How long should the Task 1 email be?

Between 150 and 200 words. You have 27 minutes, and the on-screen word counter shows your length as you type.

What must the email include?

Everything in the three bullet points under the situation, with a detail for each, plus a greeting and a closing that fit the recipient.

Should the email be formal or informal?

It depends on the recipient in the situation. A manager, a company or a stranger gets a formal email; a friend or a neighbour you know gets a friendly one.

How is Task 1 scored?

On four traits: Content and Coherence, Vocabulary, Readability, and Task Fulfillment. Each is rated and combined into your CELPIP Writing level.

Is Task 1 practice free on Celpify?

The Test 1 prompt is free. With a free account you get 3 AI feedback submissions a day on it. Tests 2 to 50 come with a plan.

CELPIP Writing · Task 1 of 2

CELPIP Writing Task 1: Writing an Email

Task 1 gives you a situation and asks for an email of 150 to 200 words. The situation names the recipient, such as a neighbour, a manager or a customer service department, and lists three things the email must do: explain, describe, request, apologise or suggest. You have 27 minutes.

Minutes

Words

150 to 200

Practice items

One situation and three bullet points your email must cover. 150 to 200 words in 27 minutes, written to a named person or organisation in a formal or informal register.

What this task tests

Writing an Email

The task is scored on four traits: Content and Coherence, Vocabulary, Readability, and Task Fulfillment. Task Fulfillment is where most points are lost, because it checks whether all three bullet points were covered with enough detail and whether the tone fits the recipient.

Celpify's free Test 1 item for Task 1 includes the prompt, two sample answers at CLB 7 and CLB 9+, and AI feedback on your own email that scores the same four traits the way the real test does.

The trap

Writers who know the recipient well slip into a register that does not match. A complaint to a company written like a note to a friend, or a message to a neighbour written like a legal letter, loses Task Fulfillment marks even when the English is correct.

Try it free

The Test 1 task is open to everyone.

Test 1 · Free

Email: Complaint About a Faulty Laptop Order

27 min · answers and explanations included

Start Test 1 free

All 50 Writing an Email practice items

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

Test 1Email: Complaint About a Faulty Laptop Order27 minFree
Test 2Email: Inquiry About an Evening Bookkeeping Course27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 3Email: Reschedule an Important Meeting with Your Manager27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 4Email: Invite Neighbours to a Welcome Barbecue27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 5Email: Request a Flexible Return-to-Office Schedule27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 6Email: Thank You After a Marketing Coordinator Interview27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 7Email: Complaint About a Noisy Upstairs Neighbour27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 8Email: Request Two Weeks of Leave to Care for a Parent27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 9Email: Compliments to a Local Restaurant After a Birthday Dinner27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 10Email: Request to Exchange an Online Jacket Order27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 11Email: Invite a Local Author to Speak to Students27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 12Email: Complaint About Restaurant Meal and Service27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 13Email: Complaint About Shopping Mall Parking27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 14Email: Inquiry About a Community Fitness Class27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 15Email: Apology to a Close Friend for Missing Their Wedding27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 16Email: Thank You to a Retiring Teacher27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 17Email: Request to Transfer to Another Department27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 18Email: Complaint About a Severely Delayed Package27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 19Email: Invitation to a Colleague's Farewell Dinner27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 20Email: Request a Reference Letter from a Former Manager27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 21Email: Compliment a Bus Driver Who Returned a Lost Wallet27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 22Email: Inquire About Adult Beginner Piano Lessons27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 23Email: Apologize for Missing a Family Birthday Dinner27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 24Email: Request Early Termination of Your Apartment Lease27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 25Email: Complain to a Gym About Broken Equipment27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 26Email: Invite a Neighbour to a Block Cleanup Day27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 27Email: Thank a Coworker for Covering Your Weekend Shifts27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 28Email: Propose a Flexible-Schedule Pilot to Your Manager27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 29Email: Complain to an Airline About Lost Luggage27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 30Email: Ask a Former Coach for Advice About Becoming a Coach Yourself27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 31Email: Complaint About an Incorrect Internet Billing Charge27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 32Email: Complaint About Furniture Damaged During a Move27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 33Email: Inquiry About Booking a Library Study Room27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 34Email: Complaint About Repeatedly Cancelled Dental Appointments27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 35Email: Inquiry About a Summer Day Camp for My Child27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 36Email: Complaint About a Broken Streetlight27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 37Email: Request Funding to Attend a Marketing Conference27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 38Email: Request a Repair for a Leaking Kitchen Ceiling27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 39Email: Ask a Neighbour to Care for Your Cat and Plants27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 40Email: Inquire About Volunteering at a Food Bank27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 41Email: Complain About Poor Conditions During an Anniversary Hotel Stay27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 42Email: Invite a Former Classmate to a Ten-Year School Reunion27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 43Email: Invite a Friend to Your New Condo Housewarming27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 44Email: Complain About a Delayed and Over-Budget Kitchen Renovation27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 45Email: Thank a Workplace Mentor Before Leaving for a New Job27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 46Email: Praise a Summer Reading Program at Your Library27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 47Email: Apologize to a Client for a Missed Website Deadline27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 48Email: Thank Your Physiotherapy Team After a Full Recovery27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 49Email: Thank a Neighbour for Help During a Snowstorm27 minIncluded in a plan
Test 50Email: Apologize to Your Instructor for Missed Classes27 minIncluded in a plan

How to score higher on Task 1

Turn the three bullet points into three paragraphs before you write a word. Each paragraph answers one bullet with a specific detail.
Decide the register from the recipient: formal for organisations and strangers, friendly for neighbours and friends. Keep it consistent from greeting to sign-off.
Aim for 170 to 190 words. Under 150 loses marks; over 200 is not rewarded and eats your time.
Save three minutes to read the email once for verb tense and once for the three bullets.

Scored on four traits: Content and Coherence, Vocabulary, Readability, Task Fulfillment. Celpify's AI feedback scores the same four traits the way the real test does.

Read the CELPIP Writing guide for this task and the Writing score chart.

Task 1 questions people ask

How long should the Task 1 email be?: Between 150 and 200 words. You have 27 minutes, and the on-screen word counter shows your length as you type.
What must the email include?: Everything in the three bullet points under the situation, with a detail for each, plus a greeting and a closing that fit the recipient.
Should the email be formal or informal?: It depends on the recipient in the situation. A manager, a company or a stranger gets a formal email; a friend or a neighbour you know gets a friendly one.
How is Task 1 scored?: On four traits: Content and Coherence, Vocabulary, Readability, and Task Fulfillment. Each is rated and combined into your CELPIP Writing level.
Is Task 1 practice free on Celpify?: The Test 1 prompt is free. With a free account you get 3 AI feedback submissions a day on it. Tests 2 to 50 come with a plan.