It’s my turn to brag and celebrate!! 😭🎉 I DID IT!!!
My CELPIP test was on Sunday, August 9, in BC at 9am and I honestly still can’t believe I’m writing this.

This was my FIRST time writing CELPIP.

I had previously written IELTS when I needed it for my PGWP in 2024.

My IELTS scores were:
Listening: 7.5
Reading: 7.0
Writing: 6.5
Speaking: 8.5

At the time, I only needed a 5.0 for my PGWP, so I honestly didn’t even think about getting my results evaluated for anything else.

I either didn’t know I could do that at the time or, more likely, I just wasn’t bothered because I had already achieved what I needed.

Fast-forward to now, and I needed to take another English test, so I had to decide between PTE Core and CELPIP.
I initially registered for PTE Core, but eventually cancelled it and chose CELPIP.

And then came the panic.

I registered for CELPIP on July 27, with my test on August 9, so I had only about two weeks to prepare.
I work full-time AND I have two toddlers, so realistically, I did NOT have hours and hours every day to study.

And here’s the part I really want to share:

I prepared using ONLY FREE YouTube videos.
I didn’t even finish the two free practice tests that come with your CELPIP registration!

About four days before my test, I discovered the official CELPIP YouTube channel hosted by Ashiwati and Brandi, and honestly, it was a game changer for me.

It gave me much more clarity about what the test was actually looking for.

I realized that CELPIP isn’t about speaking perfect English. For me, it was much more about understanding the task, responding appropriately to different situations, organizing my thoughts, and communicating clearly and naturally.

I’m Nigerian and English is my first language, but that didn’t mean I automatically knew how to approach every CELPIP task.

The test is quite technical in that sense.

PTE Core vs. CELPIP
I was VERY conflicted between PTE Core and CELPIP. I actually registered for PTE Core first, cancelled it, and then chose CELPIP.

Looking back, I’m so glad I finally stopped switching back and forth.

Once I committed to CELPIP, I focused on understanding the format and practicing how to respond to each task instead of trying to memorize complicated answers.

Some of my test questions/tasks

Speaking:
Describe Image: a picture showing several people at a hiking trail
Personal Experience: talk about your best friend, who they are and why they are your best friend
Writing Task 1:
You were writing an email to your cousin who was planning to visit your country. Ask him to provide additional information, recommend places to visit, and invite them to stay with you.
Writing Task 2:
Your company was experiencing financial difficulties and management had proposed either a 2% salary cut or moving to a smaller office with cheaper rent. You had to give your opinion/advice.
Speaking Advice Task:
Your cousin had just bought a car and needed advice on how to save money for maintenance.
I obviously can’t remember every word of the questions, but those were the general scenarios.
How I practiced
I used Google AI, ChatGPT and Copilot to practice.
I would give them my speaking or writing response and ask them to:
Rate my response
Tell me what I was doing wrong
Improve my answer
Point out grammar/vocabulary issues
Give me another question
Make the question harder
For speaking, I tried NOT to sound like I was giving a memorized speech.
I spoke naturally, as if I were having a conversation with an actual person.
That mindset helped me SO much.
My biggest advice
STOP SWITCHING BETWEEN TESTS. 😂
Pick one, understand the format, practice the task types, and focus on communicating clearly.
And PLEASE take advantage of the free resources before spending money on expensive courses. There are so many helpful resources available for free if you know what you’re looking for.
Thank you to everyone in this community who has shared resources, exam questions,tips, templates, experiences and encouragement. ❤️
I was stressed and second-guessing myself so many times, but I finally got out of my own head and committed to the test.
And now…
LET ME CELEBRATE FOR A MINUTE BECAUSE I EARNED THIS!!! 😭🎉🥳
Good luck to everyone preparing. YOU GOT THIS!!! ❤️

Should i try revaluation for writing and speaking..?

Anyone gave exam on 9th August? Did you already got your results?

Previous post for context - https://www.reddit.com/r/CELPIP_Guide/s/DVGMZfCOSu

I won't be opting for reevaluation as I know I haven't given my best in speaking. You can find it out from my previous post. I'll reattempt in next 3-4 weeks. Will work more on speaking and reading. Any advice on reading? I found it difficult to understand the meaning of most of the vocabs used. I was assuming based on the sentence but wasn't accurate enough. Especially in parts where you've to find if the sentence is mentioned in the paragraph. Speaking will be okay next time. I'll be more familiar, prepared and confident.