CELPIP Writing Task 2: Responding to Survey Questions

CELPIP Writing Task 2 Sample Answer: Campsite reservation survey

Campers choose between making all provincial campsites reservable online and keeping half first-come, first-served. The challenge is dealing honestly with the frustration of finding no site while defending your option.

Time

26 minutes

Length

150–200 words

Structure

Choose Option A or B and support it

The question

Campsite Reservation Survey

At the provincial parks in your province, half of the campsites can be reserved online, and the other half are first-come, first-served. Many campers say it is too hard to find a site without a reservation. The province could make all campsites reservable online up to four months ahead. Or, it could keep the current system. The province is asking campers to complete an opinion survey.

Choose the option that you prefer. Why do you prefer your choice? Explain the reasons for your choice. Write about 150-200 words.

Option A: I think all campsites should be reservable online.

Option B: I think half of the campsites should stay first-come, first-served.

Explain the reasons for your choice. Write about 150-200 words.

How to plan your answer

What they want

Choose whether all campsites should be reservable online up to four months ahead (A) or half should stay first-come, first-served (B).

Plan (26 min)

State your choice. Option A is easier to argue: it matches the problem in the prompt.
Reason 1: campers can plan ahead with certainty; families don't drive three hours to find the park full. Example: a trip where you were turned away.
Reason 2: no lining up early or racing to the gate; booking online is fair and less stressful.
Optional nod: walk-in sites help spontaneous trips, but cancellations can still be booked last minute.
Conclusion: restate your choice and main benefit.

Useful vocabulary

campsite, provincial park, reservation system, first-come, first-served
book in advance, fully booked, long weekend, peace of mind

Phrases

I think all campsites should be reservable because...
For example, last summer we...
Although first-come sites suit last-minute campers, ...

Avoid

Choosing both options.
Forgetting to give a real camping example.

Excellent answer: around CLB 11–12

I would prefer Option B, keeping half of the campsites first-come, first-served. My main reason is that the current system protects spontaneity. Many people simply cannot plan a trip four months in advance. As a nurse working rotating shifts, I often learn my days off only two weeks ahead, and a sunny forecast is sometimes all the notice I get. If every site were reservable online, the most popular parks would be fully booked by March, and flexible campers like me would be shut out for the entire summer. The current system is also fairer. Online reservations reward those with fast internet connections and the free time to refresh a booking page the moment it opens. Seniors, newcomers and rural residents with unreliable internet would be disadvantaged, whereas a first-come policy gives everyone an equal chance. Admittedly, arriving at a full campground after a long drive is frustrating, and I understand why many campers want certainty. A simple compromise would be to post real-time availability online, so people know where open sites remain before they set out. For these reasons, the current balance between reservations and walk-in sites should be kept.

191 words

Why it scores high

Vocabulary: 'protects spontaneity' and 'a sunny forecast is sometimes all the notice I get' express the main idea in fresh, precise language.
Content/Coherence: describing people who 'refresh a booking page the moment it opens' shows exactly how online systems reward a narrow group.
Task Fulfillment: the 'simple compromise' of 'real-time availability online' answers the other side's frustration while keeping the current balance.

Good answer: around CLB 7–8

I think half of the campsites should stay first-come, first-served, so I prefer Option B. My main reason is flexibility. Not everyone can plan a camping trip four months in advance. For example, I work shifts, and my schedule is only posted two weeks ahead. If every site could be booked online months earlier, popular parks would be completely full by spring, and people like me would never get a chance to go camping in the summer. Another reason is fairness. Online booking favours people who have fast internet and can sit at their computer the moment reservations open. Seniors, newcomers and people without reliable internet access would be at a disadvantage. The first-come, first-served system gives everyone an equal chance. I understand that it can be frustrating to drive to a park and find no sites available. However, campers who arrive early in the morning, especially on weekdays, usually find a spot. The province could also show the number of free sites online to help people plan. For these reasons, I believe the current system is better and should be kept.

182 words

What works, and what's missing

Content/Coherence: 'my schedule is only posted two weeks ahead' clearly explains why booking four months early would shut this writer out.
Task Fulfillment: suggesting the province 'show the number of free sites online' turns the concession into a practical solution.
Vocabulary: 'be at a disadvantage' and 'an equal chance' are appropriate, though some sentences use simple, repeated structures.

Basic answer: around CLB 4–5

I think Option B is better. Half of the campsites should stay first-come, first-served. Many people cannot plan four months before. For example, my work schedule change every month, so I don't know my days off early. Sometimes I decide to go camping only one or two days before. If all campsite is online, I can never go camping because all site will be full. Also, some people don't use internet very good, like old people. Or some people from other country don't know the system. First-come, first-served is easy for them. I know sometimes it is hard to find a site without reservation. But if you come early in the morning, you can find one. Last summer I go on Friday morning and I got a site. So I want to keep the system now. It is fair for everybody.

141 words

What holds it back

Readability: 'my work schedule change every month' and 'Last summer I go on Friday morning' contain agreement and tense errors in the key examples.
Vocabulary: 'some people don't use internet very good' is an unnatural way to express a valid point about access.
Content/Coherence: the shifting schedule is a strong reason, but 'It is fair for everybody' ends without explaining what makes the system fair.

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