CELPIP Speaking Task 5 (Comparing & Persuading) — high-band template

Task 5 is the Comparing and Persuading task. You are shown two options, such as two apartments, two job offers or two birthday gifts, and asked to choose one and convince another person that it is the better choice. You get 60 seconds to prepare and 60 seconds to speak. The task tests whether you can compare, take a clear position and argue for it persuasively rather than simply describe both options.

You get 60 seconds of preparation time and 60 seconds of speaking time. That is more preparation than most other CELPIP speaking tasks, which give only 30 seconds, so use it to decide your option and pick two concrete reasons before the timer starts. Within the 60 seconds of speaking, aim for a short position statement, two reasons, a brief acknowledgement of the other option and a confident close.

A structure that fits the 60 seconds is: state your recommendation in about 5 seconds, give the biggest advantage with a concrete detail (about 15 seconds), give a second advantage that contrasts with the other option's weakness (about 15 seconds), briefly acknowledge what the rejected option has going for it (about 10 seconds), then close by restating your choice with a forward-looking benefit (about 15 seconds).

The most common mistake is spending most of the minute describing both options and leaving only a few seconds to actually persuade. Task 5 is a persuading task, so raters want to hear you take a position early and support it. Describe only as much as you need to make your reasons clear, then spend the bulk of your time arguing for your choice and closing confidently.

Yes, briefly. Acknowledging the option you did not choose, for example "Option B has a nicer location, but…", shows balanced thinking and tends to score better than ignoring it completely. Keep it to one sentence and immediately return to why your choice is stronger. The point is to look fair while remaining clearly persuasive, not to weigh the two options evenly.

Raters reward clear structural transitions such as "first", "on the other hand" and "overall", concrete details instead of vague claims (say "it has a two-year warranty", not just "it is better"), balanced framing that briefly acknowledges the rejected option, and a confident close such as "You won't regret picking A". A persuasive tone helps task fulfilment, so sound like you are genuinely convincing someone.

Use a two-option prompt, set a 60-second prep timer, then record yourself speaking for exactly 60 seconds. Listen back and check that you stated a position in the first few seconds, gave two concrete reasons, acknowledged the other option briefly and finished with a clear recommendation. Repeating this with different prompts builds the timing into habit. You can practise Task 5 prompts with recorded feedback on CelpipRise.