CELPIP Writing Samples with Answers
High-band CELPIP writing samples for the 2026 format. Every sample shows the prompt, a full model answer, and a clear breakdown of why it scores high, so you can copy what works into your own writing. Task 1 emails and Task 2 survey responses, added regularly.
CELPIP Writing has two tasks. Task 1 is a 150 to 200 word email, formal or informal depending on who you are writing to. Task 2 is a 150 to 200 word survey response where you choose one of two options and defend it. Both are scored on the same four criteria: Content and Coherence, Vocabulary, Readability, and Task Fulfilment. The fastest way to improve is to study strong answers, notice the patterns raters reward, then rehearse them under time pressure on a free writing mock test.
CELPIP Writing Task 1 samples with answers (email)
Realistic email prompts with band 9 to 10 responses and a breakdown of each one. Task 1 gives you 27 minutes and 150 to 200 words, and it names the person you are writing to, so the register is part of the mark.
A formal complaint email reporting a leaking ceiling, with a band 9 model answer and a line-by-line breakdown.
Read the sample → Task 1 · Informal emailAn informal email inviting a friend to your new city, with a band 9 model answer and a formal-vs-informal breakdown.
Read the sample →CELPIP Writing Task 2 samples and examples (survey response)
Opinion prompts with a clear position, developed reasons and a band 9 to 10 answer. These CELPIP Writing Task 2 examples all follow the same four moves: name your choice in sentence one, develop two reasons, concede the option you rejected, then restate. Task 2 gives you 26 minutes and needs no email format.
A survey response choosing a remote-work policy, with a band 9 model answer and a breakdown of the structure.
Read the sample →New survey samples are added regularly. Meanwhile, practise the survey task with model answers in the course.
Practise survey responses →Reading samples is step one. Step two is writing under exam conditions and getting expert feedback with an estimated CLB band. It is free.
Take a free writing mock testTwo complete CELPIP writing samples with answers
Below are two full CELPIP writing samples, one for each task, with the prompt, a complete band 9 model answer and the reasoning that earns the score. Read the answer first, then the breakdown, then write your own version of the same prompt and compare. Reading a model without writing one afterwards changes very little, because the gap is almost never in recognising good writing.
CELPIP Writing Task 1 sample with answer: an email to a landlord
Task 1 gives you 27 minutes and asks for 150 to 200 words. The prompt names who you are writing to and usually asks you to do three things, and all three have to be covered.
Task 1. You are having a problem in your apartment. Write an email to your landlord in about 150 to 200 words. In your email:
- •describe the problem
- •explain how it is affecting you
- •say what you would like the landlord to do
Subject: Urgent Repair Needed: Leaking Kitchen Ceiling, Unit 4B
Dear Mr. Thompson,
I am writing to report a plumbing problem in my apartment, Unit 4B at 120 Maple Street, that needs your urgent attention.
Since Tuesday evening, water has been dripping steadily from the kitchen ceiling, directly above the stove. The leak appears to be coming from the unit above mine, and it has already left a large brown stain and a small bulge in the drywall. I am concerned that the ceiling could give way if it is not repaired soon.
The situation is making daily life difficult. For safety reasons, I have stopped using the stove, and I am placing buckets on the counter to catch the water, which I have to empty several times a day.
Could you please arrange for a plumber to inspect both units as soon as possible, ideally within the next two days? I am happy to be home at any time that suits the repair schedule.
Thank you for looking into this promptly. I look forward to your reply.
Sincerely,
Daniel Reyes
Word count: 182. Register: formal. On test day, aim to spend about 18 to 20 minutes writing this and keep the rest for proofreading.
| Rating category | Why this answer earns the marks |
|---|---|
| Task Fulfilment | All three bullets are answered and expanded rather than mentioned. The problem is specific (a leak above the stove, a stain, a bulge), the effect is concrete (stove unusable, buckets emptied several times a day) and the request is clear and reasonable (a plumber for both units within two days). |
| Content and Coherence | One idea per paragraph, in a clean shape: purpose, problem, effect, request, close. The subject line states the issue in a few words, so the reader is oriented immediately. |
| Vocabulary | Precise rather than showy. "Dripping steadily", "bulge in the drywall", "give way" and "arrange for a plumber" are ordinary words used exactly, which scores better than ambitious words used slightly wrongly. |
| Readability | The formal register holds from "Dear Mr. Thompson" to "Sincerely", with no contractions or slang. Sentence length varies, punctuation is clean, and nothing makes the reader stop and re-read. |
CELPIP Writing Task 2 sample with answer: a survey response
Task 2 gives you 26 minutes and the same 150 to 200 words. It needs no email format at all, which is the mistake candidates make most often. You choose one of two options and defend it.
Task 2. Your company is introducing a new work policy and has asked employees for their opinion. Choose the option you prefer and explain why. Write about 150 to 200 words.
Option A: Employees work mainly from home.
Option B: Employees work mainly in the office.
I strongly support Option A, allowing employees to work mainly from home.
