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CELPIP FAQ: the test, scores, and this site
Plain answers for people booking CELPIP-General or practising here. Official scores still come from Paragon; what we return on Writing and Speaking is an estimate against the published rubric.
01
The CELPIP test
Format, timing, where you sit it, and how it compares with IELTS.
How long is the CELPIP General test?
About three hours in one sitting: Listening 47–55 minutes, Reading 55–60 minutes, Writing 53–60 minutes and Speaking 15–20 minutes. Add roughly 30 minutes for check-in and equipment checks at the test centre.
What are the 20 parts of CELPIP General?
Listening has six scored parts (L1–L6), Reading four (R1–R4), Writing two (W1 email and W2 survey) and Speaking eight (S1–S8). Listening Part 5 is a video. The four sections always run in that order on test day.
Can I take the CELPIP test online from home?
No. CELPIP-General is delivered only at authorised test centres. There is no at-home proctored version. You will need government ID, and you sit the whole test on the centre’s computer.
Is CELPIP easier than IELTS?
Difficulty of the language is comparable to IELTS General. CELPIP is fully computer-based, uses Canadian English only, has no handwritten essay and no live speaking examiner. Which test feels easier depends on whether you prefer typing, recorded speaking and North American accents over the IELTS mix of paper or computer and a face-to-face interview.
How many times can I retake CELPIP?
Paragon lets you register for no more than one test session within five calendar days. A second booking inside that window can be cancelled by them. After that gap there is no published cap on attempts. Official results are valid for two years for most IRCC programs. Moving or cancelling a date you already booked follows a different rule.
What is the difference between CELPIP-General and CELPIP-General LS?
CELPIP-General is the four-skill test IRCC uses for permanent residence. CELPIP-General LS is Listening and Speaking only, used for Canadian citizenship applications. This site practises the four-skill General test.
02
CLB scores and immigration
What Express Entry and citizenship actually require, and how CELPIP maps to CLB.
What CLB score do I need for Canadian PR?
Express Entry’s Federal Skilled Worker program requires a minimum of CLB 7 in each of the four abilities. CLB 9 across the board unlocks the maximum language points in the Comprehensive Ranking System. Because the minimum applies per section, your lowest band decides eligibility, not the average.
What CELPIP score is CLB 9?
On CELPIP-General, a score of 9 in a skill is CLB 9 for that skill. You need 9 in Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking separately to claim CLB 9 language points. A 10 or above is CLB 10+ and can add further points in some profiles.
How long does it take to prepare for CELPIP?
If you already function in English around CLB 7, three to six weeks of focused work (about an hour a day) is a common window to learn the format and close leaks. Starting further below that usually means two to three months. The format itself is learnable; the band is not.
What score do I need for Canadian citizenship?
Citizenship applications that need proof of language typically accept CELPIP-General LS at CLB 4 or higher in Listening and Speaking. Confirm the current IRCC table before you book. Program rules change, and this site is not an immigration advisor.
03
Practice on celpiptest
What is free, what Pro unlocks, and how mocks and scoring work here.
Is celpiptest free, and do I need an account?
Listening and Reading: 2 practice sets per part with no account, 5 after you create a free account (progress is saved). Writing and Speaking: the first task of every part (W1, W2 and S1–S8) with a free account. That account also includes one full mock exam, with an AI estimate on Writing and Speaking. Pro unlocks every published set and the rest of the mock catalog.
What does Pro include, and how much does it cost?
Pro is CAD $9 per week or CAD $24 per month, billed in Canadian dollars. It includes every published practice set across the 20 parts, the mock exams beyond the one included with a free account, AI scoring for Writing and Speaking, strategy courses and vocabulary bundles. Cancel anytime from account billing. The free tier stays free.
Can I take a mock exam section by section?
Yes. Take Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking in any order across multiple sittings. Each section is individually timed and autosaves. Your composite band appears once all four have been submitted.
How accurate is the AI scoring for Writing and Speaking?
The model scores against the same four published criteria human raters use (Content, Vocabulary, Readability/Listenability, Task Fulfillment) and returns a CLB estimate plus per-criterion notes. Treat it as a direction finder, not an official result. It is useful for spotting missed prompt elements, thin development and repeated grammar patterns.
Do the mock exams match the real CELPIP timing?
Yes. Section clocks follow the official windows: Listening 47–55 minutes, Reading 55–60, Writing 53–60, Speaking 15–20. Listening Part 5 is a video because it is a video on test day. Audio in the other Listening parts plays once.
Where can I find every practice set?
The question bank lists every published set across Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. Filter by section or part, or search by title. Free sets open without an account; the rest need Pro.
04
Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking
How each section works on test day, and how to practise it here.
Does Listening audio play more than once?
On the real test, each recording plays once. Practice here does the same in timed mode so you cannot lean on a replay the exam will not give you. Use the preview seconds to mark keywords before the clip starts.
How many words should I write in CELPIP Writing?
Both tasks ask for 150–200 words. W1 (email) has about 27 minutes; W2 (survey) about 26. Going well under 150 usually means underdeveloped ideas. Going well over 200 spends time you do not have and tends to add grammar errors.
How long do I have on each Speaking task?
Speaking is 15–20 minutes across eight tasks. Each task gives a short prep window (typically 30 seconds) and a 30–90 second response, depending on the part. You record into a microphone; there is no examiner in the room.
Why do people run out of time in Reading?
Reading is 55–60 minutes across four parts, and the later texts are long. Parts 1–4 are separately timed on the real test. Practise finishing each part inside its window rather than treating the hour as one pool of time.
05
Account, billing and email
Sign-in, Pro cancellation, refunds and stopping reminder mail.
How do I cancel Pro?
This cancels practice on celpiptest, not an official CELPIP test booked with Paragon. Open Account → Billing and cancel from there. You keep Pro until the end of the period you already paid for. After that the account returns to the free tier (5 Listening/Reading sets per part, and the first Writing and Speaking task of every part). Prices are in CAD.
Can I get a refund?
Charges are generally final. As a courtesy, if you ask within 14 days of your first paid charge on a given plan and you have used fewer than 3 AI-scored Writing or Speaking submissions in that period, we refund the most recent charge. Email support@celpiptest.org from the address on the account.
I cannot sign in. What should I do?
Use the forgot-password page to reset from the email on the account. If you never received the verification email, check spam, then use the link on the verify-email page to resend. Still stuck: write to us from the feedback form with the address you registered.
How do I stop study reminder and product emails?
Every marketing message includes an unsubscribe link. You can also turn product updates and study reminders off under Account → Profile. Transactional mail (sign-in, receipts, password resets) still sends because the account cannot work without it.
06
Technical problems
Audio, microphone, scoring delays and what to send us when something breaks.
Listening audio or the Part 5 video will not play.
Allow autoplay and sound for this site in the browser, then refresh. Try another browser if a blocker is stripping media. On the real test you cannot replay; if practice audio fails entirely, note the part and the browser and send a bug report.
The microphone is not recording on Speaking.
Grant microphone permission when the browser asks, and check the system input is not muted. Speaking tasks need a working mic: there is no upload-a-file fallback, because test day is a headset in a centre. Chrome or Edge on a computer is the most reliable setup.
My Writing or Speaking score has not come back.
Scoring usually returns within a minute. If a result stays pending, wait a short while and refresh the attempt. A long outage is worth a bug report with the part, the time, and whether you are on Pro.
Still stuck?
If the answer is not here, send a message. Bugs, billing and “how do I…” questions all go to the same form. For study strategy, the guides go deeper than a FAQ can.