What is the difference between Part 6 and Part 5?

Paragon names Part 5 Listening to a Discussion and Part 6 Listening to Viewpoints. In our practice material, Part 6 is usually one voice presenting several positions, while Part 5 involves several people talking. The challenge in Part 6 is telling reported views apart from the speaker's own.

How many questions are in Part 6?

Paragon's test-format page lists 6 questions for Listening to Viewpoints. As with every Listening part, the audio plays only once. Recognising concession and conclusion signals quickly is the best way to keep up.

Why are concession phrases so important here?

A concession such as undeniably or mind you means the speaker accepts part of an opposing view. The words that follow usually return to the speaker's main position. If you mistake the concession for their opinion, you may choose the opposite answer.

Listening Part 6: Viewpoints

Listening Part 6: Viewpoints belongs to the Listening component of CELPIP. The task gives you 6 questions and 4 minutes. Your result counts the questions you answer correctly.

Questions: 6
Time: 4 minutes
Prompts here: 23 published

Side, reasons, reported voices

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

1
Find the speaker's side early
Work out what the speaker is arguing for or against. Later details make more sense once you know the direction.
2
Follow the reasons in order
An argument builds step by step; note each reason as it comes.
3
Separate the speaker's view from views they mention
"Critics claim…" or "some people believe…" introduces an opinion the speaker may reject, and that difference is worth tracking.

Quoting a view is not holding it.

Speakers often mention the other side in order to answer it.

In a viewpoints talk, one speaker lays out several positions on an issue, gives credit to some, pushes back on others and then states where they land. This list gathers the hedges, concessions, contrasts and conclusion signals that show which view is being described and which one the speaker actually holds.

As you listen, separate what others think from what the speaker thinks. Words like proponents, critics argue and it could be argued that report other views; phrases like in my view and on balance reveal the speaker's own. Draw a line down your notepaper and sort each point to the correct side as you hear it.

CELPIP · Listening

School Start Times

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.

Should Schools Start Later? The question of when schools should begin each day has received increasing attention in recent years. Traditionally, many secondary schools begin relatively early in the morning. However, some researchers and educators argue that later start times could improve students' health, academic performance, and overall well-being. One of the strongest arguments for later start times concerns sleep. Research into adolescent development suggests that teenagers may naturally find it difficult to fall asleep early in the evening. As a result, students who must begin school very early may not receive enough sleep, particularly if they also have homework, extracurricular activities, or part-time jobs. Supporters of later start times argue that chronic sleep deprivation can affect concentration, memory, and mood. A student may physically attend class but still struggle to process information effectively. From this perspective, beginning the school day later could allow students to arrive more alert and better prepared to learn. Some educators also believe that later start times could improve classroom behaviour. Tired students may be less patient, less motivated, and more easily distracted. However, other teachers argue that changing the school schedule alone will not solve these problems. They point out that students may simply stay awake later if they know they do not have to wake up as early. Parents have mixed opinions. Some welcome the possibility of students getting more sleep. Others are concerned about the practical consequences. A later school schedule could conflict with parents' working hours, particularly for families that depend on older children to help younger siblings before or after school. School administrators also face logistical difficulties. Bus schedules, extracurricular activities, and the availability of facilities may all be affected by a change in start times. In some communities, the same buses serve students at different schools. Changing one schedule could therefore require changes throughout the entire transportation system. Supporters respond that logistical challenges should not automatically prevent schools from considering health-related evidence. They argue that schedules have traditionally been designed around transportation and administrative convenience rather than students' biological needs. There is also debate about academic performance. Some studies suggest that students who receive more sleep may be better able to concentrate and participate in class. Critics, however, caution against assuming that a later start time automatically produces higher grades. Academic achievement is influenced by many factors, including teaching quality, family circumstances, study habits, and student motivation. Another concern involves extracurricular activities. If schools finish later, sports practices and other activities may also move later into the day. This could affect students who need to travel, work part-time, or complete responsibilities at home. For this reason, some policymakers argue that there may not be a single schedule suitable for every community. Urban schools with extensive public transportation may face different challenges from smaller communities where students travel long distances by bus. Ultimately, the debate is not simply about whether sleeping longer is beneficial. Most people agree that adequate sleep is important. The disagreement concerns whether changing school start times is the most practical and effective way to help students receive it. Supporters believe that schools should take adolescent sleep patterns more seriously when designing schedules. Critics agree that student well-being matters but argue that any change must consider families, transportation, staffing, and extracurricular activities. The central challenge, therefore, is finding a balance between educational and health benefits for students and the practical realities of operating a school system.

