Understand CELPIP-General and General LS, all four skills, test timings, question types, scoring criteria, approximate raw-score ranges and CELPIP levels.
By Master English Australia · Sources checked 9 October 2026
A computer-delivered test of everyday English, with Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking in one sitting. Speaking is recorded using a microphone; there is no separate interview with an examiner.
46–55 minutes
6 parts · 38 scored questions
43–56 minutes
4 parts · 38 scored questions
53 minutes
2 tasks
15 minutes
8 tasks
Allow about three hours for General; the provider describes the test as under three hours. Section ranges are not fixed appointment lengths. Official overview.
All four skills. Home Affairs lists this CELPIP version for tests taken on or after 7 August 2025 at a secure test centre; General LS is not listed. It is also used for Canadian immigration and other purposes where the receiving authority accepts it.
Check Australian test dates and skill requirements →Listening and Speaking only, about 70 minutes. It is used for Canadian citizenship purposes and is not accepted for Australian visas. It does not provide Reading or Writing results.
Check the exact Canadian test requirement before booking; LS is not a substitute when four skills are required.
Confirm the accepted version with the authority receiving your scores. CELPIP test versions; Home Affairs accepted English tests.
Listen for the situation, important details and what speakers mean. The scored question counts below total 38.
| Part | Focus | Questions | What to practise |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Problem solving | 8 | Follow a practical problem and the proposed solution. |
| 2 | Daily-life conversation | 5 | Track the situation, details and speakers’ intentions. |
| 3 | Information | 6 | Find key facts and understand explanations. |
| 4 | News item | 5 | Identify the main event and supporting details. |
| 5 | Discussion | 8 | Distinguish speakers’ attitudes and points of agreement. |
| 6 | Viewpoints | 6 | Follow an argument and recognise the speaker’s position. |
Listening and Reading include test-development items that do not contribute to your result. You cannot identify them, so answer every question carefully. Their presence helps explain timing variation.
Counts: official 2026 overview study pack; timing and unscored-item explanation: official format.
Read messages, information and opinions, and use a diagram to answer practical questions. The scored parts also total 38 questions.
| Part | Focus | Questions | What to practise |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Correspondence | 11 | Read a message and follow its purpose, details and implied meaning. |
| 2 | Applying a diagram | 8 | Connect a visual reference with the situation in the question. |
| 3 | Information | 9 | Locate and connect information across a text. |
| 4 | Viewpoints | 10 | Compare positions and recognise the writer’s attitude. |
Practise finding evidence and recognising paraphrases. A choice can use familiar words while still giving the wrong meaning.
Respond to an everyday situation in about 150–200 words. Address every requested point and choose a tone suitable for the recipient.
Choose between options and explain your preference in about 150–200 words. Support your choice with relevant reasons; this response does not need email formatting.
The test provides a word count, basic editing tools and spellcheck. These help with editing, but they do not develop ideas, choose your tone or check every grammar error for you. Official task guidance.
Practise clearer sentence structures →Respond to text or image prompts. Each task has preparation and speaking time shown on screen. Follow that timer and speak for the listener and purpose in the prompt.
Make practical suggestions and explain why they help.
Tell a clear story with a sequence and relevant detail.
Give an overview, then describe what you can see.
Explain what might happen next and why.
Choose an option, compare it with the alternative and persuade your listener.
Explain a decision tactfully and respond to the situation.
State a position and support it with reasons and examples.
Describe unfamiliar details clearly for your listener.
In comparing and persuading, the first screen is for choosing an option; recording comes later. Use the official sample tests to experience the screens and task timers.
Answers are computer-marked as correct or incorrect; blank answers are incorrect. Raw results are adjusted for differences in test difficulty before being converted to a CELPIP level.
Qualified human raters assess responses using performance standards. Multiple raters review each component; a word count or number of sophisticated words alone cannot determine your level.
Develop relevant ideas and organise them so your meaning is easy to follow.
Choose accurate, appropriate words and use enough range to express your meaning precisely.
Use clear paragraphs, connections, grammar, spelling and punctuation.
Speak intelligibly with controlled rhythm, pronunciation, grammar and sentence variety.
Answer the requested points, use a suitable tone and respect the required response length.
Writing uses Readability; Speaking uses Listenability. The other three categories apply to both. These explanations summarise the official performance standards; they are not a scoring formula.
Read each skill level separately. CELPIP-General reports also include an Average, calculated from the four skill levels and rounded to the nearest whole number. General LS reports do not include this Average.
The Average is not a CLB level and is not used for IRCC purposes. A stronger skill does not compensate for another skill that falls below a required minimum. Score-report update; current score guidance.
CELPIP reports component levels up to 12. For levels 3–12, the numeric skill level aligns with the corresponding Canadian Language Benchmark. Lower reported results use 0–2; older material may show M. NA means a component was not administered.
| CELPIP level | Listening correct /38 | Reading correct /38 |
|---|---|---|
| 10–12 | 35–38 | 33–38 |
| 9 | 33–35 | 31–33 |
| 8 | 30–33 | 28–31 |
| 7 | 27–31 | 24–28 |
| 6 | 22–28 | 19–25 |
| 5 | 17–23 | 15–20 |
| 4 | 11–18 | 10–16 |
| 3 | 7–12 | 8–11 |
Different test forms have different question difficulty. The provider equates results, so the same number correct can lead to different levels. These illustrative ranges cannot separate levels 10, 11 and 12 or predict your exact official result.
The table reproduces the numerical examples on the official Results page, not a percentage conversion. No lower-level raw-score boundary is inferred here.
Try an official sample under timed conditions. Note the task types that caused difficulty, then practise those skills deliberately.
Open official free practiceBuild accurate sentences, relevant vocabulary and responses that address the whole prompt. Use teacher feedback to choose the next improvement.
Confirm the accepted test version, individual skill minima and validity rules for your purpose. Australian visa English requirements and IRCC language-test information are separate references.
No. Australia accepts CELPIP-General, which assesses all four skills. General LS assesses Listening and Speaking for Canadian citizenship purposes.
No. You record responses to on-screen prompts using a microphone; raters assess the recordings later.
No. The published Listening and Reading ranges are approximate and overlap because test forms are equated.
No. Check each required skill separately. The General Average is not used for IRCC purposes.
Yes. Spelling and punctuation contribute to Writing readability. Check the whole sentence and the word you intended.
The provider currently lists 2–4 business days. Access the official report through your CELPIP account and check current arrangements with CELPIP.
Format and scoring sources checked 9 October 2026. Preparation suggestions are Master English teaching guidance. Follow the current on-screen instructions and confirm booking and receiving-authority rules before testing.
Some provider pages still use legacy labels or give conflicting validity wording. This guide uses the current 0–2 reporting update and does not equate account access duration with acceptance validity. Check validity with the receiving authority.
