from the insurance company saying that responsibility hasn't been determined yet. I'm a little confused because I thought the circumstances were fairly straightforward. Insurance Representative: I can review the file with you. Could you confirm the date of the accident? Customer: Last Thursday, around 5:30 in the afternoon. I was driving east through the intersection on Oak Street when another car turned left in front of me. Insurance Representative: According to your statement, you had the right of way and the other vehicle turned across your lane? Customer: Exactly. I braked immediately, but there wasn't enough time to avoid the collision. The front passenger side of my car hit the other vehicle. Insurance Representative: And you believe the other driver failed to yield? Customer: Yes. That's what happened. There was a pedestrian nearby who saw the accident, too. Insurance Representative: That's useful. Do we have the pedestrian's contact information? Customer: I gave it to the adjuster. I also took photographs immediately afterward. Insurance Representative: I see the photographs in the file. They show the damage to both vehicles, but unfortunately, photographs of the vehicles alone don't establish which driver had the right of way. Customer: But the damage is consistent with the other driver turning into my lane. Insurance Representative: It may be consistent with that account, but we have to distinguish between evidence that supports a version of events and evidence that conclusively establishes responsibility. Customer: So what exactly is preventing the claim from being settled? Insurance Representative: At this stage, we're still waiting for the other driver's statement and the witness information to be reviewed. Insurance Representative: I've now reviewed the other driver's statement. There is a significant difference between the two accounts. Customer: What does the other driver say? Insurance Representative: He says he had already begun his turn when your vehicle entered the intersection and that you may have been travelling too quickly to stop safely. Customer: That's not accurate. I was nowhere near the intersection when he started turning. Insurance Representative: I understand that your recollection differs. That's why we're also considering the witness statement. Customer: What did the witness say? Insurance Representative: The witness confirms that the other vehicle was turning left, but she couldn't say with certainty whether your light was green when you entered the intersection. Customer: That's frustrating. I know the light was green. Insurance Representative: I understand. Do you have a dashcam recording? Customer: Unfortunately, no. I have photographs, though, and one of them shows the traffic signal in the background. Insurance Representative: I'll have the adjuster examine that photograph carefully. If the signal can be identified clearly enough to establish its position or timing, it could potentially help. However, we shouldn't assume that it will resolve the issue. Customer: What about the fact that the other driver was turning left? Insurance Representative: A left turn can be relevant, but it doesn't automatically determine liability. We need to establish the circumstances under which the turn was made and what the other vehicle was doing at the time. Customer: So even though the other car was turning, you can't simply say the other driver was at fault? Insurance Representative: Not without considering the complete set of evidence. Customer: What happens if the evidence remains inconclusive? I need to get my car repaired, and I don't want this process to drag on indefinitely. Insurance Representative: If the available evidence doesn't allow us to establish that one driver was primarily responsible, the claim may be assessed according to the applicable responsibility rules rather than simply being assigned to the other driver. Customer: Does that mean I could end up being considered partly responsible even though I don't believe I did anything wrong? Insurance Representative: It's possible, depending on the final assessment. But we're not at that stage yet. Customer: Could I have my vehicle repaired before the responsibility decision is finalized? Insurance Representative: Yes. We can arrange an inspection and proceed with the repair process under your policy, subject to the applicable deductible and coverage conditions. Customer: Would doing that mean I've accepted responsibility? Insurance Representative: No. Having your vehicle repaired does not, by itself, mean that you've accepted liability for the accident. Customer: That's reassuring. I was worried that starting the repair would somehow weaken my position. Insurance Representative: It shouldn't. The liability assessment and the practical handling of your vehicle damage are related, but they are not the same decision. Customer: So what do you recommend I do now? Insurance Representative: Send us the original photograph showing the traffic signal at its highest resolution. We'll have the adjuster review it alongside the witness statement and both drivers' accounts. In the meantime, I'll arrange the vehicle inspection so the repair process doesn't have to wait. Customer: And if the adjuster still can't determine who was responsible? Insurance Representative: We'll explain the outcome and how the applicable responsibility rules affect your claim. You'll also receive the reasoning behind the decision rather than simply a percentage without explanation. Customer: All right. I'll send the original photograph today. Insurance Representative: Good. I'll arrange the inspection and add the photograph to the evidence file once we receive it.

Questions & answer key8 questions

Your Listening result comes from how many questions you get right. Each recording plays one time, so what is really tested is how much detail you can hold while the next line is already playing.

