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 plan for it. Pick one of two options, then persuade someone who prefers a new, third option that yours is better. You get 60 seconds to speak.
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, get the timing and format clear. Both move quickly.
Task 5 comes in two parts: a 60-second choice, then 60 seconds to prepare and 60 seconds to persuade.
Part 1: Choose (60 seconds)
You see two options side by side, each with a picture and a short list of features. Read both. Pick one. No speaking yet.
Part 2: Persuade (60 seconds to prepare, 60 to speak)
Your choice stays on screen, and a new option appears next to it: someone, often a family member, friend, or coworker, prefers this third option. You speak to that person and explain why your choice from Part 1 is better than theirs.
Two things to keep in mind. You're comparing your choice with the new option, not with the one you turned down in Part 1. And the tone depends on who you're talking to: friendly for a friend, more polite for a supervisor.
The 4-Step Structure
Same shape every time. Learn the plan once, then fill it with what's on the screen.
Step 1. Polite opening (10 sec)
Acknowledge their suggestion before disagreeing. Try: I can see why the app appeals to you, but I'd still go with the gym I picked.
Step 2. Two strong comparisons (25 sec)
Pick two advantages your choice has over their option, with real details from the screen. It has real equipment, and a set schedule keeps you going. One full sentence per point.
Step 3. Acknowledge the other side (10 sec)
Concede one small thing about their option. It shows you actually weighed both. Sure, the app is cheaper, 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 the gym is the better choice. Want to try it with me?
Pick one. Defend it.
Sample 60-Second Answer
Here's the structure applied to a typical Task 5 prompt.
Prompt setup
Part 1: Option A is a gym at $30/month, open 24/7, 10 minutes from home. Option B is a gym at $25/month with a pool, open 6 AM to 11 PM, 20 minutes away. You chose B. Part 2: your friend suggests a new option instead, a home workout app at $15/month.
Sample answer (60 seconds)
I can see why the workout app appeals to you, but I'd still go with the gym I picked.
First, it's only ten dollars a month more than the app, and that gets you real equipment and a pool, not just a phone screen. Second, going somewhere keeps you consistent. At home it's too easy to skip a session when you're tired.
Sure, the app is cheaper and you don't have to travel, but twenty minutes on the bus is a small price for workouts you'll actually do.
So I really think the gym is the better choice. Want to try it with me for a month?
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 the app is broken. Say: It's cheaper than the app. Drill it until it's automatic under time pressure.
Want to see the whole task on real pictures? Our CELPIP speaking test sample shows a full Task 5, both parts, with a timed answer you can play, and the answer plans for all eight speaking tasks sit on one printable page.
Keep exploring: CELPIP Test Format: All 4 Sections
Sources & further reading
The official format page shows where Task 5 falls in the Speaking section.
- CELPIP Speaking Pro Study Pack, Tasks 5-8Official Task 5 format: choose in Part One, then argue your choice against a new option in Part TwoOfficial CELPIPcelpip.ca
- CELPIP-General Test FormatOfficial source for the test's section structure and timingOfficial CELPIPcelpip.ca
- CELPIP Free ResourcesOfficial CELPIP study webinars and resourcesOfficial CELPIPcelpip.ca
CELPIP Speaking Task 5: Common Questions
Quick answers to what test-takers ask before Task 5.
The structure is the test. Practise it on three or four sample prompts and Task 5 stops being the scary one.