Use this CELPIP Speaking Task 5 template: name your choice, say what the other option does well, give the two reasons yours beats it for this particular person, then ask for agreement. Task 5 is Comparing and Persuading, and it is the only Speaking task built in two parts.
The structure is what catches people out. Part 1 gives you 60 seconds to study two options and choose one, and you do not speak at all. Part 2 gives you another 60 seconds to prepare and 60 seconds to make your case. This guide gives you the template, two worked answers, and a way to spend that silent minute that actually pays off.
#What does CELPIP Speaking Task 5 ask you to do?
Task 5 gives you a situation and two ways to solve it, and asks you to persuade someone specific to go with the one you picked.
A typical situation: you and your roommate want to reduce the noise coming in from the hallway. Option A is a door seal and sweep kit. Option B is a heavy fabric curtain. You study both, choose one, and then talk your roommate into it.
The person is always named, and that is not decoration. You are not writing a product review. You are talking one particular human into one particular decision, and the reasons that work are the ones that matter to them.
Try a Speaking Task 5 question →
#Why does the two-part structure matter?
Because the first minute is silent, and a silent minute feels like nothing is happening. It is the most valuable preparation time on the entire Speaking test, and it is the easiest to waste.
Part 1 is not a warm-up. It is the only point in the Speaking section where you get a full minute to think with no recording running and no clock counting down to speech. By the time Part 2 begins you should already know your choice, your two reasons, and the one thing you will concede about the other option.
#Which part of a Task 5 answer do learners actually miss?
Task 5 is, with Task 4, one of the two Speaking tasks our data shows learners handle well. There is no large failure here, and knowing that is useful in itself: if your Speaking level is not where you want it, Task 5 is unlikely to be the reason.
We looked at 16000 anonymised, aggregated Speaking Task 5 responses on HelloCelpip and checked each one against what the task asks for. Our evaluator judged that about 98% defended the option they chose, about 92% spoke directly to the listener, and about 89% actually compared both options rather than only praising one.
| What the task asks for | Share of responses that did it |
|---|---|
| Compared both options | about 89% |
| Spoke directly to the listener | about 92% |
| Defended the option chosen | about 98% |
The one row worth attention is the first. About one answer in nine never mentions the option it rejected. That is a comparing task with no comparison in it, and it costs marks under Task Fulfillment even when the argument itself is good.
It is an easy fix, and it takes one sentence. Naming what the other option does well is what makes your case sound considered rather than one-sided.
#A CELPIP Speaking Task 5 template you can adapt
Four moves. The concession in the middle is the one most people skip, and it is the one that makes the rest sound credible.
[Name], I have been looking at both options, and I think we should go with [your choice].
I can see why [the other option] is tempting. It is [the genuine advantage it has].
But for us, [your choice] works better for two reasons. First, [reason one, tied to something about this person or situation]. And second, [reason two, tied to something about this person or situation].
[One sentence handling the obvious objection to your choice.]
So shall we go ahead with [your choice]?The closing question does more than end the answer politely. Task 5 is scored partly on whether you sound like you are talking to a person, and a direct question is the clearest possible signal that you are.
#How do you make a reason persuasive rather than just true?
Attach it to the person you are speaking to. That is the whole difference.
| True, but not persuasive | Persuasive |
|---|---|
| The door kit is cheaper. | The kit is about a third of the price, and since you are saving for the trip in May, that difference actually matters right now. |
| The curtain looks nicer. | The curtain matches the rest of the room, and you have said before that you do not want the flat to feel like a building site. |
| It is easy to install. | We can fit it on Saturday morning in about an hour, so it will be done before your study week starts. |
The right-hand column uses the same facts. What it adds is a reason those facts matter to this listener, which is what persuasion is.
#Two worked answers
The situation for both: you and your roommate Rebecca want less hallway noise. Option A is a door seal and sweep kit. Option B is a heavy fabric curtain hung across the doorway. You have chosen the door kit.
Hi Rebecca, I think we should get the door seal and sweep kit. It is a very good product and it blocks the noise really well. It is not expensive and we can install it quite easily without any help. Many people use this kind of kit and they say it works. It will make the apartment much quieter, especially at night when there is noise in the hallway. I think it is the best solution for our problem, so we should buy it soon.
