CELPIP Writing Template for Task 1 and Task 2 (Structure, Not Script)

A good CELPIP writing template is a paragraph order with a word budget for each paragraph. You keep the order and the opening move of each paragraph. Every detail comes from the prompt in front of you.

Task 1 (email, 27 minutes, 150–200 words): greeting → purpose → one paragraph per bullet point → closing request → sign-off. Task 2 (survey response, 26 minutes, 150–200 words): your choice → reason 1 with an example → reason 2 with an example → a short comparison with the other option → one closing line.

The times and word ranges come from Prometric's CELPIP-General Overview study pack and its Writing Pro: Target 9+ study pack, both checked November 1, 2026. When I took CELPIP-General in Vancouver in September 2025, I scored 12 in Writing. The templates below are the planning structures I'd give a friend preparing for it. They are not official CELPIP material, and the two sample answers are original practice examples that no CELPIP rater has scored.

Will a template hurt your CELPIP score?

A structure is safe. Memorized sentences are a risk, and in the worst case they can cost you the result.

Prometric's own article on using sample responses says "memorizing, copying, and templating are the opposite of what is required of CELPIP test takers." It adds that every test taker signs a contract to produce spontaneous and original responses, and that "those who include memorized or copied content in their tests are subject to invalidation of their test results."

So when people on Reddit trade "copy-paste" templates with ready-made paragraphs, they are trading the one kind of template CELPIP warns about. The version on this page stops at the level of a plan: what each paragraph does, roughly how long it is, and a short frame to start it. You write every sentence on test day, using the names, places, problems and numbers in your prompt.

There's also a scoring reason. Raters judge your email on Content/Coherence, Vocabulary, Readability and Task Fulfillment, and the study pack lists relevance, completeness and tone under Task Fulfillment. A paragraph you could paste into any prompt is, by definition, about none of them.

CELPIP writing Task 1 template: the email

Task 1 describes an everyday situation and usually asks you to do around three things. The Overview study pack lists that as "around 3 things", and most prompts show them as bullet points. Each bullet gets its own paragraph.

The budgets add up to roughly 150–200 words. The Target 9+ study pack puts it this way: "Start with a purpose statement and end with a concluding statement," "Complete the tasks in order," and "Write at least one sentence for each task (most will need more!)." The template follows those three rules.

Choosing the tone before you write

Read who the email goes to before you plan anything. A property manager, a coordinator or a company you've never dealt with gets "Dear …" and "Kind regards." A coworker or neighbour you know can get "Hi Sam," and a warmer close. The study pack's Task 1 advice is to "Use a greeting and sign-off that fit the situation" and to avoid "rudeness, sarcasm, and casual slang," even in an angry complaint.

You do not need a subject line. The test gives you a response box, so start at the greeting.

Task 1 template filled in

Practice prompt (original): You rent a plot in your city's community garden. The only water tap has been broken for ten days. Write an email to Ms. Patel, the garden coordinator. In about 150–200 words:

• Describe the problem.
• Explain how it is affecting the gardeners.
• Suggest what the city should do.

Sample email: 174 words

Dear Ms. Patel,

I rent plot 14 at the Cedar Street community garden, and I'm writing because the water tap near the shed has been broken since August 3.

The handle turns, but no water comes out. A notice from the parks department was taped to the post on the first day, but nobody has come to repair it since then, and the notice gives no date.

For the past ten days, most of us have been carrying water from home. I fill four large bottles each evening and take them on the bus, which is enough for my tomatoes but not for the squash. Two older members have stopped coming, and their plots are already drying out.

I'd like to suggest two things. First, could the city send a plumber this week? Second, until the tap works, could a water tank be left by the shed? Several of us would be happy to help fill it.

Could you let me know by Friday whether a repair has been scheduled?

Kind regards, Daniel Okafor

Where the template shows. The purpose sentence names the plot, the garden, the tap and the date. Each bullet has its own paragraph and starts by doing that bullet's job (describe, explain the effect, suggest). The suggestions are actions a coordinator could take this week, and the closing asks for one thing with a deadline. Take away the prompt's details and almost nothing is left, which is how you know the email isn't recycled.

Word counts on this page include the greeting and sign-off and count words separated by spaces. The test's counter may differ slightly.