Questions & answer key6 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 do supporters believe that later school start times could benefit teenagers?
1. ATeenagers naturally require fewer hours of sleep than younger children.
2. ✓Later schedules may better accommodate adolescent sleep patterns and allow students to arrive at school more alert.
3. CStudents would no longer need to complete homework in the evening.
4. DSchools would be able to reduce the number of classes offered each day.
Answer
B
The case rests on adolescent sleep patterns: teenagers fall asleep later, so a later start fits the biology.
2What concern do some teachers raise about starting school later?
1. ✓Students may simply go to bed later and fail to obtain significantly more sleep.
2. BTeachers would be required to teach fewer subjects.
3. CSchools would no longer be able to offer extracurricular activities.
4. DStudents would become less interested in attending school.
Answer
A
The teachers' doubt is behavioural — a later start may simply move bedtime, leaving the sleep unchanged.
3Why are some parents concerned about later school start times?
1. ALater start times would necessarily reduce academic standards.
2. BStudents would no longer have enough time to travel to school.
3. ✓A changed schedule could conflict with family routines and parents' working hours.
4. DTeachers would be unable to supervise students after school.
Answer
C
Parents' objection is practical: a new timetable collides with work shifts and the rest of the family's morning.
4What logistical issue do school administrators mention?
1. ALater start times would eliminate the need for school transportation.
2. BStudents would have difficulty finding classrooms in the morning.
3. CSchools would be required to purchase additional buildings.
4. ✓Changing one school's schedule could affect transportation arrangements for other schools using the same buses.
Answer
D
Buses and shared timetables mean one school's change ripples through the others.
5What does the report suggest about the relationship between later start times and academic achievement?
1. ALater start times guarantee substantially higher grades.
2. ✓Additional sleep may improve concentration, but academic achievement depends on many factors beyond school schedules.
3. CAcademic performance generally declines when students sleep longer.
4. DSchool start times have no possible effect on learning.
Answer
B
More sleep may help concentration, but results depend on much more than the hour lessons begin.
6What is the overall viewpoint presented in the report?
1. AAll schools should immediately adopt a later start time.
2. BSchool schedules should be based exclusively on transportation requirements.
3. CLater school start times are unnecessary because students can simply change their sleeping habits.
4. ✓Later start times may provide important benefits for students, but decisions must balance health and educational considerations with practical and community-specific challenges.
Answer
D
The report accepts the benefits and still insists the decision has to account for families, staff and transport.

Where answers slip

1Giving the speaker an opinion they only mentioned.
2Taking a small concession as a change of mind.
3Deciding the speaker's position from the first line and never revising it.

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

What is the difference between Part 6 and Part 5?: Paragon names Part 5 Listening to a Discussion and Part 6 Listening to Viewpoints. In our practice material, Part 6 is usually one voice presenting several positions, while Part 5 involves several people talking. The challenge in Part 6 is telling reported views apart from the speaker's own.
How many questions are in Part 6?: Paragon's test-format page lists 6 questions for Listening to Viewpoints. As with every Listening part, the audio plays only once. Recognising concession and conclusion signals quickly is the best way to keep up.
Why are concession phrases so important here?: A concession such as undeniably or mind you means the speaker accepts part of an opposing view. The words that follow usually return to the speaker's main position. If you mistake the concession for their opinion, you may choose the opposite answer.

22 more Viewpoints prompts in the bank0 free

·Rent Control: Protection or Barrier?
·Shrinkflation
·Cashless Payments in Canada
·Plastic Bans
·Loyalty Programs
·Vocational Education in Canada
·Raising the Minimum Wage
·Public Libraries in the Digital Age
·ICBC Insurance: Basic Coverage and Optional Protection
·Reconciliation: From Recognition to Practical Action
·Scams and Fraud in Canada
·Dress Codes in Schools and Workplaces
·Minimum Wage in Canada
·Overfishing and Canada's Fisheries
·Gaming Addiction
·Climate Change in Canada
·Electric Scooters on City Streets
·Artificial Intelligence in Schools
·The Rising Cost of Living in Canada
·Changes to Canada's Immigration System
·Challenges Facing Indigenous Communities in Canada
·A Proposed Change to the Public-Sector Workweek

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