Video lessons · CELPIP · 3:07
CELPIP Writing Task 2: How the Survey Response Is Marked
CELPIP Writing Task 2 gives you 26 minutes and 150-200 words to answer a survey: choose one of two options and explain why. It is marked in four categories.
Narration is a synthetic voice. Captions are on in the player.
Transcript
CELPIP Writing Task 2 is the survey response. In this lesson, what the task asks for, and how the official marking categories apply to your answer.
The official overview describes the task in one line. Respond to an opinion survey, choose between two options, and explain your choice. In other words, why is it better?
You have twenty six minutes to complete it.
And you write one hundred and fifty to two hundred words. The screen shows an automatic word count.
One difference from Task 1. The overview says there is no need to use email format here.
On the screen, the background information is on the left side, and the specific instructions are on the right side. You also get basic editing tools and a spellcheck.
Now, how the answer is marked. The official performance standards name four categories.
They are Content and Coherence, Vocabulary, Readability, and Task Fulfillment.
Content and Coherence looks at the number of ideas, the quality of ideas, how they are organized, and your examples and supporting details.
Vocabulary looks at word choice, suitable use of words and phrases, their range, and precision and accuracy.
Readability looks at format and paragraphing, connectors and transitions, grammar and sentence structure, and spelling and punctuation.
Task Fulfillment looks at relevance, completeness, tone, and word count.
Here is what that means in practice. These two openings are our own examples, not official samples, and we are not giving them a score.
Imagine a survey about a new community building, a library or a sports centre. This is our own made up question.
The first opening only says it likes the library, because libraries are good. The second names its choice, and adds a reason with a detail: students need a quiet place after school.
Now our own reading, against the official factors. The second answers the survey's question, which is relevance. It explains why its choice is better, which is what the task asks. And it has a reason with a supporting detail.
Finally, a simple check you can run before time is up.
This is our advice, built from the official list. First, did you choose one option? Second, did you explain why it is better, with details? Third, is it in paragraphs, with connectors? Fourth, is it within the word range?
Details can change, so check the official CELPIP pages before your test. You can practise on examstep.ca.
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Sources
Every figure in the lesson comes from these official pages. Details can change, so check them before you book.
CELPIP — Test format (section times, scores)checked 2026-10-24
- CELPIP Writing tasks: 2 tasks
CELPIP-General Overview, Participant Package (PDF: Writing summary p.17, Writing performance standards p.7)checked 2026-10-25
- CELPIP Writing length (each task): 150–200 words
- CELPIP Writing scoring categories: Content/Coherence, Vocabulary, Readability, Task Fulfillment
- CELPIP Writing Task 2 time: 26 minutes
- CELPIP Writing Task 2: what the task asks: choose between two options
- CELPIP Writing Task 2: email format not needed: No need to use email format
- CELPIP Writing screen: background left, instructions right: left side
- CELPIP Writing tools: Automatic word count
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