CELPIP Listening Part 5: Listening to a Discussion, format and tips
Part 5 plays a discussion among three people, on video in the official test. Then all 8 questions appear on one screen as sentences to complete, with 4 minutes for all of them.
The part at a glance
| Questions | 8 |
|---|---|
| Time to answer | 4 min for the questions |
| Recording | Plays once, with no replay |
| What you hear | Three people discuss a topic, on video. |
What you hear and see
Three people discuss a topic, such as a plan at work or in their community, and each takes a position. In the official test it is a video. In MapleMock's free mock it plays as audio with a still portrait of each speaker.
After the recording, all 8 questions appear on one screen as sentences to complete, each with a drop-down menu of answers. One 4-minute timer covers the screen, so you can answer in any order and change an answer before time runs out.
Question types
- Views: which speaker holds an opinion.
- Agreement: where the speakers agree, and where they do not.
- Attitude, and in the official test something only the video shows, such as who does what.
Practise Part 5
A practice set for this part, with its own recordings, is coming soon. Until then, the free Listening & Reading mock has the full Listening section, with every recording played once.
Tips for Part 5
- Learn the three voices quickly: note each speaker's name and position as they first speak.
- Track who agrees with whom; positions often shift during the discussion.
- Listen for how each person feels about the topic, not only what they think.
- In the official test, watch the speakers as well as listening: a question asks about something only the video shows.
- Expect answers that give one speaker's view to another, and check whose view it was.
Common mistakes
- Giving one speaker's view to another.
- Treating an idea a speaker mentioned and rejected as their position.
- Running out of time on the first questions while later ones stay blank.
Questions
- Is CELPIP Listening Part 5 a video?
- Yes, in the official test: three people discuss a topic on video, then 8 questions share one screen, with 4 minutes for all of them.
- How long do you have to answer in CELPIP Listening Part 5?
- 4 minutes for all 8 questions, which share one screen.
For all six parts and how they are timed, see the CELPIP Listening page.
See every part and task in the CELPIP test format, or how to practise for CELPIP.
These parts, questions and timings follow Paragon's published test format: see the sources on our CELPIP test format page.
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