My first reason is productivity. In an open office I am interrupted constantly by conversations and unplanned meetings, and it takes twenty minutes to refocus each time. At home I control my environment, so demanding tasks such as report writing get finished far more efficiently.
Second, working from home removes a daily commute that costs me almost two hours. Spending that time on rest or family leaves me more energetic, and I expect the company would see less burnout and lower turnover as a result.
I do recognize the argument for Option B, that being together in person strengthens collaboration. That is a fair point, but we do not need to be in the office five days a week to achieve it. One scheduled team day each week would protect teamwork while preserving the flexibility they value.
For these reasons, a work-from-home policy is the better choice. It would raise productivity, improve well-being, and reduce costs, and any loss of collaboration can be managed with a few well-planned team days.
Word count: 182. Structure: position, reason one, reason two, counter-argument, restated conclusion.
| Rating category | Why this answer earns the marks |
|---|---|
| Task Fulfilment | Option A is chosen in the very first sentence and never wavers. Task 2 punishes fence-sitting, so a firm position stated early and restated at the end is essential. The counter-argument strengthens the choice rather than weakening it, because the objection is answered instead of ignored. |
| Content and Coherence | A four-part structure where each paragraph has one job: position, reason one, reason two, then the other side and the conclusion. Signposts like "My first reason" and "Second" carry the reader through, and the shape is easy to reproduce under time pressure. |
| Vocabulary | Topic-appropriate and varied, without reaching. The language of work, productivity, burnout, turnover and collaboration fits the survey exactly. |
| Readability | Sentence length varies, commas are used correctly, and the tone stays confident but professional, which is right for a message to an employer. |
Notice what the two answers share. Both state their purpose in the first sentence, both give concrete detail rather than general claims, and both finish with a clear request or conclusion. That shape is worth more than any individual phrase, and it is what you should carry into the exam. For the longer per-criterion breakdowns, read the full Task 1 sample and the full Task 2 sample, then write your own under exam timing on a free writing mock test and get expert feedback on it.
CELPIP writing samples as a PDF
Four further model answers, written for this file rather than repeated from the samples above, each with a breakdown of why it scores. Twelve unseen practice prompts are included at the back.
CELPIP Writing Samples PDF
Formal and informal Task 1 emails and two Task 2 survey responses, all inside 150 to 200 words, with the four rating criteria explained.
Download →CELPIP Vocabulary PDF
The words and phrases these answers are built from, grouped by the task that needs them.
Get the word list →All free CELPIP PDFs
Reading practice tests with answers, speaking topics with model answers, and the score charts.
See every download →The two CELPIP writing tasks, side by side
Both tasks are 150 to 200 words. Knowing exactly what each one asks for is most of the battle, because the marks people lose are usually task marks, not language marks.
| What is being compared | Task 1: Writing an Email | Task 2: Responding to Survey Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Time | 27 minutes | 26 minutes |
| Length | 150 to 200 words | 150 to 200 words |
| What it asks | An email about an everyday matter. You are usually asked to do around three specific things. | Choose between two options in an opinion survey and explain why your choice is better. |
| Format | Email format: greeting, body, sign-off. | No email format needed. Just a clear argument. |
| Register | Neither too formal nor too informal. Match the reader in the prompt. | Confident and reasoned, as if writing to an employer or a committee. |
| Easiest mark to lose | Answering two of the three bullets and running out of time on the third. | Sitting on the fence instead of committing to one option. |
Timing and length are from Paragon's CELPIP-General Overview Participant Package and the official test format page. The on-screen editor gives you an automatic word count and a spellchecker.
What the raters score, and what that means for your answer
Every sample on this page is annotated against the same four categories, so you can see the criteria working rather than just read a finished answer.
Task Fulfilment
Did you do everything the prompt asked? This is the cheapest band to lose. If the email asks for three things and you cover two, no amount of polish rescues it. Tick the bullets off as you write.
Content and Coherence
One idea per paragraph, in an order the reader can follow, with signposts that make the structure obvious. A predictable shape is a feature here, not a weakness.
Vocabulary
Precise and appropriate, not showy. A common word used exactly beats an advanced word used loosely, because the misfire costs you elsewhere too.
Readability
Accurate grammar, varied sentence length, consistent tone. Errors that make the reader stop and re-read are what pull this score down.
How to use these samples so they actually raise your score
- 1Write first, read second. Answer the prompt under the real clock before you look at the model. Reading a good answer feels productive and teaches you very little on its own.
- 2Compare structure, not wording. Line your paragraphs up against the model's. Did you commit to a position in sentence one? Did every bullet get its own developed answer?
- 3Steal the moves, not the sentences. Memorised sentences are obvious to raters and often do not fit the prompt. What transfers is the shape: position, two developed reasons, a handled counter-argument, a restatement.
- 4Rewrite once, to length. Redo your own answer in 150 to 200 words with the structure fixed. Hitting the range while covering everything is the skill the test is measuring.
When you are ready to do it under pressure, the free CELPIP writing mock test runs both tasks on the real clock and returns expert feedback with an estimated CLB band.
