CELPIP Speaking Task 2: Talking about a Personal Experience

CELPIP Speaking Task 2 Sample Answer: A Time When You Overcame Fear

By David

Tell about a situation where you faced something that scared you and how you managed to overcome that fear.

Preparation

30 seconds

Speaking

60 seconds

Tense

Mostly past tense

The question

Tell about a situation where you faced something that scared you and how you managed to overcome that fear.

Excellent answer (transcript): around CLB 11–12

I had a significant fear of heights, but when I went skydiving with friends, I knew I had to face it. The moment I jumped out of the plane, I was scared, but once I was free-falling, I felt an overwhelming sense of freedom. Overcoming that fear was one of the most liberating experiences of my life.

57 words

Good answer (transcript): around CLB 7–8

I’ve always been afraid of public speaking, so when I had to present a project at work, I was terrified. I took deep breaths and focused on my notes. As I spoke, my fear slowly disappeared, and by the end, I felt really confident.

44 words

Basic answer (transcript): around CLB 4–5

Once, I was afraid to give a speech in front of my class. I practiced a lot at home and then, on the day, I was nervous but did it anyway. It wasn’t perfect, but I felt proud after.

39 words

The CLBs are estimates of the level each sample was written at, not official CELPIP scores. How we estimate CLB