CELPIP Speaking Task 5: Comparing and Persuading Template
CELPIP Speaking Task 5 has the longest prep time of any task. 60 seconds. Most people freeze.
The format is unfamiliar, but there's a script for it. Compare two options, pick one, and persuade a friend in 60 seconds.
This guide gives you the timing, the 4-step structure, a sample answer, and two grammar slips that quietly cost points.
How Task 5 Works
Before the structure, please clarify the timing and format. Both move quickly.
Task 5 splits into two phases: a 60-second selection phase, then a 60-second speaking phase.
Phase 1: Selection (60 seconds)
You see two options side by side, each with a name, a price, and a short list of features. Read both. Pick one. No speaking yet.
Phase 2: Speaking (60 seconds)
The screen tells you a friend has already picked the other option. You speak directly to that friend, trying to convince them to switch.
Two things to keep in mind: the options are usually close in value, so you can argue either side. And your audience is a friend, so the tone is friendly, not formal.
The 4-Step Structure
Same shape every time. Memorize it once, and Task 5 stops feeling random.
Step 1. Polite opening (10 sec)
Acknowledge your friend's pick before disagreeing. Try: Hey, I saw you went with Option A. I get why, but I'd actually pick Option B.
Step 2. Two strong comparisons (25 sec)
Pick two advantages of your option and provide real numbers from the screen. It's twenty dollars cheaper, and the warranty is two years longer. One full sentence per point.
Step 3. Acknowledge the other side (10 sec)
Concede one small thing about Option A. It tells your friend you actually weighed both. Sure, Option A is closer to home, but for me, that's a small trade-off.
Step 4. Soft close (10 sec)
End with a nudge, not an order. So I really think Option B is the better deal. Want to switch?
Pick one. Defend it.
Sitting on the fence kills your score on this task. Saying "both are good" doesn't earn marks. Choose, commit, and persuade for the full 60 seconds.
Sample 60-Second Answer
Here's the structure applied to a typical Task 5 prompt.
Prompt setup
Option A: gym at $30/month, 24/7 access, 10 min from home. Option B: $25/month, 6 AM to 11 PM, 20 min from home. Your friend picked A.
Sample answer (60 seconds)
Hey, I saw you picked Option A. I get it, but I'd go with Option B.
First, it's five dollars cheaper every month. Over a year, that's sixty bucks back in your pocket. Second, the hours are still wide, 6 AM to 11 PM. Honestly, when do you go to the gym at 2 AM?
Yes, Option A is closer, but the savings cover the travel.
So I'd switch to Option B. What do you think?
Two Grammar Traps That Cost You Points
Two slips show up in Task 5 more than anywhere else. Catch them before test day.
1. "More cheaper" and other double comparatives
Comparatives use either the -er ending or more in front. Never both. Say cheaper or more affordable. Saying more cheaper drops your vocabulary score on the spot.
2. Forgetting "than"
Comparison sentences need than when you mention the other option. It's cheaper Option A is broken. Say: It's cheaper than Option A. Drill it until it's automatic under time pressure.
CELPIP Speaking Tips: Strategies for All 8 Tasks
Strategies for the other seven Speaking tasks and what evaluators listen for across the section.
CELPIP Speaking Score Chart
How your Speaking performance maps to a CLB level, with what evaluators reward at each tier.
CELPIP Test Format: All 4 Sections
Where Speaking Task 5 sits in the full test and how the timing flows on test day.
CELPIP Speaking Task 5: Common Questions
Quick answers to what test-takers ask before Task 5.
The structure is the test. Practice it on three or four sample prompts, and Task 5 stops being the scary one.