How many questions come with the Part 2 conversation?

Paragon's test-format page lists 5 questions for Listening to a Daily Life Conversation. Because the audio plays only once, recognising informal phrases quickly matters more than knowing rare words.

Why does this list have so many phrasal verbs and idioms?

Friendly conversation relies on short verb phrases like head out or pitch in far more than formal vocabulary. Knowing their everyday meanings stops you from taking them literally and picking the wrong answer.

Is it worth guessing if I did not catch a phrase?

Yes. Paragon states there is no penalty for wrong answers on the Listening multiple-choice questions, so always choose an answer. Use the surrounding context and the speakers' tone to make your best guess.

Listening Part 2: Daily Life Conversation

Listening Part 2: Daily Life Conversation belongs to the Listening component of CELPIP. The task gives you 5 questions and 4 minutes. Your result counts the questions you answer correctly.

Questions: 5
Time: 4 minutes
Prompts here: 23 published

Who they are, what each wants, where it turns

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

1
Work out the relationship early
Friends, coworkers, family, neighbours: knowing which tells you how to read everything they say.
2
Track what each speaker wants
Everyday conversations often involve two people who want slightly different things. Keep a separate note for each.
3
Catch the moment the plan changes
When one speaker gives way or a new idea wins, the conversation's key details tend to gather there.

Answer with what they settled on, not what was first suggested.

The opening proposal is often not the final one.

Everyday chats between friends, neighbours, co-workers and store staff are full of short phrasal verbs and relaxed expressions that are easy to miss at natural speed. These 30 entries cover the casual language of errands, plans, shopping and favours so you can catch what people actually mean.

Casual speech blends words together, so practise hearing the whole chunk rather than single words: swing by, grab a coffee and rain check each sound like one unit. After learning an entry, invent a short exchange between two neighbours that uses it, then read both parts aloud.

CELPIP · Listening

Cutting the Household Budget

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.

Maria: Have you had a chance to look at the household budget? Daniel: I did, and I think we need to make a few changes. Nothing is completely out of control, but we're spending more every month than we used to. Maria: That's what I've noticed too. Our income hasn't really changed, but some of the regular expenses have crept up, and we're not leaving ourselves much room at the end of the month. Daniel: Exactly. I don't think we need to make drastic changes. We just need to figure out where the money is going. Maria: I started with the subscriptions. We're paying for three streaming services, and honestly, we hardly use two of them. Daniel: I agree about the streaming services. We could cancel those without affecting our daily routine very much. Maria: What about the internet package? We're paying for a fairly expensive plan. Daniel: We could downgrade it. Maria: I'm not sure about that. You work from home several days a week, and the kids use the internet for their schoolwork. Saving twenty dollars a month isn't worth creating problems for everyone. Daniel: Fair point. Maybe we should look at whether the provider has a less expensive plan that still gives us enough speed. Maria: That I'd consider. Daniel: Food is another area we should examine. I looked at the bank statements, and the grocery bill isn't actually as high as I expected. Maria: Really? Daniel: The surprising part is everything we're buying between grocery trips. Coffee on the way to work, takeout when we're too tired to cook, things like that. Maria: You're right. None of those purchases is particularly expensive by itself. Daniel: But they add up. Maria: We could plan meals for the week and keep a few easy meals in the freezer. That might make it less tempting to order food when nobody feels like cooking. Daniel: And I could bring coffee from home more often. Maria: That alone wouldn't make us rich. Daniel: No, but we're trying to reduce the total, not find one magical solution. Maria: What about transportation? We're spending quite a bit on fuel. Daniel: Some of that is unavoidable. I have to drive to work, and the kids have activities in different parts of the city. Maria: True. I'm not suggesting we stop using the car. But there are probably trips we don't really need to make. Daniel: Like going to the store three separate times in one week. Maria: Exactly. We could combine errands. And for some shorter trips, I could take the bus instead of driving. Daniel: That could work, although we shouldn't make the schedule so complicated that we're constantly trying to coordinate everything. Maria: Agreed. Saving money shouldn't create another source of stress. Daniel: So we're keeping the important things and cutting back where the spending is mostly about convenience. Maria: Yes. Cancel the subscriptions we don't use, find a cheaper internet package that still meets our needs, plan our meals better, and reduce unnecessary driving. Daniel: If we make all those changes, we could probably save a few hundred dollars a month without making our lives miserable. Maria: That's the goal. I'd rather make several manageable changes than give up something we genuinely depend on.