1Why does the customer mention that the accident seemed "fairly straightforward"?
1. ✓He believes the available circumstances strongly suggest that the other driver was responsible.
2. BHe wants the insurance company to repair his vehicle immediately.
3. CHe thinks the accident should not have been reported to the police.
4. DHe wants to avoid providing another statement.
Answer
A
To him the facts point one way, which is why he cannot see what is left to decide.
2What does the representative mean by saying that the photographs do not establish who had the right of way?
1. AThe photographs were taken too late to be useful.
2. BThe photographs show that both drivers were equally responsible.
3. ✓The photographs document the physical damage but do not by themselves prove which driver caused the collision.
4. DThe photographs contradict the customer's account of the accident.
Answer
C
Photographs show what was damaged; they cannot show who had right of way or how the collision came about.
3Why has the claim not yet been settled?
1. AThe insurance company has rejected the customer's photographs.
2. BThe customer's vehicle has not yet been inspected.
3. CThe police have not completed their investigation.
4. ✓The insurer is still waiting for additional information, including the other driver's statement and witness evidence.
Answer
D
The file is open because information is still outstanding, not because a decision has been made and withheld.
4Why is the witness's statement not enough to establish responsibility?
1. AThe witness was not present when the collision occurred.
2. ✓The witness saw the vehicles but could not confirm a critical detail about the traffic signal.
3. CThe witness gave a statement that contradicted both drivers.
4. DThe witness refused to provide contact information.
Answer
B
The witness saw the vehicles but could not confirm the one detail that would settle it.
5What does the customer hope the photograph of the traffic signal might accomplish?
1. ✓It might provide additional evidence concerning the traffic conditions or signal that could support his account.
2. BIt will prove that the other driver was speeding.
3. CIt will show exactly how quickly the customer's vehicle was travelling.
4. DIt will establish the precise point of impact.
Answer
A
A picture of the signal would speak to the traffic conditions at the moment of the collision, which is what is missing.
6Why does the representative say that the other driver's left turn does not automatically establish liability?
1. ALeft turns are never considered when determining responsibility.
2. BThe customer may have been travelling in the wrong lane.
3. ✓Responsibility depends on the circumstances surrounding the turn and the actions of both vehicles, not simply on the fact that one driver was turning.
4. DThe other driver had already admitted responsibility.
Answer
C
A left turn is not automatically at fault; it depends on the circumstances and on what the other driver was doing.
7Why does the representative distinguish between repairing the customer's vehicle and determining liability?
1. AThe repair can only begin after the other driver accepts responsibility.
2. BThe customer must pay the entire repair cost before the liability assessment.
3. CThe insurance company has already determined that the customer is partly responsible.
4. ✓The vehicle can be dealt with under the customer's policy while the question of responsibility is still being investigated.
Answer
D
Repairing the car and deciding fault are separate: his own policy can cover the first while the second is still open.
8What is the best overall interpretation of the conversation?
1. ✓The insurer has not yet determined responsibility because the evidence is incomplete, but it allows the vehicle-repair process to move forward while additional evidence is reviewed.
2. BThe insurer determines that the other driver is responsible after reviewing the witness statement.
3. CThe customer accepts partial responsibility and agrees to pay for the repairs.
4. DThe insurer rejects the customer's claim because there is no dashcam recording.
Answer
A
The conversation ends with the claim still undetermined and the evidence still being gathered — not with a decision either way.

Where answers slip

1Filling gaps afterwards with what would have made sense.
2Missing a correction and answering with the first time or price mentioned.
3Choosing the first solution offered, which is often the one turned down.

Try one yourself, under the clock

This page shows the key. Practice under the timer shows which kinds of question you keep missing — and that is the part worth fixing.

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Common questions

How many questions are in Listening Part 1?: Paragon's test-format page lists 8 questions for Listening to Problem Solving. You hear the conversation only once, so knowing the decision-making phrases in this list ahead of time helps you keep up without replaying anything in your head.
Should I take notes while I listen to the problem-solving conversation?: Yes, Paragon suggests taking notes during the Listening test. A quick way is to jot each option the speakers mention and cross it out when you hear a phrase like rule out or the catch is, so the surviving option stands out.
What do the CLB levels on each word mean?: They are {brand}'s own estimates of the level at which a learner can use the word comfortably, not official Paragon ratings. Treat them as a rough guide for deciding which words to review first.

22 more Problem Solving prompts in the bank0 free

·A Damaged Standing Desk
·A Dental Estimate and Its Coverage
·Renegotiating a Personal Loan
·A Warranty That Has Just Expired
·The Pharmacy Doesn't Have the Medication
·Raising a Daily Transaction Limit
·An Elevator Booking Conflict
·Problems with a Furnace
·Problems with a Moving Company
·Making a Flight Booking
·Missing a Connecting Flight
·A Lost Package
·Exchanging an Airplane Ticket
·Purchasing a Dishwasher
·Renting a Car as a Tourist
·Moving into a New Apartment
·A Change to a Connecting Flight
·Booking a Hotel Room by Phone
·A Visit to the College Registration Office
·A Problem at the Airline Counter
·Asking for Directions at a Visitor Centre
·A Call About a New Apartment

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