Why it loses marks: the curtain is never mentioned. A rater listening for a comparison hears a recommendation instead. The reasons are also generic, so nothing in the answer connects to Rebecca specifically, which is what the persuading half of the task is asking for.
Rebecca, I have been looking at both options, and I think we should go with the door seal kit.
I can see why the curtain is tempting. It would look softer than a strip of rubber along the bottom of the door, and you would not have to fit anything.
But for us the kit works better for two reasons. First, it seals the gap the noise is actually coming through. The curtain hangs in front of the door, so the sound still gets under it. Second, it is about a third of the price, and since you are saving for the trip in May, that difference matters right now.
I know you are worried about how it looks, but the seal sits along the bottom edge and you genuinely will not see it once the door is closed.
So shall we order the kit this week?
Why it works: the curtain gets a fair hearing before it is set aside, which makes the argument sound considered. Both reasons are tied to Rebecca rather than to the product. The objection is handled before she raises it, and the closing question keeps it a conversation.
#What are the two minutes of preparation for?
They do different jobs, and treating them the same is the most common way to waste them.
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Part 1, first 15 seconds: chooseRead both options and pick one. Neither is correct, so speed costs you nothing and hesitation costs you everything.
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Part 1, remaining 45 seconds: buildFind two reasons tied to the person, not to the product. This is the only silent minute on the Speaking test, so use it on thinking rather than on rereading.
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Part 2, 60 seconds: sequenceDecide the concession you will make about the other option, and the objection you will handle. Then fix your opening sentence so you start cleanly.
Do not spend Part 2 writing a script. A minute is not enough to memorise a minute of speech, and reading from memory is audible.
#How much do you need to say in 60 seconds?
There is no word requirement, since it is a spoken task. As a guide, Task 5 answers on HelloCelpip average about 130 words across the 60 seconds of Part 2, which is an ordinary, unhurried pace.
That is enough for the whole template: an opening, a concession, two developed reasons, an objection handled and a closing question. If you cannot fit all six, drop the objection rather than a reason.
#What do CELPIP raters listen for?
Every Speaking response is rated in four areas, published in the CELPIP Speaking Performance Standards.
Across more than 12,600 anonymised, aggregated Task 5 responses on HelloCelpip, about a third of everything our evaluator flags is a vocabulary problem, which is the wrong word or a phrase that is not how a native speaker would put it. The other three areas sit close together behind it. Persuasive language is a small, learnable set: for us, the difference is, what actually matters here, I can see why, but. Half a dozen of those, used naturally, will do more for this task than a wider vocabulary used carefully.
#Common Task 5 mistakes
- Never mentioning the option you rejected. About one answer in nine skips the comparison entirely.
- Spending Part 1 undecided. The silent minute is for building a case, not for weighing options.
- Reasons about the product instead of the person. Cheaper is a fact; cheaper and you are saving for May is a reason.
- Forgetting the listener has a name. Use it at the start and again at the end.
- Attacking the other option instead of conceding something to it. One genuine compliment makes your case stronger, not weaker.
- Running out of time before the closing question. Cut the objection first, never a reason.
#How to practise Task 5
Record the same situation twice, choosing the other option the second time. It proves quickly that neither choice is harder, and it stops you defaulting to whichever option happens to be listed first.
Then listen back and count the sentences that mention the option you did not choose. If the answer is zero, you have written a recommendation rather than a comparison.
#Frequently asked questions
What is CELPIP Speaking Task 5?
How long do you get for CELPIP Speaking Task 5?
Which option should I choose in Task 5?
Do I have to talk about the option I did not choose?
What happens in Part 1 of Task 5?
How many words should a Task 5 answer be?
Should I sound formal or friendly in Task 5?
Confirm the eight Speaking tasks and the 15-minute Speaking section on the official CELPIP Test Format page. The two-part structure of Task 5, with 60 seconds of preparation in Part 1 and 60 seconds of preparation plus 60 seconds of speaking in Part 2, is published in CELPIP’s own Speaking Pro study pack, and the four rated areas come from the CELPIP Speaking Performance Standards. Your HelloCelpip level uses the same 0 to 12 CELPIP scale, so you can track real progress between now and test day. Your official score comes from Paragon Testing Enterprises on test day. HelloCelpip is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with CELPIP or Paragon Testing Enterprises.
Official sources:
Last updated: July 27, 2026