CELPIP Speaking Task 7: Expressing Opinions in 90 Seconds
CELPIP Speaking Task 7 hands you a yes-or-no question and ninety seconds to defend your answer. Thirty seconds of prep, ninety seconds of speaking, and one big trap: giving one reason three ways instead of three distinct reasons.
Task 7 is the longest single recording in the Speaking section. Most candidates either freeze at the prep window or pad one idea until the timer runs out.
What Task 7 Actually Tests
Thirty seconds of prep. Ninety seconds of speaking. One opinion question on a public-life topic. The rubric rewards a clear stance, three distinct reasons, real examples, and clean transitions between them.
Ninety seconds is a lot of unsupported space to fill, and the format is built to expose answers that don't have enough material.
| Phase | Detail |
|---|---|
| Prep time | 30 seconds, scratch pad available |
| Speaking time | 90 seconds, one take, no replay |
| Question shape | Do you think… ? Take a position and defend it. |
| Audience | Generic. No named friend or colleague. |
| Target length | About 160 to 200 words at a natural pace |
The four rubric dimensions are the same as every Speaking task: Content/Coherence, Vocabulary, Listenability, and Task Fulfilment, as set out in the official CELPIP test materials. Task 7 leans heaviest on Content/Coherence. The examiner is counting distinct reasons. One reason rephrased three ways still counts as one.
Sample Prompt With a CLB 9 Model Answer
One realistic Task 7 prompt, one model answer scored at CLB 9, with the rubric notes attached.
The prompt
Do you think children should be allowed to use smartphones before age 13? Explain your reasons.
Model answer (about 175 words, CLB 9)
I don't think children should be allowed to use smartphones before age 13. There are three reasons that matter to me.
First, brain development. The parts of the brain that handle impulse control aren't fully formed until the late teens. Putting a smartphone in the hands of a ten-year-old is asking them to manage something that grown adults still struggle with.
Second, the social cost. When my niece got a phone at eleven, she stopped playing outside almost overnight. Her whole friend group moved indoors and onto screens within a couple of months. The convenience didn't feel worth that trade.
Third, sleep. Canadian paediatric research keeps showing that kids with phones in their bedrooms sleep less and worse. And sleep is the one thing growing kids cannot skimp on.
So overall, I'd say no, not before 13. Maybe a basic phone for emergencies, but not a smartphone.
Why this scores CLB 9
- Three distinct reasons (developmental, social, physical) with specific examples.
- Precise word choices (impulse control, paediatric, skimp on).
- Clear discourse markers (First, Second, Third, So overall).
- Stance stated upfront, defended for 90 seconds, closed with a qualifier.
Position, Reasons, Close
Same shape every time. Three moves, ninety seconds. Once it's drilled, the prep window stops being scary.
Use the 30-second prep to pick your side and jot three single-word reason anchors. Don't try to draft full sentences.
Move 1. Position (10 to 15 sec)
State your stance in one sentence. I don't think children should use smartphones before age 13. Add a one-sentence preview if you like. Don't hedge. Don't restate the question.
Move 2. Reasons (60 to 65 sec)
Three distinct reasons in roughly equal chunks. Each one: name the reason, give an example, move on. Use plain transitions (First, Second, Third). Pull each reason from a different part of life (developmental, social, physical, financial, educational) so they don't bleed into each other.
Move 3. Close (10 to 15 sec)
One-line restatement plus a qualifier. So overall, I'd say no, not before 13. Maybe a basic phone for emergencies, but not a smartphone. Don't open a fourth reason in the last fifteen seconds. You'll run out of time mid-sentence and the rubric punishes incomplete ideas.
Sitting on the fence kills the score
Four Pitfalls That Cap Task 7 Scores
Four patterns turn up in Task 7 answers that cap at CLB 7 even when grammar is clean. Each one is fixable in practice.
1. One reason rephrased three ways
It's bad for kids. It hurts development. Their brain growth gets affected. Three sentences, one reason. Build three distinct reasons by pulling from different parts of life. The rubric counts ideas, not sentences.
2. Reasons without examples
A reason on its own is half an answer. Smartphones cause health problems needs like the screen-related neck pain Canadian physiotherapists keep seeing behind it. Examples can be personal, statistical, or hypothetical.
3. Running out of time mid-sentence
Build the close at the 75-second mark, not the 88-second mark. If time's left over, fill with a brief qualifier rather than half a fourth reason that gets cut off.
4. Sitting on the fence
Both sides have a point or it really depends reads as task non-fulfilment. Even if your honest view is 51 / 49, the test wants the 51. Pick a side in the prep window and don't revisit it.
The official CELPIP LIVE coaching series has a Task 7 session that runs through Expressing Opinions in real time. Useful as a second perspective on what evaluators reward.
CELPIP LIVE: Speaking Task 7 - Expressing Opinions (Official)
Sources & further reading
Check the official Speaking format and free coaching before you practise opinion answers.
- 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 7: Common Questions
Quick answers to what test-takers ask before Task 7.
Thirty seconds to pick a side, ninety to defend it. Three distinct reasons, three examples, one tidy close. Task 7 stops being the freeze-prone task the moment you trust the framework.