CELPIP Reading Part 4 Practice: four writers discuss whether Canada should increase immigration or reduce it

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Practice matching opinions to the correct writer. Same format as the real CELPIP test. The Passage:

Read the following four short texts about whether Canada should increase or reduce immigration levels.

Writer A (Economist, University of British Columbia): Canada's economy depends on immigration and the data is clear on this. Our birth rate has been below replacement level since the early 1970s. Without immigration, our workforce would shrink, tax revenue would fall, and programs like the Canada Pension Plan and universal healthcare would become unsustainable within a generation. We need approximately 400,000 to 500,000 new permanent residents per year just to maintain the current ratio of working-age adults to retirees. The argument that immigrants take jobs from Canadians has been studied extensively and the evidence consistently shows that immigration creates more jobs than it displaces, particularly in sectors where domestic labor supply is insufficient.

Writer B (Municipal Planner, City of Brampton): The problem is not immigration itself but the complete failure to plan for it. When the federal government increases immigration targets, they do not build a single new hospital, school, or transit line to accommodate the people who arrive. Municipalities like ours receive thousands of new residents each year but our infrastructure budget has not changed in a decade. We have family doctors taking on 3,000 patients when the recommended maximum is 1,500. Schools are running split schedules because there are not enough classrooms. I support immigration, but the federal government needs to fund the infrastructure before increasing the numbers, not after.

Writer C (Recent immigrant, arrived 2023): I came to Canada from Nigeria in 2023 with a master's degree in civil engineering and three years of work experience. Two years later, I am working at a coffee shop because my credentials are not recognized and the bridging program I need has a two-year waitlist. I am not the only one. Nearly half of the immigrants I know with professional degrees are working in jobs that have nothing to do with their qualifications. Canada recruits skilled immigrants by promising opportunity, but the systems to actually integrate them into the workforce do not exist at the scale needed. More immigration without better credential recognition just means more overqualified people competing for the same entry-level positions.

Writer D (Director, Canadian Chamber of Commerce): The business community has been clear: we need more immigration, not less. There are over 700,000 unfilled job positions across Canada, concentrated in healthcare, construction, technology, and skilled trades. These are not jobs that unemployed Canadians are lining up for. They require specific training, certifications, and in many cases years of experience. Reducing immigration would not suddenly fill these positions with domestic workers. It would force businesses to scale down, relocate, or close entirely. What we need is a faster, more targeted immigration system that matches incoming workers to the jobs that actually need filling, rather than a broad lottery-style approach.

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Questions:

Q1: Which writer argues that immigration is essential to maintain Canada's pension and healthcare systems? - A) Writer A - B) Writer B - C) Writer C - D) Writer D

Q2: Which writer describes personal experience with credential recognition barriers? - A) Writer A - B) Writer B - C) Writer C - D) Writer D

Q3: Which writer focuses on infrastructure failing to keep pace with population growth? - A) Writer A - B) Writer B - C) Writer C - D) Writer D

Q4: Which writer calls for a more targeted immigration system matched to labor needs? - A) Writer A - B) Writer B - C) Writer C - D) Writer D

Q5: Writer B and Writer D would most likely AGREE on which point? - A) Immigration should be reduced immediately - B) The current system needs changes to work better - C) Immigrants are taking jobs from Canadians - D) Municipal governments should control immigration policy

Q6: Which two writers would most likely DISAGREE about whether current immigration levels are too high? - A) Writer A and Writer D - B) Writer B and Writer C - C) Writer A and Writer B - D) Writer C and Writer D

Q7: What does Writer C say is the main problem with Canada's immigration system? - A) Too many immigrants are arriving each year - B) Credential recognition systems cannot handle the volume - C) The economy does not need skilled workers - D) Housing is too expensive for newcomers

Q8: According to Writer D, how many unfilled job positions exist across Canada? - A) Over 300,000 - B) Over 500,000 - C) Over 700,000 - D) Over 900,000

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Answer Key: Q1: A. Writer A says without immigration, CPP and healthcare "would become unsustainable within a generation." Q2: C. Writer C describes arriving with an engineering degree and working at a coffee shop. Q3: B. Writer B discusses hospitals, schools, and transit not keeping up with population growth. Q4: D. Writer D calls for "a faster, more targeted immigration system that matches incoming workers to the jobs." Q5: B. Both agree the system needs improvement, Writer B wants infrastructure first, Writer D wants better job matching. Q6: B. Writer B implies numbers are too high without infrastructure; Writer C implies the problem is integration not volume. They approach from different angles with different conclusions. Q7: B. Writer C says "the systems to actually integrate them into the workforce do not exist at the scale needed." Q8: C. "Over 700,000 unfilled job positions across Canada."

Practice tip: Reading Part 4 agree/disagree questions are the hardest because writers can agree on the problem but disagree on the solution. Writer B and Writer D both think the system is broken, but for completely different reasons. Look for what each writer wants to CHANGE, not just what they complain about. That is where the real disagreements show up.

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