CELPIP Speaking Task 5: Comparing and Persuading
Choose, compare and persuade in 60 seconds: a preparation method, an adaptable template and an original sample answer.
Independent review record
Reviewed on October 9, 2026 by a separate AI reviewer, distinct from the drafting agent. The review covered task fidelity, published 2026 requirements, English wording, and the evidence for score claims. It was not an official CELPIP assessment.
Conclusion: compatible with the published 2026 task format; useful for practising stronger responses; no verified band score or score guarantee. No recording or timed unseen-prompt performance was assessed.
These are original teaching materials, not official answers. A reusable structure can help you organize a response, but it has no score of its own. Replace the content for every prompt. The examples have not been rated by CELPIP.
Preparation :60s
Recording :60s
Part 1: choose the option you prefer.
Task and timing
Stage · Time · What you do
Choose one of two options. There is no spoken response.
Consider the new option proposed by the other person.
Persuade that person that your chosen option is preferable.
Source: official 2026 Speaking Pro pack, pages 5 and 21.
In your response, compare your selected option with the new option in Part 2. Do not spend the response comparing your original choice with the option you already rejected.
Preparation method
Read the shared purpose and any constraints. Choose the option you can explain clearly. When the new option appears, compare like with like.
| Criterion | Your option | Proposed alternative | Practical significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Given total cost | Given total cost | Budget and remaining resources |
| Time or location | Given details | Given details | Attendance, travel, or convenience |
| Features or capacity | Given details | Given details | Fit for the stated use |
Pick two strong comparisons. Use the supplied facts accurately. Explain plausible consequences with “would,” “could,” or “may”; do not present invented warranties or discounts as provided facts.
Adaptable template
- 1
Name, I can see why you like their option, but I think my option would work better for our specific purpose.
- 2
The main difference is criterion. Complete factual sentence about my option, whereas complete factual clause about their option. That would allow us to relevant benefit.
- 3
Also, second comparison. Since our need or constraint, explain why my option is a better fit.
- 4
Your option does offer real advantage, but why it matters less in this situation. I'd choose my option because decisive reason.
Use the actual option names when pronouns would be unclear. An acknowledgement of the other option is useful only if you can explain why you still prefer yours. It is not a compulsory sentence.
Suggested speaking plan
- 10–8 secondsaddress the person and identify your choice.
- 28–28 secondsdevelop the strongest comparison.
- 328–47 secondsdevelop a second comparison.
- 447–60 secondsrespond to an objection and close.
These are practice targets, not scoring rules.
Original practice prompt
You and Sam need a venue for a workshop with 20 participants. Your maximum budget is $300. You need a projector for the presentation.
Part 1:
| Option | Cost | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Community room | $180 | Capacity 25; projector included; five-minute walk from the station |
| Small gallery | $260 | Capacity 20; no projector; fifteen-minute walk from the station |
You choose the community room.
Part 2: Sam proposes a hotel meeting room: $290, capacity 40, projector available for an additional $40, twenty-minute walk from the station. Persuade Sam to choose the community room.
Original sample response
Preparation :60s
Recording :60s
- Capacity 25
- Projector included
- Five-minute walk from the station
- Capacity 40
- Projector available for an additional $40
- Twenty-minute walk from the station
Sam, the hotel meeting room looks spacious, but I think the community room is a better fit for our workshop.
First, the community room costs a hundred and eighty dollars, including a projector. The hotel would cost three hundred and thirty with the projector, which takes us over our budget. Choosing the community room would leave us money for refreshments and printed materials.
It's also only a five-minute walk from the station, compared with twenty minutes for the hotel. That would be much easier for anyone bringing equipment on the train.
I know the hotel can hold more people, but we're only expecting twenty, and the community room seats twenty-five. We already have enough space, so I'd save the money and choose the more convenient location.
What the sample demonstrates
The hotel costs $330 with the projector, exceeding the $300 budget. The response explains the effects of that difference, then considers transport and capacity. It addresses the new hotel proposal rather than continuing to discuss the gallery.
High-score relevance and limits
This is a developed, constraint-based comparison. It offers useful practice in explaining why a factual difference matters. No score can be inferred without evaluating the delivered response.
For stronger practice, change the user's priorities. A more expensive option may be preferable when accessibility, durability, or capacity is the main constraint. Do not always rely on price and convenience.
Try the template on a real question
A template feels natural only after you use it under time pressure. Pick a question and set a timer.
Practice Speaking Task 5