CELPIP writing templates, and why a memorised one costs you marks
Almost everyone looking for CELPIP writing samples is really looking for a shape they can reuse. That instinct is right. What people do with it is usually wrong.
A template that fixes the order of your answer helps, because Content and Coherence rewards a reader who never has to work out where they are. A template that fixes the words hurts, because a rater has seen that opening a thousand times and because a memorised sentence rarely fits the prompt in front of you. The examples on this page are deliberately written as complete answers rather than as fill-in-the-blank forms, for exactly that reason.
So use these two as skeletons and write your own sentences inside them.
Task 1 email, six lines
- Greeting that matches the reader
- One sentence saying why you are writing
- First bullet, its own paragraph
- Second bullet, its own paragraph
- Third bullet: what you want, and by when
- Sign off with your name
27 minutes, 150 to 200 words. The greeting and the sign off are scored, not decoration.
Task 2 survey response, four moves
- Your choice, in the first sentence
- Reason one, developed
- Reason two, developed
- Concede the other option, then restate
26 minutes, 150 to 200 words. Paragon states there is no need for email format here, so a greeting only spends words.
CELPIP writing tips that actually move a band
These are the patterns we see most often in the writing tests submitted here, in the order they cost marks.
- •Use the prompt's own facts. The single most common way to lose Task Fulfilment is to answer a slightly different question. If the scenario names a cracked cabinet and a missing box, write about those, not about items you invented. Spend the first minute underlining every fact you are given.
- •Give each bullet its own paragraph. A missed bullet caps the criterion no matter how good the English is, and separate paragraphs make it obvious to the rater that you covered all three.
- •Finish the last sentence. Answers that trail off mid-thought are common and they are the cheapest marks on the paper to recover. One closing line is enough.
- •Match the register to the reader. Task 1 tells you who you are writing to. A formal complaint and a note to a friend are scored against different expectations, and using the wrong one costs marks even when every sentence is correct.
- •Stay inside 150 to 200 words. The screen counts them for you, so drifting outside the band is a choice rather than an accident.
- •Spend the last four minutes proofreading for three things only: greeting and sign off present, the prompt's real details used, and a real closing sentence. That routine catches most of what is above.
Every sample here is written for the CELPIP-General writing section, which is the version taken for permanent residence. CELPIP-General LS does not include a writing section at all, so if you are sitting LS for citizenship these examples are useful practice but not part of your test.
Want more prompts to work from? The sixteen writing tests, the first one free, give you thirty-two unseen tasks, and the formal email, informal email and survey response modules walk one task type at a time with worked answers and no clock.
Reading a model answer is the easy half. When you are ready to write one on the clock, start with Test 7, which breaks down how a Task 1 question is built before you answer it, then Test 8 for a marked submission against the four rating categories. Test 12 is the one to sit if timing is your problem, since it holds you to the real 27 minutes for Task 1.
CELPIP writing samples FAQs
How long should a CELPIP writing sample be?
Paragon asks for 150 to 200 words per task, for both Task 1 and Task 2. That figure comes from the CELPIP-General Overview Participant Package. The on-screen editor shows a live word count, so you can check as you type. Going far over does not earn extra marks and eats the time you need to proofread.
How much time do I get for each writing task?
The Writing section runs 53 minutes in total: 27 minutes for Task 1 and 26 minutes for Task 2. A workable split is two to three minutes planning, about twenty minutes writing, and the last few minutes reading your answer back.
What is the difference between Task 1 and Task 2?
Task 1 is an email about an everyday matter, and it usually asks you to do around three specific things, which you must all cover. Task 2 is a response to an opinion survey where you choose between two options and explain your choice. Task 2 does not need email format at all, which is the mistake people most often make.
How formal should the Task 1 email be?
Paragon describes the register as neither too formal nor too informal. It is not an email to a close friend, but it is not a letter to a government official either. Match the reader named in the prompt: a landlord or a manager gets a polite professional tone, a friend gets a warmer one.
What do the raters actually score?
Four categories: Content and Coherence, Vocabulary, Readability, and Task Fulfilment. Task Fulfilment is the one candidates lose most easily, because missing one of the three things the prompt asked for caps your score no matter how good the English is.
Do I need advanced vocabulary to score well?
No. A high band comes from covering the task fully, organising it clearly, and writing accurately in natural language. Precise everyday words score better than showy ones used slightly wrongly, because an error costs you on Readability while the fancy word gains you little.
Can I memorise a template for CELPIP writing?
A structure helps, a script does not. Raters see the same memorised openings constantly, and a template that does not fit the prompt actively hurts Task Fulfilment. Learn the shape of a strong answer, then fill it with the specifics of the situation in front of you.
Are these CELPIP writing samples free?
Every prompt, the structure advice and the opening of each model answer are free to read. The full model answers and their breakdowns are part of a plan, and the first sample of each task type is free in full in the practice course. You can also write your own answer under exam timing in our free writing mock test and get expert feedback on it.