Is the Part 4 audio a conversation?

No. It is a news report read by one presenter, about one and a half minutes long. It is the first part of the test with a single speaker.

What question format does Part 4 use?

Sentence completion with drop-down choices. You see five stems after the report and pick the ending that matches what was said.

Can I answer the questions while the report plays?

No. The stems appear after the audio ends. Take notes during the report and complete the sentences afterwards.

How long does Part 4 take?

About five minutes: the report, then the five questions under one shared timer.

Is the Test 1 Part 4 item free?

Yes, without an account. It includes the transcript and the answer explanations. Tests 2 to 50 come with a plan.

CELPIP Listening · Part 4 of 6

CELPIP Listening Part 4: News Item

Part 4 changes the format. Instead of a conversation you hear a short news report, about one and a half minutes, delivered by one presenter in a broadcast style. It covers a local Canadian story: a transit expansion, a new recycling rule, a community award.

Questions

Minutes

Speakers

One speaker, a news presenter

Practice items

One news report of about 1.5 minutes read by a single presenter, then 5 sentence-completion questions with drop-down choices, answered in any order after the audio.

What this part tests

Listening to a News Item

The questions are not spoken. After the report you see five sentence stems, each with a drop-down list of choices, and you complete the sentences with what the report said. You can answer them in any order within the time limit.

The stems paraphrase the report, so the skill being tested is matching the presenter's words to a rewritten sentence. Celpify's free Test 1 item for Part 4 shows the transcript after you answer, so you can line up each stem with its source sentence.

The trap

Drop-down choices in Part 4 often differ by one word: 'approved' versus 'proposed', 'next spring' versus 'this spring'. The report states the fact once, so a small note about tense or timing is worth more than a long summary.

Try it free

The Test 1 part is open to everyone.

Test 1 · Free

Riverdale Transit Expansion Approved

5 min · answers and explanations included

Start Test 1 free

All 50 News Item practice items

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

Test 1Riverdale Transit Expansion Approved5 minFree
Test 2City Bans Single-Use Plastics5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 3School Board Approves New High School5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 4Major Bridge Closure for Infrastructure Repairs5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 5Provincial Parks Expansion Plan5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 6Downtown Farmers Market Relocates5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 7City Launches Affordable Housing Fund5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 8Regional Hospital Opens New Wing5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 9Public Library System Receives Grant5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 10Municipal Election Turnout Record5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 11Local Start-up Launches Assistive App for Seniors5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 12City Approves Downtown Bike Lane Network5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 13Black Bear Safely Relocated from Suburban Backyard5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 14New Subway Line Extension Opens to Public5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 15Community Garden Rescues Food Drive After Freezer Failure5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 16Coastal Cleanup Effort Hits Major Milestone5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 17Retired Teacher Donates Rare Book Collection5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 18City Launches Mobile Food Truck Program for Low-Income Areas5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 19Coastal Town Prepares for Incoming Storm5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 20Rescue Dog Becomes Fire Hall Mascot5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 21City Approves Pollinator Garden Network5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 22Trapped Whale Released After Multi-Day Rescue5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 23City Hall Backup Power Failure Investigation5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 24Stray Cat Reunites with Family After Long Disappearance5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 25Highway Sinkhole Closes Major Bridge5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 26Tofino Humpback Whale Rescue5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 27Senior Grocery Delivery Robot5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 28Calgary Teen Wins National Robotics with Sea-Level Sensor5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 29Marching Band Parade for Retiring Custodian5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 30Halifax Library Launches Tool-Lending Program5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 31Volunteer Choir Earns National Stage5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 32Returning Beavers Ease Local Flooding5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 33City Launches Curbside Textile Recycling5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 34Falcon Nest on Downtown Tower Gets Webcam5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 35River Flood-Warning Sensor Network Goes Live5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 36Community Fundraiser Saves Historic Theatre5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 37Volunteer Drone Team Finds Lost Hiker5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 38Accessible Playground Opens with Community Help5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 39River Otters Return to Urban Waterway5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 40Downtown Microforest Takes Root5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 41Community Fridge Network Launches5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 42Heritage Windmill Reopens5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 43Car-Free Bridge Links Two Neighbourhoods5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 44District Completes Rooftop Solar at Every School5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 45Resident Community Mural Unveiled5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 46Accessible Kayak Launch Opens5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 47Summer Night Market Launches5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 48Historic Lighthouse Reopens5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 49Mobile Mental-Health Van Begins Service5 minIncluded in a plan
Test 50Wetland Boardwalk Trail Opens5 minIncluded in a plan

How to score higher on Part 4

Write down every number, date and name you hear. News reports pack five or six facts into ninety seconds, and each stem tests one of them.
Listen for the stage of events: planned, approved, started, finished. Distractors change the stage.
Answer the stems you are sure of first, then return to the rest. The order is free, and the timer covers all five.
Read the whole stem before opening the drop-down. The end of the sentence tells you which fact is being tested.

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 4 questions people ask

Is the Part 4 audio a conversation?: No. It is a news report read by one presenter, about one and a half minutes long. It is the first part of the test with a single speaker.
What question format does Part 4 use?: Sentence completion with drop-down choices. You see five stems after the report and pick the ending that matches what was said.
Can I answer the questions while the report plays?: No. The stems appear after the audio ends. Take notes during the report and complete the sentences afterwards.
How long does Part 4 take?: About five minutes: the report, then the five questions under one shared timer.
Is the Test 1 Part 4 item free?: Yes, without an account. It includes the transcript and the answer explanations. Tests 2 to 50 come with a plan.