CELPIP Speaking Task 5 Practice 2026: Comparing & Persuading for Level 9

CELPIP Speaking Task 5 is Comparing and Persuading. It is not the picture-description task. Describing a Scene is Task 3. In Task 5, you first choose between two options without speaking, then you see another option and persuade the listener that your original choice is better.

The current 2026 CELPIP Speaking Pro material gives you:

• Part 1: 60 seconds to compare two options and choose one — no speaking
• Part 2 preparation: 60 seconds
• Part 2 speaking: 60 seconds

That makes Task 5 different from every other Speaking task. You must make a quick decision, understand a new competing option, and turn your comparison into a persuasive response.

Quick strategy: choose the option you can defend most easily, identify two advantages that matter to the listener, compare those advantages directly with the competing option, and finish with a clear recommendation.

Ready to practise under the Task 5 timer? Use the direct CELPIP Speaking Task 5 practice route, then review the recording with the four Speaking dimensions below. You can also use the free CELPIP practice hub before creating a larger study plan.

You can verify the current structure in the official CELPIP Speaking Pro: Target 9+ 2026 study pack and the current CELPIP-General test format.

What happens in CELPIP Speaking Task 5?

Task 5 has two screens.

Part 1 — Compare and choose

You are shown a situation and two options. You have 60 seconds to compare them and choose the option you prefer. You do not record an answer in Part 1.

The goal is not to discover an objectively perfect option. Choose the one you can explain and defend clearly.

During this stage, compare practical factors such as price, travel time, safety, comfort, quality, location, features and suitability. Do not spend all 60 seconds debating the choice. Once one option gives you two or three strong talking points, select it and mentally save the best reasons.

Part 2 — Persuade

On the second screen, another person prefers a different option. You get another 60 seconds to prepare, then 60 seconds to speak.

Your job changes here. You are no longer simply comparing choices. You need to persuade a specific listener that your chosen option is better.

A strong response should usually do four things:

1. state your choice clearly;
2. give two developed reasons that matter to the listener;
3. compare your choice with the listener's option;
4. finish with a confident but respectful recommendation.

What CELPIP raters evaluate

CELPIP Speaking responses are assessed using four performance dimensions: Content/Coherence, Vocabulary, Listenability, and Task Fulfillment. For a Level 9 target, do not reduce review to one estimated band number. Identify which dimension repeatedly limits fresh timed responses.

Content and coherence

Your ideas should be relevant, organized, and developed with reasons, details, or examples. In Task 5, comparisons should support your persuasion rather than becoming a list of unrelated specifications.

A stronger pattern is:

benefit → comparison → why it matters to the listener

For example: “Option A costs more initially, but it includes maintenance for two years, whereas Option B charges separately for service. Since you want predictable monthly expenses, Option A would probably save you stress and unexpected costs.”

Vocabulary

Use precise comparison and persuasion language such as “more affordable,” “better suited to,” “whereas,” “compared with,” and “in the long run.” Do not force complicated words when a precise everyday expression is clearer.

Listenability

Focus on natural pacing, clear pronunciation, controlled pauses, sentence variety, and an appropriate persuasive tone. You are trying to convince someone, not argue with them.

Task fulfillment

Address the correct person, remain relevant, compare the options, and actually persuade. Simply describing both choices without making a recommendation does not fully complete the task.

A fast Part 1 decision method

Use the first 60 seconds to make a defendable choice rather than a perfect choice. Identify the listener's likely priorities, scan for two strong advantages, choose quickly, and remember the strongest evidence.

A 60-second Part 2 planning method

Use this compact plan:

Choice: what I recommend
R1: strongest benefit + comparison
R2: second benefit + comparison
Counter: acknowledge one strength of their option
Close: direct recommendation

For example:

Choice: apartment A
R1: closer → save commute
R2: utilities included → predictable cost
Counter: B bigger, but farther
Close: A fits daily routine

This is enough structure for a focused 60-second answer.

Original Task 5 practice scenario

You and a friend want to join a fitness centre. You prefer a nearby 24-hour club that costs more; your friend prefers a cheaper community centre that is farther away and closes earlier. Persuade your friend that your choice is better by comparing convenience, flexibility and cost in a way that fits your shared routine.

This is original MyCELPIP practice material, not an official, recalled, or leaked CELPIP question.

How to practice Task 5 for a Level 9 target

There is no guaranteed Level 9 script. Record a fresh 60-second response, then review it across the four published Speaking dimensions. If one dimension repeats as the weakness across several unfamiliar prompts, train that behaviour directly before taking another full mock.

A useful five-session sequence is: practise fast Part 1 decisions; build two comparison reasons during 60-second preparation; record several 60-second persuasive answers; review repeated weaknesses and re-record the weakest responses; then mix Task 5 with other Speaking tasks so the strategy transfers instead of becoming memorized.

Practice CELPIP Speaking Task 5

Use the direct Task 5 practice page for Comparing and Persuading. Use CELPIP Speaking Practice for all eight task types, or the 2026 CELPIP Speaking Guide for the complete format and Level 9 diagnostic approach.

When you are ready to combine Speaking with Listening, Reading, and Writing, take a full CELPIP mock test.

Frequently asked questions

What is CELPIP Speaking Task 5?

Task 5 is Comparing and Persuading. You choose between options in Part 1, then persuade someone that your selected option is better in Part 2.

Do I speak in Task 5 Part 1?

No. The current official 2026 Speaking Pro material gives you 60 seconds to compare and select an option in Part 1, but there is no speaking in that stage.

How much preparation time do I get in Part 2?

You get another 60 seconds of preparation time after the second screen appears.

How long do I speak in Task 5?

The current 2026 Speaking Pro materials list 60 seconds of speaking time for Part 2.

Is picture description Task 5?

No. Describing a Scene is Task 3. Task 5 is Comparing and Persuading.

How many reasons should I give?

There is no requirement to force a particular number, but two strong, developed reasons plus a direct comparison with the competing option create a practical 60-second structure for most prompts.

Should I mention the other option?

Yes. Part 2 specifically asks you to persuade someone who prefers another choice. Acknowledge it briefly, then explain why your option better matches the situation or the listener's priorities.