I recently had the opportunity to interview a student who had taken the CELPIP. Here he talks about how his experience had been and answers a few burning questions most test-takers have about the CELPIP test.
Post-exam CELPIP Interview
- Where and when did you take your CELPIP test?
In Chandigarh on the 24th of Nov 2018.
- Was the venue easy (or difficult) to reach?
Easy to reach.
- What instructions were you given before reaching the test centre (what to bring, what not to bring)?
Register documents photocopies’ are vital to bring; they will provide a locker to keep your things.
- What was the venue like?
It was like a hotel.
- Did you have any technical issues during your test?
No technical issues at all.
- Were the test centre staff courteous and helpful?
Yes, they were helpful.
- Was it easy to work on the computers provided?
Yes.
- What was the seating arrangement like?
O-shaped seating arrangement, where you have to sit facing the wall.
- Were there any issues during the speaking portion of the test?
It is hard to set up your mind in 60 seconds for speaking anything. Moreover, the duration of speaking time started while the computer is giving the order to speak.
- How close in difficulty were the practice tests to the actual test?
I guess it is the same. Only that we need to practice hard.
- How was your experience with the sections of the test?
Speaking section is the most difficult part
- Was the test centre crowded/Were there many other test takers?
Yes, there were 8 to 10 persons in one room and it creates difficulty in speaking tasks.
- Was there any provision for water or snacks at the test centre?
NO!
- Were you given notepaper, or did you have to ask for it?
Yes, it was provided.
- If you had to ask something or needed help, how quickly were the staff able to help you?
Quickly. - What was the audio quality like? Were the headphones comfortable? Could you adjust the volume?
Quality was fine, it was comfortable. Yes, we can adjust volume accordingly. - How helpful were the timers during the test?
Very helpful. - If you had given the pen-and-paper IELTS before, how would you compare both the exams?
Speaking tasks are the most difficult module on the computer-based exam
- Could the CELPIP be improved in any way?
They have to provide examiner in speaking tasks.
I am grateful to Mohtashim for providing this honest assessment of the CELPIP exam. Please feel free to post any additional questions you may have in the comment section below.
Curious about the differences between the IELTS and the CELPIP exams? Click here to find out which test is best for you.
That’s really useful. Are the CELPIP and IELTS computer based exams mostly the same in difficulty and layout?
Hmm, not quite. There are major differences between the two exams. Please check out the link towards the end of the post.
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