How many questions are in CELPIP Listening Part 1?

Eight. They come in three groups of two or three, one group after each audio section. Part 1 takes about eight minutes in total.

Can I replay the audio in Part 1?

No. Each section plays once on the official test, and Celpify practice keeps that rule by default so your timing matches test day.

Are the questions written on screen?

In Parts 1 to 3 the question is spoken and only the four answer choices are shown. You have 30 seconds to hear the question and choose.

Is Part 1 practice free on Celpify?

Test 1 is free in every skill. The Part 1 item from Test 1 opens without an account and includes the transcript and answer explanations. Tests 2 to 50 come with a plan.

What kind of problems do the speakers discuss?

Everyday Canadian situations: a faulty product, a scheduling mix-up, a service complaint, a plan that needs changing. No specialist vocabulary is needed.

CELPIP Listening · Part 1 of 6

CELPIP Listening Part 1: Problem Solving

Part 1 opens the Listening test with two people working through a practical problem: a printer that leaves marks on every page, a booking that went wrong, a delivery that never arrived. The audio is split into three sections of about one to one and a half minutes, and each section ends before its questions appear.

Questions

Minutes

Speakers

Two speakers, one man and one woman

Practice items

Three conversation sections of 1 to 1.5 minutes each. After each section you hear 2 or 3 questions, read four answer choices on screen, and get 30 seconds per question.

What this part tests

Listening to Problem Solving

After each section you hear two or three questions. The question is spoken, the four answer choices are shown on screen, and you have 30 seconds to choose. The audio plays once. You cannot go back to a section once its questions are done.

The questions mix the three official types: general meaning (what the problem is), specific information (a time, a name, a price) and inference (what the speaker will probably do next). Celpify's Test 1 item for Part 1 is free and comes with the full transcript and the answer key.

The trap

Most missed answers in Part 1 come from choosing the option that repeats a word you heard. The right answer usually paraphrases the audio. The wrong ones reuse its exact words in the wrong relationship.

Try it free

The Test 1 part is open to everyone.

Test 1 · Free

Office Equipment Malfunction

10 min · answers and explanations included

Start Test 1 free

All 50 Problem Solving practice items

One item per test, from Test 1 to Test 50. Test 1 is free; the rest come with a plan.

Test 1Office Equipment Malfunction10 minFree
Test 2Gym Membership Cancellation10 minIncluded in a plan
Test 3Restaurant Wrong Order10 minIncluded in a plan
Test 4Car Rental Damage Claim10 minIncluded in a plan
Test 5Phone Plan Overcharge10 minIncluded in a plan
Test 6Flight Rebooking Request10 minIncluded in a plan
Test 7Internet Service Outage10 minIncluded in a plan
Test 8Dentist Appointment Mix-Up10 minIncluded in a plan
Test 9College Registration Error10 minIncluded in a plan
Test 10Pharmacy Prescription Issue10 minIncluded in a plan
Test 11Kitchen Faucet Leak Advice10 minIncluded in a plan
Test 12Noisy Upstairs Neighbour10 minIncluded in a plan
Test 13Roommate Chore Rotation10 minIncluded in a plan
Test 14Missed Classes Midterm Recovery10 minIncluded in a plan
Test 15Commute Change Carpool10 minIncluded in a plan
Test 16Baby Sleep Struggles10 minIncluded in a plan
Test 17Locked Out Before Meeting10 minIncluded in a plan
Test 18Dog Digging Garden Damage10 minIncluded in a plan
Test 19Parents Visiting Planning Stress10 minIncluded in a plan
Test 20Car Trouble Morning Meeting10 minIncluded in a plan
Test 21Pharmacy Prescription Mix-Up10 minIncluded in a plan
Test 22Noisy Upstairs Renovation Advice10 minIncluded in a plan
Test 23Dental Appointment Scheduling Conflict10 minIncluded in a plan
Test 24Dry Cleaner Damaged Suit10 minIncluded in a plan
Test 25Gym Membership Frozen Charges Issue10 minIncluded in a plan
Test 26Outdoor Tent Return Damage10 minIncluded in a plan
Test 27Dry Cleaner Suit Stain10 minIncluded in a plan
Test 28Bank Account Fee Dispute10 minIncluded in a plan
Test 29Intercom Malfunction Report10 minIncluded in a plan
Test 30Dishwasher Delivery Delay10 minIncluded in a plan
Test 31Catering Order Allergy Mix-Up9 minIncluded in a plan
Test 32Moving Company Damaged Items9 minIncluded in a plan
Test 33Optical Shop Wrong Prescription9 minIncluded in a plan
Test 34Friend Overwhelmed by Basement Flood9 minIncluded in a plan
Test 35Rec Centre Pass Double Charge9 minIncluded in a plan
Test 36Classmate Laptop Crash Before Deadline9 minIncluded in a plan
Test 37Hotel Checkout Fee Dispute9 minIncluded in a plan
Test 38Market Stall Sourdough Trouble9 minIncluded in a plan
Test 39Bike Shop Brake Repair Failure9 minIncluded in a plan
Test 40Coworker's Leave Request Mishandled9 minIncluded in a plan
Test 41Washing Machine Wrong Model9 minIncluded in a plan
Test 42Caregiver Quit Suddenly9 minIncluded in a plan
Test 43Reupholstered Couch Wrong Fabric9 minIncluded in a plan
Test 44Car Towed From Lot9 minIncluded in a plan
Test 45Nursery Wrong Trees Delivered9 minIncluded in a plan
Test 46Recurring Parcel Theft9 minIncluded in a plan
Test 47Vet Clinic Medication Mix-Up9 minIncluded in a plan
Test 48Surprise Utility Bill Spike9 minIncluded in a plan
Test 49Bike-Share Ride Overcharge9 minIncluded in a plan
Test 50Misrepresented Vacation Rental9 minIncluded in a plan

How to score higher on Part 1

Write two or three words per section while you listen: the problem, the cause, the fix. You answer from your notes, not from memory.
Listen for the decision at the end of each section. At least one question per section asks what the two people agreed to do.
When two options both sound familiar, pick the one that matches the meaning of what was said, not the one that matches the words.
Use the full 30 seconds. You can change your answer until the timer ends, and re-reading all four choices catches the paraphrase.

Part of the 38 scored Listening questions. The raw score converts to a CELPIP level from M to 12, and that level equals your CLB level.

Read the CELPIP Listening guide for this part and the Listening score chart.

Part 1 questions people ask

How many questions are in CELPIP Listening Part 1?: Eight. They come in three groups of two or three, one group after each audio section. Part 1 takes about eight minutes in total.
Can I replay the audio in Part 1?: No. Each section plays once on the official test, and Celpify practice keeps that rule by default so your timing matches test day.
Are the questions written on screen?: In Parts 1 to 3 the question is spoken and only the four answer choices are shown. You have 30 seconds to hear the question and choose.
Is Part 1 practice free on Celpify?: Test 1 is free in every skill. The Part 1 item from Test 1 opens without an account and includes the transcript and answer explanations. Tests 2 to 50 come with a plan.
What kind of problems do the speakers discuss?: Everyday Canadian situations: a faulty product, a scheduling mix-up, a service complaint, a plan that needs changing. No specialist vocabulary is needed.