Do you have a CELPIP test coming up? Are you starting
to get nervous? Are you worried about how to prepare for the test? How you will
do in the four CELPIP skills areas—listening, speaking, reading, and writing?
We get it. Tests and exams of any kind make us anxious. Some people still have
nightmares about giving a math test even years after having finished school. It
never gets easy, but preparation can give you a lot of confidence. Follow these
tips below and we promise, CELPIP will be a breeze.
CELPIP
Skills Areas
Remember all four areas are equally important and that
you can’t afford to take any section lightly. When you’re taking your sample tests,
follow these guidelines and apply the same rules when you’re giving the test
for real.
TIPS
FOR THE WRITING SECTION
Read
the Instructions
Follow all the instructions carefully and make sure
you have answered all parts of the question. Sometimes when test takers are in
a rush, they skip parts of the instructions and don’t realize their mistake
until it’s too late.
Pro-tip: Slow down, take your time and be thorough.
Structure
and Organize Your Writing
Start with a quick outline and write down all your
ideas and thoughts in the order you will expand on them. Depending on the task:
being asked to write an email or respond to a survey question, don’t forget
simple things like addressing the person you’re writing to, the subject and the
appropriate email closings.
Pro
tip:
Split your time between outlining,
writing and revising. Keep enough time for each activity.
Pay
Attention to Grammar, Vocabulary, Word Choice
A wide range of vocabulary, error-free writing, and
appropriate word choices will get you a higher score. CELPIP has a big
advantage over IELTS here. If you make an error while writing, the screen will
alert you about the mistake in the form of a red line. Isn't that great? So
grammar and vocabulary. How can you improve these two areas?
Pro
tip: A quick brush up
on basic grammar helps. This easy to understand, helpful
blog by Grammarly is awesome if you want a refresher without getting
too bored.
Building vocabulary takes a little longer but isn’t
impossible. Pick up a good book and note down all the words you have trouble
understanding. Then go to dictionary.com, enter your word, note the meaning and
see how they use it in a sentence. Do this exercise often enough and your
vocabulary bank will be rich with new words in no time.
Another great technique to use here is finding out the
meaning of a word based on context. For example, look at this sentence from
Monkey Beach, a novel by Eden Robinson: “…be sucking my thumb next—”. He looked
around, furtively. Apparently, no one had heard. The hunters sat, stuffing
themselves with this easy meal…fruit.
Now suppose you don’t know the meaning of the word “furtively”,
let’s try to get the meaning from the context. This line is spoken by Ralph,
one of the main characters in the book. Right after he says what he does, he
looks around, as if he were embarrassed. So we can deduce that furtive might
mean secretly. If you read a few lines before and after the word you don’t know
the meaning of, in most cases, you will be able to use context to guess the
meaning.
Watch
That Word Count
The suggested word count limits are there for a
reason. You can go under or above a little but as far as possible stick to the
word count.
Pro
tip:
You will find a word counter under every
writing task. Use that as a way to keep a check on.
Always
Revise
Keep enough time to revise. If you leave time to
review your work, you will see things you missed the first time around.
Revision alone can save you a lot of marks. So don’t skip this part.
TIPS
FOR THE READING SECTION
Read,
Read, Read
We can’t stress this enough. Read novels, magazines,
short stories, articles, magazines, but not in your native language, in
English. It will be exhausting at first but stick with it because by reading
you pick up things subconsciously.
Pro
Tip:
If you’re not much of a reader, don’t go
for 300-pager novels. Pick up thin ones that are around the 120-150 page mark,
even around 200 pages. That way you won’t get overwhelmed.
Speed
Read
There’s no reason for you to go through everything
word by word. Even if you skim through, you should be able to answer the
questions. Go through the entire text once, note down any important
section/phrases/ideas that stand out for you. Then jump to the questions. This
way you will save valuable time.
Trust
your Instinct
If you have read and understood an article/essay, you
will likely know the answers to most of the questions. Read out the list of
answers and see if one matches yours, instead of referring to the text every
time.
Check
Before Moving On
Once you finish a section, make sure that you have
answered all the questions. Even if you don’t know the answer to a particular
question, select the one you feel has the highest probability of being right.
Unlike some of the other competitive exams, there’s no negative marking in
CELPIP, so it’s better to answer everything. It increases your chances of
getting a better score.
TIPS
FOR THE LISTENING SECTION
It’s important you train your ears to understand the
Canadian accent. Watch Canadian movies, TV shows, news, and radio shows,
anything that features Canadian speakers. When you come to the listening
section of the test:
Listen
Carefully
This is the most obvious advice but still the most important.
Since you cannot repeat an audio file, it is critical for you to pay attention.
Try not to get distracted when the recording is playing. Stay focussed. Keeping
notes helps, at least of parts you feel are important. You can use short
forms/abbreviations of words to help you take notes faster.
Pro
tip:
Suppose you hear something you can’t
understand, forget about it and focus on what’s being said next.
Watch
the Clock
Most sections are timed, so if you don’t know the
answer to a particular section, take a guess and move on. There’s hardly a
chance you will suddenly know the answer at the end to come back and make a
selection. Most times you may forget to go back until it’s too late, so don’t
take a chance.
TIPS
FOR THE SPEAKING SECTION
CELPIP offers free, live, interactive
lessons with their instructors to help prepare you for the speaking
section. The sessions will teach you how to handle speaking test challenges and
give you valuable tips specific to each Speaking Task.
Talk
English, Walk English, Eat English
Since CELPIP tests your ability to use English in
everyday situations, the best way to prepare for the speaking test is to talk
in English as much as possible. Talk to bus drivers, sales clerks, café staff,
friends, and family; anyone you can find. Because the more you speak, the more
confident you will become.
Pro
Tip:
Unlike IELTS where an examiner converses
with you, CELPIP is delivered entirely through a computer, including the
speaking test. You can use your phone as a recording device and speak into it
so you can be used to having a non-human test experience.
Take
Your Time
Just like we do in real life, take a few seconds to
figure out how you’re going to respond to a question.
Talk
Clearly and Slowly
Even if you’re feeling nervous, try to speak calmly.
Before you start the test, you will be asked to test the recording device. This
is when you figure out what volume, the speed you want to talk at. Also how far
or close you want to be to the microphone. And most importantly, answer all the
prompts as well as you can. Prompts are timed, so remember to stay on topic and
not ramble. If you catch yourself doing that, pull back and return to the
topic.
Reduce
Filler/Favorite Go-To Words
When you’re taking the speaking test, it’s important
to not use too many filler words: umm, like, actually, you know, right, O.K.,
so etc.; you get the idea. The point is to show you’re comfortable speaking
English. Again, that comfort and confidence will only come when you talk in
English often with different people.
Do
Not Try To Change the Way You Speak
Putting on an accent is never advisable so don’t try
to speak like a “Canadian” or an “American”. You may end up losing marks. Speak
the way you normally speak and just focus on speaking correctly.
Keep taking sample tests to get better, and don’t
forget to time yourself. There are lots of resources online, but the official CELPIP website
is your best for accurate information on everything about the test.
If you still need help with CELPIP preparation, you
may want to look at prep courses, like the one offered by Ashton
College. Once you're ready for your CELPIP exam, book it at one of Ashton Testing Services test centers located in Vancouver and Abbotsford, BC.
Good luck. We know you’ll do well.
