CELPIP Speaking Task 1: how to give advice that scores
Task 1 gives you about 30 seconds to prepare and 90 to speak. A simple structure for clear, natural advice — and the mistakes that flatten the score.
⚡ The short version
- Task 1 (Giving Advice): roughly 30 seconds to prepare, 90 seconds to speak.
- Acknowledge the situation, give one clear recommendation, then back it with reasons.
- Speak to the person, not at a script — warmth and a concrete reason score.
Task 1 is the first of the eight Speaking tasks, and it sets the tone. You're given a situation — usually a friend or family member with a small problem — and asked to give advice, with about 30 seconds to prepare and 90 seconds to speak. It's friendly by design, and the trap is overcomplicating it.
A structure for the 90 seconds
Don't script sentences in your prep — pick this shape:
- Acknowledge the situation in a line. "It sounds like you're stuck between two good apartments — that's a tough one."
- Recommend one clear thing. "I'd go with the one closer to work."
- Two reasons, each with a quick detail. "You'll save an hour of commuting every day, and you said the rent is lower too."
- Reassure to close. "Either way you'll be fine, but that's the one I'd pick."
That fills 90 seconds comfortably without rushing.
Sound like you're talking to a person
This task rewards a warm, natural tone. Use "you should…", "if I were you, I'd…", "honestly, I think…". You're a friend giving advice, not an official reading a policy — so let it sound like that. (More on this in how to sound more natural.)
The mistakes that flatten Task 1
- Hedging instead of advising. Listing three options "you could do" gives no actual advice. Commit to one.
- Going too formal. Stiff, robotic delivery undercuts a friendly task.
- Running dry at 40 seconds. That's a structure problem — the four-step shape above keeps you going.
Lock the shape, keep it warm, and Task 1 becomes the easy confidence-builder it's meant to be. Practise Speaking under the real prep-and-speak timers and get feedback on structure and fluency.
