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It is a huge mistake to take the test without any preparation regardless of how good your English ability is.

Top 10 Free Resources for Your CELPIP Preparation (Updated August 2021)

10 free CELPIP materials to help you get better scores


Still looking for CELPIP practice materials? We have collected 10 different resources that you can use for your CELPIP test preparation, and the last one is crucial to your success. It is a huge mistake to take the test without any preparation regardless of how good your English ability is. Before you arrive at your CELPIP test centre, make sure that you have done all you can to avoid the need to re-take the test.


1. CELPIP Paragon (YouTube, free mock test, webinars)

Paragon Testing Enterprises is the administrator of the CELPIP test. They provide some free official CELPIP resources to test-takers as well. When you create an account, you will be given an additional free CELPIP mock test on top of what's available to the general public. This is a good way to know what the test is like. You can take the first mock test on your first day, and take the second one just before your test.


Paragon also hosts regular webinars from time to time. Some of the recorded webinars can be found on their Youtube channel along with other CELPIP related content. At the very least, complete the free CELPIP practice tests/mock tests you get from Paragon before your CELPIP exam. By doing so, you will become more familiar with the test format.


2. Presto English (YouTube channel, free speaking guide, sample test)

Many people have expressed their frustration over the difficulty of finding CELPIP related content on the internet. Presto English brought you a comprehensive list of videos on all CELPIP-related topics from sample tests to practical study tips and test tips. Free practice tests can also be found in our YouTube channel. 


Highly-rated paid training is also offered. Simply watch the videos and take notes of the tips to get a high score in this language proficiency test. When you visit our website, you will also receive our study guide for speaking at no cost (Free!!).


3. Podcast / Speeches

To practice listening and speaking, test takers need to practice regularly to improve listening comprehension. Listen to podcasts on a regular basis. We recommend doing it daily. How do we practice with them? I suggest the 3-step listening method.

  1. Listen without looking at the script. It’s okay if you don’t understand everything you hear. At the end, ask yourself what the person is talking about, what the main points are.
  2. Listen once again, but this time you can read the script and catch the words that you missed the first time.
  3. Imitate the speaker as you play the clip and read the script out loud at the same time. Focus on rhythm, pronunciation, and intonation. Then, ask yourself another question. What additional information did you obtain this time that maybe you missed the first time?

Examples:

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcasts/documentaries/the-secret-life-of-canada/

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcasts/comedy/personal-best/

TED Talks


4. Canadian Media

When you have some free time, tune in to some Canadian news broadcast. You can always head to national or regional news websites. There will be a plethora of information available, mostly for free. They have news articles, news clips, editorials, and much more. You can probably learn about the more 'formal' style or writing. For reading, try to read a few articles daily. This is great for boosting your English proficiency.

When you listen to news clips, that is very similar to what you will encounter in CELPIP listening task 4. Knowledge of Canadian content is not necessary, but using Canadian media to practice will give you some ideas of what the topics may be like.


5. Drama scripts

This might not be something that many students thought of, but they can be excellent resources for us to broaden our vocabulary range and learn common expressions in conversations. In CELPIP, it's important to use everyday expressions that are commonly used by native speakers. Test takers should not give the raters the impression that they are not fluent in English by using awkward phrases or sentences.

Examples:

http://goodschoolplays.com/index.php/quick-script-index/

https://proplay.ws/

http://www.dramatix.org.nz/scripts


6. Free grammar checkers

Do you still struggle with your grammar? The best way to address that is to have a tutor or teacher help you. However, if that’s not feasible, you can try the free version of grammar checker apps like Grammarly or ProWritingAid. With the help of a grammar checker, you can still identify your basic grammar errors as well as typos. It’s such a shame to make minor grammar errors that can be easily avoided had we been more careful. I have seen many students make spelling errors or use the wrong tenses despite the spellchecker and reminders and given to them.


7. Online magazines

Magazines will have articles that are presented in a different format from news articles. Reading magazines that cover different topics will help expand your vocabulary. What do we need to do with these articles? You can also follow this 3-step method for reading mastery:

  1. Read the whole article to understand the thesis of the passage. Don’t stop to check words you don’t know, but feel free to mark them.
  2. Go back to the difficult words, and try to make sense of them based on the context and sentences around them. Then, confirm the meaning by looking up the dictionary. Write down new words that you learn in your notebook.
  3. Practice paraphrasing the main ideas of the paragraphs that you read.

Examples: Discover Magazine, Canadian Encyclopedia


8. IELTS sample writing task 1

Can't find CELPIP writing samples for task 1? Many test takers have probably heard of the IELTS test. This English test has some similarities to CELPIP. The truth is you can easily find IELTS writing samples for task 1 (General module) on the internet. It has a very similar format, i.e. writing an email. When you read other people's writing, analyze how they approach the topic, how they begin their letters, how they elaborate on their ideas, organize them, and close the email. It's better if you read higher-level responses. For beginners, you can start by doing something easy first. Read a sample topic and a sample answer. Then, re-write the sample answer using your own words. You will use the same ideas and supporting ideas. Pay attention to the format and commonly used phrases such as the greeting or the closing sentence.


9. Letters from readers

Even though this is not a practice test, this can still be useful to develop writing style for CELPIP writing task 2, responding to a survey. Individuals often send letters to newspaper companies to voice their opinions on certain topics. Analyze how those people express their opinions, what kind of opinion markers are used (e.g. in my opinion, I believe, etc). These real-life examples of how the English language is used are going to be valuable. Write down interesting words or phrases you found in the letters.

Examples:

Globe & Mail letters Letters to the Editor

New York Times Letters to the Editor


10. Your notes

This is probably one of the most important resources of all for test takers. You should take notes while preparing for the test. The notes will help you review the information you’ve gathered to date. Your notes will save you time when you need to go back to certain topics that you forget or simply reviewing your weaknesses.


To complete your preparation, sign up for 7-day CELPIP training by Presto English. Our 5-star rated training is online, so people with a busy schedule can still join us. You will get individualized feedback from the CELPIP-certified instructor during the training. Good luck!

3 Comments
Anna
Posted on  29/11/2020 09:37 For CELPIP Speaking and Writing sample responses for each level, go to celpip.ca/prepare-for-celpip/score-comparison-chart. It will be under CELPIP Score Comparison Chart.
Gursewak Singh
Posted on  06/09/2022 03:42 Nice content you have recommended over here can you please tell about Canadian Funny and Daily conversational channel only that YouTube channel those are using Canadian English or accent
Marcus
Posted on  06/09/2022 03:59 Hi @gursewak, you can look up some Canadian TV shows like Mr. D or Kim's Convenience. They surely will give you chuckles :)
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