CELPIP Speaking Task 1: Giving Advice

CELPIP Speaking Task 1 Sample Answer: Finding a Family Doctor

This prompt asks you to help a friend who has just moved to Nova Scotia get medical care for her family while she waits for a family doctor. The tricky part is that her son's asthma needs ongoing care, so the advice must cover both routine and urgent needs.

Preparation

30 seconds

Speaking

90 seconds

Listener

Someone you know well

The question

Your friend, Lucía, has just moved to Nova Scotia from Ontario with her husband and their two young children. She has called several clinics, but none of them is accepting new patients, and her son has asthma and needs regular check-ups. Advise Lucía on how she can get medical care for her family while she looks for a family doctor.

How to plan your answer

What they want

Advise your friend Lucía, who just moved to Nova Scotia with two young kids, on how to get medical care while she looks for a family doctor; her son has asthma.

Plan (90 sec)

Open kindly: "Lucía, lots of families are in the same situation; there are options."
Waitlist: sign up right away on the provincial family doctor waitlist.
Short term: use walk-in clinics or virtual care appointments for check-ups.
Asthma: ask a pharmacist; they can often renew prescriptions and give advice.
Records: get her son's medical records and inhaler prescriptions sent from Ontario.
Health card: apply for a Nova Scotia health card quickly, as coverage changes.
Emergencies: if he has a bad asthma attack, go to the ER or call 811 for advice.
Close: "Keep calling clinics; spots open up."

Useful vocabulary

family doctor, waitlist, walk-in clinic, virtual care
pharmacist, prescription, inhaler, health card

Phrases

"The first thing I'd do is..."
"In the meantime,..."
"Just in case,..."

Avoid

Forgetting her son's asthma; give a specific plan for it.
Only saying "keep calling clinics."

Excellent answer (transcript): around CLB 11–12

Lucía, I'm sorry it's been so frustrating. Finding a family doctor here is a real challenge, but you can still get good care for the kids in the meantime. The very first thing to do is register the whole family on the provincial wait list, the Need a Family Practice registry. You can sign up online or through 811, and it's important to do it now, because your place depends on when you join. While you wait, people on that list can usually use the province's virtual care service, so you can see a doctor by video, often within a day or two. There are also walk-in clinics, though it's best to show up early. For your son's asthma, ask his doctor in Ontario to send his full records and an asthma action plan, so any new doctor understands his history right away. And remember, pharmacists in Nova Scotia can renew a lot of regular prescriptions, including inhalers. Finally, keep 811 handy for advice, and if his breathing ever gets bad, don't hesitate to go straight to emergency.

178 words

Why it scores high

Content/Coherence: "your place depends on when you join" explains why registration comes first, giving the whole answer a clear sense of priority.
Vocabulary: Specific terms like "an asthma action plan," "renew a lot of regular prescriptions, including inhalers" and "keep 811 handy" show precise, relevant word choice.
Task Fulfillment: Every need is covered, from video visits "often within a day or two" to walk-in timing and emergency care, all tailored to her son's asthma.

Good answer (transcript): around CLB 7–8

Hi Lucía, welcome to Nova Scotia! Unfortunately, a lot of people here don't have a family doctor, but there are still ways to get care. First, make sure you register on the Need a Family Practice list. You can do it online or by calling 811. It might take a while, but it's important to get on the list. In the meantime, you can use walk-in clinics, and there's also a virtual care service where you can talk to a doctor online. For your son's asthma, ask your doctor in Ontario to send his medical records, and bring a list of his medications to every appointment. Pharmacists here can also renew some prescriptions, so that's really helpful. And of course, if he ever has a bad asthma attack, go straight to the emergency room.

134 words

What works, and what's missing

Content/Coherence: The advice runs in a sensible order: register first, use clinics "In the meantime," transfer the son's records, then handle emergencies.
Vocabulary: Naming the "Need a Family Practice list" and saying pharmacists can "renew some prescriptions" give the advice local, practical precision.
Task Fulfillment: The tips are accurate but brief; explaining why registering early matters, as a top answer does, would make the priorities clearer.

Basic answer (transcript): around CLB 4–5

Hi Lucía, welcome to Nova Scotia! I know it's hard to find family doctor here. First, you must put your name on the provincial waiting list. You can do it online or call 811. While you wait, you can go to walk-in clinic. Some clinic also have virtual care, you talk with doctor on the phone or computer. Also, for small problem, the pharmacist can help you. For your son asthma, bring his medical paper from Ontario. If it is emergency, go to hospital. Don't wait.

86 words

What holds it back

Content/Coherence: Good ideas, the waiting list, walk-in clinics, virtual care and pharmacists, appear as one-line tips with no explanation of how or when to use each.
Vocabulary: Missing articles and possessives in "find family doctor," "Some clinic also have virtual care" and "your son asthma" make the advice sound unpolished.
Task Fulfillment: "bring his medical paper from Ontario" points the right way, but the son's need for regular check-ups gets no attention beyond that single line.

These are original CELPass examples written at each level. The CLBs are our estimates, not official CELPIP scores. How we estimate CLB