From CLB 8 to CLB 10 after one month of CELPIP prep

Updated 6 Nov 2026

The first time I tried a CELPIP Reading test, I got CLB 8. A month later I took the real test and got Listening 10, Reading 11, Writing 9, Speaking 10, an average of CLB 10 (score report in the photo).

During that month I read a lot of posts from people who scored CLB 10–12, wrote down what they did and tried it myself. Here is what I took away from it, in case it helps with your own prep.

Why I chose CELPIP

Before this I took IELTS Academic, and my Writing and Speaking were both stuck at 6.5. My immigration application needed IELTS General, and CLB 9 meant at least 7.0 in Writing and Speaking. I switched to CELPIP and got 9 in Writing and 10 in Speaking. If you're also stuck around 6.5–7.0 in those two skills on IELTS, give CELPIP a try. CELPIP scores convert straight to CLB levels, and CLB 10 already gets you the maximum language points in Express Entry, so 10, 11 and 12 all count the same.

Practise with materials close to the real test

Start with the 2 free practice tests on the CELPIP website. They come from the people who make the real exam, so the question wording, the difficulty and the screens match what you'll see on test day, and your score gives you a fair idea of where you stand. I didn't buy the official paid practice sets, but throughout my prep I tried to practise with materials that were as close to the official tests as I could find.

Practice tests from other sources vary. Plenty of them are good, but now and then you may come across questions worded a little differently from CELPIP's, or an answer you can't quite explain, so it's worth being a bit careful when choosing. If an answer still doesn't make sense after a careful look, don't force yourself to learn it, just move on. Whatever you use, most of your progress will come from going over your mistakes: go back to the passage or the recording and find the exact line that gives the answer.

Know the test format before you start

CELPIP has 6 Listening parts (Part 5 is a video discussion), 4 Reading parts, 2 Writing tasks of 27 and 26 minutes, and 8 Speaking tasks in about 15 minutes. In Listening you get roughly 30 seconds per question, and every Speaking task has its own timer, so get used to the pace of the test first and worry about tips later. Watch Brandi's test walkthroughs on the official CELPIP YouTube channel. She explains very clearly what each question type is asking and where the answer is.

Listening

Parts 1 to 3 are the easiest places to get full marks, so practise until you almost never miss a question there. Part 5 is a video of three people talking, and the questions often ask who said what. Split your notepaper into three columns, one per person, and write their initial, something easy to spot (man or woman, shirt colour) and their main points. Add a plus when someone agrees and a minus when they disagree, and the questions get much easier to sort out. If you run out of paper, ask for more.

Reading

This is where I improved the most, from CLB 8 in my first try to 11 in the real test. At first the hardest parts for me were Parts 1 and 2, the emails, because I rarely read emails, and then the questions that ask you to infer what the writer means. Vocabulary wasn't much of a problem. During my month of prep I practised reading every question carefully, used all the time for each part and read more English outside my practice tests. I'd recommend the same.

You can also try reading the passage first for about 3–4 minutes, getting a rough idea of what each paragraph is about, and then going to the questions, so you know right away where to look. Most Reading questions are about the main ideas and the right answer is usually fairly clear, so don't check and recheck too much or you might talk yourself out of a correct answer.

Writing and Speaking: Go ahead and use templates

For Writing and Speaking you can absolutely learn from templates, meaning a ready-made structure for each task type (opening, two or three main points, closing) plus a few linking phrases you can reuse. With a template you don't freeze while the clock is running, you just fill your ideas into the structure. But if you want 10 or higher, adapt the template to each question instead of reciting it word for word, because memorized sentences sound very mechanical.

Writing

Writing was my lowest score (9), so the advice below comes from people who wrote better than I did.

First, answer every point the question asks for. If basic grammar like verb forms, tenses, singular and plural or a/an/the still has mistakes, it's very hard to reach 9, while fancy vocabulary isn't really needed. Pick 4–5 linking words you can actually use (Additionally, Furthermore, However…) and use them until they come naturally. Don't learn a hundred "high-scoring" words and force them into your sentences, and avoid repeating the same word too often. CELPIP tests everyday English, so write clearly and naturally. Even with a template, write the opening of the email fresh for each question: say who you are and how you're connected to the reader before getting into the topic. Using ChatGPT or Claude to grade and correct your writing works fairly well, just keep in mind that AI tends to score about 2 points lower than the real test, e.g. an AI score of 7 was around 9 in the real test (the same goes for Speaking).

Speaking

This is where a lot of people get stuck. For each task, try this:

1. Tasks 1 and 5: prepare a few expressions you can use when giving advice.
2. Task 2: prepare one story you can bend to fit many questions (a trip, a happy or sad memory), so in the exam you only change a detail or two.
3. Task 3: use lots of adjectives, describe both the colours and how the people in the picture feel, go in a fixed order (left to right or top to bottom) and mention anything unusual or hard to describe.
4. Task 4: also say whether the people in the picture will be happy or disappointed about what's about to happen.
5. Task 7: speak a bit more formally and use linking words like "nevertheless".

For storytelling questions, feel free to make things up. The examiners don't check whether your story is true, they only listen to whether you speak fluently and answer the question. Use the preparation time to jot a few ideas into that task's template. If you run out of ideas mid-answer, pausing for a few seconds to think is fine. Most questions ask you to talk to a friend or family member, so just speak naturally, as if it were a real conversation.

Test day

There's no official break during the test. If you finish Writing early, you can take a sip of water and catch your breath before Speaking, but don't click submit, because that takes you straight into Speaking. If you get nervous easily, practise a few minutes of breathing before the test.

How long to study, and retakes

I studied for a month, but it depends on your starting level: some people need a few weeks, others a few months. Retaking the test is normal too. Scores move around between attempts, and some people even score lower the second time. If one attempt doesn't go well, keep practising.

Good luck with your prep!