CELPIP Speaking Task 8: Describing an Unusual Situation

What you need to do

What you'll see on the test

• 30 seconds to prepare, then 60 seconds to speak.
• The picture and the situation stay on the screen while you speak.
• You speak to the person named in the task, as if you were on the phone with them.
• The task usually has two parts: describe the object, then explain why it is good for them, or whether they should buy it.

What the test is looking for

Step-by-step strategy

1. 1

   Read the task, then look at the picture

   Check who you're calling and what they need. The second part of the task (why it suits them) shapes your whole answer.

2. 2

   Start by comparing it to something familiar

   "It's a normal bike helmet, but with turn signals on the back, like a car." One sentence like this helps the listener picture it right away.

3. 3

   Then add the details

   Describe the colour, size, shape and what it's made of, then the special part: where it is and what it does.

4. 4

   Explain how it works

   Say what the person would do with it: "You press a button, and the arrow lights up." Keep it simple.

5. 5

   Connect it to the person

   Finish with why it fits their problem or situation from the task. This is the part many people forget.

Useful phrases

Common mistakes

• ✗Saying "you have to see it" or "it's hard to explain".

  The person can't see it, so describing it is the whole task. Start with a comparison to something familiar.

• ✗Describing the background instead of the object.

  The store or room around it doesn't matter much. Spend your time on the object itself.

• ✗Forgetting the second part of the task.

  Save 15–20 seconds to explain why it's useful for the person, or whether they should buy it.

• ✗Inventing features that aren't in the picture.

  Describe what you can see. You can guess how it works, but keep it realistic and based on the picture.

Example with answer

Example 1

Task

You are in a bike shop and you see this unusual helmet. Your brother rides his bike to work every day and says drivers often don't see his hand signals. Call your brother. Describe the helmet so he can picture it, and explain why it might be good for him.

Sample answer (what the speaker says)

Hey Sam, it's me! I'm at the bike shop downtown, and I just found the perfect thing for you. Remember how you said drivers never see your hand signals? Well, this helmet has turn signals built in, just like a car! So, it looks like a normal bike helmet. It's dark grey, kind of matte, with lots of air holes on the top to keep your head cool. But on the back, near the bottom, there are two bright orange lights shaped like arrows. One points left and one points right. When you're about to turn left, the left arrow lights up and flashes, so the drivers behind you know exactly where you're going. There's also a little dial at the back so you can make it tighter or looser. I think it would be great for you, because you ride in heavy traffic every morning, and it's still dark when you leave in the winter. You could keep both hands on the handlebars, and you'd be much safer. Do you want me to buy one for you?

Why it works: The speaker talks to Sam like a real phone call and gives the main idea first ("a bike helmet with turn signals, like a car"), so he can picture it right away. Then they describe the colour, the air holes, the shape and position of the lights, and how they work. The last part connects the helmet to Sam's problem from the task. It fills about 60 seconds.

Questions students ask