CELPIP Writing Samples With Level Breakdowns
20 original sample answers: 5 Task 1 emails and 5 Task 2 survey responses, each shown at a high level (9 to 11) and a mid level (5 to 7) on the same prompt. Every sample is rated on Content/Coherence, Vocabulary, Readability and Task Fulfillment, the four categories official raters use, so you can see exactly what moves an answer up a level.
Updated October 20, 2026
How to use these samples
Most CELPIP writing samples online show one "perfect" answer. That tells you little, because the question on test day is not "what does a great email look like" but "what is my email missing". Each page here puts two answers to the same prompt side by side. Read the mid-level answer first and try to spot its weaknesses, then compare your list with the corrections. Then read the high-level answer and the passages marked as evidence of level 9 and above. Finally, write your own answer to the prompt and get it scored: the scorer uses the same four categories and quotes the same kind of evidence.
All prompts and answers are original and were written for this site in the official format (a situation with three bullet points for Task 1; a survey with two options for Task 2). None of them are test questions, and the levels are our judgement against the official performance standards, not official scores.
Task 1 samples: writing an email
Task 1 gives you 27 minutes to write an email of 150–200 words that covers three bullet points in a tone that fits the reader. The Task 1 guide explains the format; these samples show it done well and done adequately.
- Renovation noise from the apartment upstairs
Levels 10 and 6 · formal tone
- A community-centre course that changed halfway
Levels 9 and 7 · formal tone
- A friend wants to visit next month
Levels 9 and 5 · friendly tone
- Cancelling a gym membership before moving
Levels 11 and 7 · formal tone
- Proposing a carpool to a coworker
Levels 9 and 6 · semi-formal tone
Task 2 samples: responding to survey questions
Task 2 gives you 26 minutes to choose one of two options and defend the choice in 150–200 words. The Task 2 guide covers the structure; these samples show how reasons become arguments.
- Longer weekday evenings or Sunday opening at the library
Levels 10 and 6
- Working from home or a four-day week
Levels 9 and 7
- A playground or a community garden
Levels 11 and 5
- School uniforms at the local elementary school
Levels 9 and 6
- Free transit for students or a cheaper pass for everyone
Levels 10 and 7
What the levels mean
CELPIP levels equal CLB levels, so a writing level 9 is CLB 9. The samples cover the range most test takers care about:
- Level 5–6: understandable and complete, but errors in most sentences and ideas that stay general. Enough for some provincial programs; not enough for Express Entry points.
- Level 7–8: organised, complete, with noticeable but non-blocking errors. CLB 7 is the common minimum for the Canadian Experience Class and the Federal Skilled Worker Program.
- Level 9: developed ideas with specific support, a good range of vocabulary, few and minor errors. CLB 9 in all four abilities unlocks the higher skill-transferability points.
- Level 10–11: fluent, precise, nuanced writing with almost no errors. CLB 10 gives the maximum language points in the Comprehensive Ranking System.
See the scoring guide for the full level table and what raters look for in each category, and the tips for level 9 and above.
What a level 9 sample has that a level 7 sample does not
Reading the 10 pairs side by side, the same differences come up every time. They map directly onto the four categories the raters use:
| Category | In the mid-level samples (5–7) | In the high-level samples (9–11) |
|---|---|---|
| Content / Coherence | Three reasons, each a single general sentence ("the parking is a big problem"); nothing illustrated. | Two reasons, each with a scene, a number or a consequence ("last week I circled the block three times before giving up and paying for the garage"); a concession before the conclusion. |
| Vocabulary | "Very" plus an adjective; the same nouns repeated; collocations translated from another language ("make exercise", "lose time to choose"). | Precise verbs and natural collocations ("outgrow", "cut the bill roughly in half", "pays for itself", "on tight budgets"). |
| Readability | Short sentences joined by "and", "but", "so"; article, preposition and agreement errors in most sentences; comma splices. | A mix of short and long sentences; one correct concession or cleft structure; cohesive devices beyond the basic four; errors rare and minor. |
| Task Fulfillment | All bullet points present but brief; tone slips ("Dear Manager" then "Please you can"); a conclusion that repeats the choice. | Every point developed; a tone that fits the reader from greeting to sign-off; a request the reader can act on, often with a fallback. |
The errors that recur in the mid-level samples
Ten mid-level answers, written to be typical, produced the same short list of errors. If you make any of these, they are the cheapest marks to win back:
- For and since: "has been renovating for three weeks" (duration), "since September" (starting point).
- Prepositions of time: "on Saturday", "on November 12", "on weekends", "in the morning", "at 7 a.m.".
- Articles: "a very beautiful place", "the library", "a playground", "Option B" (no article).
- Countables: "fewer cars", "fewer mistakes", "children" (no -s), "lives" after a plural subject.
- Comparatives: "easier", "nicer", "cheaper"; "more" only with long adjectives.
- Verb patterns: "want to visit", "suggest that we carpool", "explain the steps to me", "spend an hour going".
- Requests: "Could you please talk to the tenant?" rather than "Please you can talk".
- Comma splices: two full sentences need a period, a semicolon or a conjunction.
The tips page turns this list into a final-five-minutes checklist.
How to write your own sample in test time
- Two minutes of notes. Task 1: the reader and the tone, then one concrete detail per bullet point. Task 2: the option you can support best, two reasons, one example each.
- Eighteen minutes of drafting. Task 1: greeting, purpose line, one paragraph per bullet, closing line, sign-off. Task 2: choice and thesis, two reason paragraphs, concession and conclusion. Aim for 170–190 words.
- Five minutes of checking. Bullet points or thesis, tone, word count, then the error list above.
- Score it. Every sample page links to the scorer with its prompt preloaded; the practice page has all 16 prompts with the timer. Compare your category ratings with the sample's and rewrite once.
Reading a sample page
Each page has the same parts, in this order: the prompt as the test shows it; the high-level answer with its word count, a table of the four category ratings and why, and the quoted passages that show level-9 features; the mid-level answer with its ratings and the corrections, each with the rule; a short list of what separates the two; and a button that opens the scorer on that prompt. Start with the mid-level answer and try to find its errors before you read the corrections.
Questions about the samples
Are these real CELPIP writing samples from the test?
No. Test items are confidential. These are original prompts written in the official format (a situation with three bullet points for Task 1, a survey with two options for Task 2) and original answers written for this site, with levels assigned by us against the official performance standards.
Can I memorise a high-level sample and use it on the test?
It will not work: your prompt will be different, and an answer that does not address its bullet points or options loses Task Fulfillment marks, a quarter of the task. Use the samples to learn the moves (one detail per paragraph, a concession before the conclusion, precise verbs), not the sentences.
Why show a mid-level answer at all?
Because most test takers write at level 6–8, and the fastest way up is to recognise your own habits in a text at that level. Each mid-level sample lists the corrections with the rule, so you can check which ones you make.
How were the levels decided?
Each answer was written to show the features of its target level in all four categories (Content/Coherence, Vocabulary, Readability, Task Fulfillment) and then rated category by category. The levels are our judgement; they are not official scores. The same answers were used to calibrate the AI scorer, and 25 of 28 scorer estimates were within one level of ours.
How many words are the samples?
Between 145 and 208 words, around the official recommendation of 150–200. The exact count is shown above each sample; the two that run slightly over show that a few extra words are not penalised.
Practice on the same prompts
Every sample page links to the scorer preloaded with its prompt. You can also pick any of the 16 original prompts on the practice page, set the test timer, and get an estimated level with corrections and a model answer in under a minute. For the test rules themselves, the official page is celpip.ca, Test Format & Scoring.