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Writing Task 2: Responding to Survey Questions

Writing Task 2: Responding to Survey Questions is part of the Writing section of the CELPIP test. You get 150–200 words and 26 minutes to write. It is scored on Content / Coherence, Vocabulary, Readability, Task Fulfillment.

Length
150–200 words
Time
26 minutes
Prompts here
23 published

The three-move survey response

  1. 1

    Name your option in the first sentence

    The rater should never have to hunt for which one you chose. "I would choose Option B, the hybrid model" does it in seven words.

  2. 2

    Two reasons, each with one detail only you would give

    Our CLB 5 answer says "the bus is very long time". The CLB 11 says office attendance should be "a tool rather than a default". Both are reasons; one is specific to a person who thought about it.

  3. 3

    Spend one line on why not the other option

    It shows you read the whole prompt, and it is the cheapest way to sound considered rather than reflexive.

One reason with an example outranks two reasons without.

Content and Coherence rewards developed ideas, not the number of them.

Master the opinion, comparison and justification vocabulary you need to choose an option and defend it in writing for CELPIP Writing Task 2.

Task 2 gives you two options and asks you to choose one and explain why. State your choice clearly, support it with reasons and examples, and use contrast connectors to dismiss the alternative.

What raters reward here
  • Commit to one option in the first sentence and never switch sides.
  • Give two or three distinct reasons, each in its own paragraph.
  • Concede one merit of the other option, then explain why it matters less.
  • Tie your reasons to who in the community benefits, not just to the facility itself.
  • Close with a sentence that restates the choice without repeating your wording.
Three mistakes that cost points heremost common first
  1. 1Choosing both options, or hedging so much that no choice is visible.
  2. 2Listing three or four thin reasons instead of developing two.
  3. 3Forgetting that this is a survey reply, and writing it as an essay with no reader in mind.
How Writing is scored
Content / Coherence
Whether your ideas are relevant, developed and easy to follow from one sentence to the next.
Vocabulary
The range and accuracy of your word choice, including how naturally words go together.
Readability
Grammar, spelling, punctuation and paragraphing — how easily a reader gets through it.
Task Fulfillment
Whether you did everything the prompt asked, in the register the situation calls for.
Model answersthe same prompt, four levels

These are the answers our scorer was calibrated against. Reading a CLB 5 beside a CLB 11 for the same prompt is the fastest way to see what a level actually means. CLB 9 is marked as the target because it is the level that earns maximum language points for Express Entry.

CLB 5112 words

I prefer Option A, the library. I think library is good for my community. Many people can use library. Student can study there and use computer. Children can read book too. Old people can go and relax, they dont need to exercise. Library is quiet and free for everyone, this is good for family who dont have much money. Fitness centre is ok but not everyone like exercise. Some people have health problem so cannot do it. Library help more people because everyone can use it, not just people who like sports. So I choose library because it is good for all people in my community and everyone can use it easy.

Now do it yourself and find out where you land

A model answer shows you the target. It cannot tell you whether your own writing hits it — that is a CLB level for each criterion, with the sentences that earned it.

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Questions people ask
Do I have to pick one option in Writing Task 2?
Yes. Commit to one choice and justify it. A clear position supported with reasons scores higher than weighing both options without deciding.
What vocabulary raises a Writing Task 2 score?
Precise opinion phrases, varied reasoning connectors and accurate comparison language. The higher-CLB entries below are exactly this kind of vocabulary.
The other 22 Survey Response prompts0 free
  • ·Shipyard Festival Location Survey
  • ·Neighbourhood Transportation Funding Survey
  • ·University Course Delivery Survey
  • ·Affordable Housing Funding Priority
  • ·Reading Habits Survey
  • ·Healthcare Access Funding Priority
  • ·Ice-Skating Rink Survey
  • ·Property Crime Prevention Survey
  • ·Hospital Expansion Survey
  • ·Electric Scooter Safety Policy
  • ·Community Centre Volunteer Survey
  • ·Traffic Congestion Policy
  • ·Wildfire Prevention Survey
  • ·Road Construction Scheduling
  • ·New School Curriculum Survey
  • ·Community Program Schedule
  • ·Employee Benefits Survey
  • ·Waste Management Policy
  • ·Employee Promotion Survey
  • ·University Final Exams
  • ·Main Street Bike Lanes Survey
  • ·Restaurant Relocation
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Writing Task 2: Responding to Survey Questions — Free Practice With Model Answers at CLB 5–11 | ExamStep