Questions & answer key5 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 have the family members decided to review their monthly expenses?
1. ATheir income has recently decreased because of a change in employment.
2. BThey want to save enough money to purchase a new vehicle.
3. ✓Several regular expenses have gradually become difficult to manage within their existing budget.
4. DThey have accumulated a large amount of credit-card debt.
Answer
C
Nothing dramatic has happened; several ordinary costs have crept up until the month no longer balances.
2Why does Maria oppose cancelling the family's internet service?
1. AShe believes the current provider offers the lowest price available.
2. ✓She considers the service important enough to justify keeping it, particularly because it is used for work and education.
3. CShe thinks cancelling it would result in an expensive cancellation fee.
4. DShe expects the family will need faster internet in the near future.
Answer
B
She treats the connection as something the household actually depends on, so it is not the place to cut.
3What does Daniel realize about their spending on food?
1. ATheir main problem is buying groceries from stores that are too far from home.
2. BMost of their food expenses come from purchasing unnecessary household supplies.
3. CThey are spending more because they have recently started entertaining guests.
4. ✓Their spending is being influenced by convenience purchases rather than only by the cost of basic groceries.
Answer
D
What he notices is not the price of food but the pattern — buying for convenience rather than to a plan.
4What approach do the speakers decide to take toward reducing transportation costs?
1. AReplace their car with a smaller vehicle immediately.
2. BStop using public transportation and rely entirely on the family car.
3. ✓Reduce unnecessary driving while maintaining enough flexibility for work and family responsibilities.
4. DSell the car and use ride-sharing services whenever necessary.
Answer
C
They agree to drive less where they can while keeping enough flexibility for work and family.
5What does Maria's final comment suggest about the family's approach to saving money?
1. ✓They prefer making several moderate changes rather than sacrificing one major necessity.
2. BThey believe significant savings are possible only by giving up their current lifestyle.
3. CThey intend to postpone all non-essential purchases for the next year.
4. DThey are mainly concerned with reducing expenses temporarily until their income increases.
Answer
A
Her closing point is that several moderate changes are easier to keep than one large sacrifice.

Where answers slip

1Treating a suggestion as the decision.
2Mixing up which speaker said what.
3Answering from the first proposal instead of the agreement.

Try one yourself, under the clock

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Common questions

How many questions come with the Part 2 conversation?: Paragon's test-format page lists 5 questions for Listening to a Daily Life Conversation. Because the audio plays only once, recognising informal phrases quickly matters more than knowing rare words.
Why does this list have so many phrasal verbs and idioms?: Friendly conversation relies on short verb phrases like head out or pitch in far more than formal vocabulary. Knowing their everyday meanings stops you from taking them literally and picking the wrong answer.
Is it worth guessing if I did not catch a phrase?: Yes. Paragon states there is no penalty for wrong answers on the Listening multiple-choice questions, so always choose an answer. Use the surrounding context and the speakers' tone to make your best guess.

22 more Daily Conversation prompts in the bank0 free

·A Roommate Wants to Adopt a Dog
·Getting Foreign Credentials Recognized
·A Cut in Working Hours
·Choosing a Daycare
·Choosing Between Two Job Offers
·Choosing a Research Topic
·Finding Housing Closer to Work
·Getting a Fishing Licence
·Planning a Workplace Day Trip
·Rethinking a Final Project
·Landscaping the House
·Weekend Shift Problems
·Going Fishing
·Purchasing Furniture
·A Delayed Project
·Hiring New Employees
·Choosing a Birthday Present
·Signing Up for a Charity Bike Ride
·A New Weekend Schedule at Work
·Choosing Where to Camp Next Weekend
·Getting Ready for the Long Weekend
·A Proposed Urban Farm

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