CELPIP Speaking Task 1: Giving Advice

CELPIP Speaking Task 1 Sample Answer: Planning a Surprise Party

Gurpreet needs a plan for her husband's 40th birthday surprise that he cannot stumble onto. The catch is that he works from home, so every tip has to deal with secrecy, not just party logistics.

Preparation

30 seconds

Speaking

90 seconds

Listener

Someone you know well

The question

Your friend, Gurpreet, wants to throw a surprise party for her husband’s 40th birthday next month. She has never planned a party before, her husband works from home, and she is worried that he will find out. Advise Gurpreet on how she can plan the surprise party and keep it a secret.

How to plan your answer

What they want

Advise your friend Gurpreet on how to plan a surprise party for her husband's 40th birthday and keep it a secret, even though he works from home.

Plan (90 sec)

Open warmly: "Gurpreet, what a lovely idea; it's very doable."
Plan early: pick a date, a budget and a short guest list this week.
Venue: hold it at a friend's house or a restaurant's private room, not at home, since he's always there.
Secrecy: use a group chat he can't see, and plan on your phone when he's busy.
Helpers: ask one friend to take him out for a fake dinner or game, then bring him in.
Food: order catering or a cake so you don't have to cook in secret.
Close: "Tell guests to arrive 30 minutes early, and he'll never guess."

Useful vocabulary

guest list, venue, budget, catering
keep it under wraps, cover story, group chat, sneak

Phrases

"The most important thing is..."
"To keep it a secret, you could..."
"On the day itself,..."

Avoid

Planning the party at home; he works there.
Forgetting the secret part; it's half the question.

Excellent answer (transcript): around CLB 11–12

Gurpreet, I think it's a lovely idea, and honestly, the fact that he works from home just means you need to move the whole operation out of the house. Start with the venue. Rather than hosting it at home, book a private room at a restaurant he likes, or ask a friend whether you can use their place. That way, there are no deliveries or decorations showing up at your door. Next, keep every bit of planning off shared devices. Set up a separate group chat for the guests, and make it very clear that nobody posts anything on social media until the night is over. I'd also recruit one of his closest friends as your partner in crime. On the day, that friend can invite him out for a round of golf or a beer and then casually bring him to the venue. Finally, write everything down in one list, the guests, the food, the cake, so you're not scrambling at the last minute. And if you want an extra pair of hands, I'm happy to help.

178 words

Why it scores high

Content/Coherence: the opening reframes the problem, saying working from home "just means you need to move the whole operation out of the house", and every later tip builds on that idea.
Vocabulary: idioms such as "partner in crime", "scrambling at the last minute" and "an extra pair of hands" sound warm and natural for advice to a friend.
Task Fulfillment: each step gives a reason, like no "deliveries or decorations showing up at your door", so Gurpreet hears what to do and exactly how it protects the secret.

Good answer (transcript): around CLB 7–8

Hi Gurpreet, a surprise party for his 40th is a great idea, and I'm sure you can pull it off. First, since your husband works from home, I wouldn't plan anything at your house. You could book a back room at a restaurant or ask a friend to host it. Second, keep all the planning off your shared computer. Make a private group chat for the guests, and tell everyone not to post anything online. Third, ask one of his close friends to help. On the day of the party, that friend can invite him out for a game or a coffee, and then bring him to the place. Also, keep a list of who is coming and what you've ordered, so you don't forget anything. And if you need help, just call me.

134 words

What works, and what's missing

Content/Coherence: four numbered steps, from moving the venue to recruiting a friend who will "bring him to the place", cover planning and secrecy in a sensible order.
Vocabulary: "pull it off" and "keep all the planning off your shared computer" sound natural, though "bring him to the place" is vague where a specific venue word would land better.
Task Fulfillment: every tip answers the brief, but reasons stay brief; the tip about keeping a list says only "so you don't forget anything" instead of showing why it matters.

Basic answer (transcript): around CLB 4–5

Hi Gurpreet, I think surprise party is good idea for your husband. First, you need make a list of guest and send message to them, not on Facebook, because your husband can see it. Second, don't plan the party at home. He work from home, so he will see everything. Maybe you can book restaurant or use your friend house. Also, you can ask your friend to take him out for coffee on party day. And please don't leave receipt or decoration in the house. I can help you if you want. Good luck!

94 words

What holds it back

Task Fulfillment: the speaker spots the home-office problem with "He work from home, so he will see everything", but each tip gets only one short line of support.
Vocabulary: "make a list of guest", "book restaurant" and "use your friend house" drop plurals, articles and possessives, so simple ideas sound less precise.
Listenability: missing auxiliaries in "you need make" and "He work from home" interrupt the flow, although the "First", "Second", "Also" signposts keep the advice easy to follow.

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