CELPIP writing Task 2 template: the survey response

Task 2 gives you a survey with two options. The Overview study pack summarizes it as "Respond to an opinion survey, choose between two options, and explain your choice (why is it better?)" and adds "No need to use email format here."

The study pack's Task 2 strategies line up with each row: "Start with an opinion statement," "Support each main idea with at least one concrete detail/example," "Compare your choice to the other choice," "Focus on reasons (not suggestions or descriptions)," and "Don't write an academic essay." It also says to "Avoid list/point form," so the reasons go in paragraphs.

A reason and an example are different things. "It is cheaper" is a reason. "A monthly pass would save me about $100, which is more than I spend on groceries in a week" is the example that makes the reason count.

Task 2 template filled in

Practice survey (original): Your employer has money for one new benefit and wants staff opinions.

• Option A: A height-adjustable desk for every employee.
• Option B: A free monthly transit pass for every employee.

Choose the option you prefer and explain why. Write about 150–200 words.

Sample response: 182 words

I'd choose the free transit pass, because it would help almost everyone in our office every working day.

The main reason is cost. Most of my coworkers take the SkyTrain or a bus, and a monthly pass in our zone costs about $100. For someone on an entry-level salary, saving that every month is a real raise. It would also help the people who drive now, since some of them only drive because transit feels expensive for a family.

A transit pass would also make us more flexible. When the office asks people to come in early for a client meeting or stay late for training, the cost of an extra trip wouldn't matter anymore. That would make it easier to say yes.

The desks would be good for people with back problems, and I can see why some staff would want them. However, they would help us only while we are at our desks, and people who already have back problems can ask for one through the office's health and safety process.

For those reasons, I'd vote for the transit pass.

Where the template shows. The choice is in the first sentence. Each reason paragraph opens with the reason and backs it with something you could check: a fare, a group of coworkers, a situation at work. The comparison paragraph gives the desks credit before explaining why they help fewer people. There's no "In conclusion" paragraph that repeats the reasons, because the Task 2 reader is the person running the survey, and they need the decision more than a summary.

You do not have to include a comparison in every response. If both reasons are strong and you're near 200 words, a one-sentence close is enough. The comparison row is there because many prompts are close calls, and the study pack specifically recommends it.

Sentence frames that work across prompts

These frames start a move. Finish each one with a detail from the prompt. If a frame would still make sense with a different prompt's details removed, it's too generic to keep.

The study pack warns against "overusing words and phrases from the question." If the prompt says "describe the problem," you don't need to write "The problem is that the problem…". Name the problem.

How to spend 27 and 26 minutes

The Target 9+ study pack recommends "around 4-5 minutes planning each response" and "around 3 minutes checking your response after you write." Here's how that fits each task:

During planning, write the template's parts as a list in your own scratch notes, with one word or number next to each. "Purpose: tap broken Aug 3. B1: handle turns, no water. B2: bottles, bus, 2 members stopped. B3: plumber + tank. Close: Friday." Then turn each note into a paragraph.

When you check, read the instructions again first and point to the paragraph that answers each one. Then check for the mistakes you make most often. The study pack's advice is "Be aware of what kind of mistakes you make most often." For many test takers that means articles, verb tense or missing commas.

Five ways a template goes wrong

The generic opener. "I am writing this email to bring to your kind attention a matter of utmost importance" uses 18 words and says nothing about the prompt. "I'm writing because the water tap near the shed has been broken since August 3" uses fewer words and tells the reader everything.

Memorized "advanced" phrases. A sentence like "It is an indisputable fact that…" stands out when the rest of the email is simpler. Raters see the gap.

Bullets answered in one line. The template gives each bullet a paragraph so it gets at least one detail. A one-sentence answer usually leaves Task Fulfillment weak.

Task 2 as an essay. The survey asks which option is better for this situation. An introduction about "the importance of employee benefits in modern society" delays your choice and doesn't help the reader decide.

Changing the facts. The study pack says "Don't change/ignore the information given in the question." If the prompt says the tap is broken, don't write about a broken fence because you've practised that email.

Practise the template on a new prompt

Reading a filled-in template is the first step. Writing one under the timer shows you which part breaks first, whether that's planning, a thin second reason or running out of time to check.

• For full answers with explanations, read the CELPIP writing Task 1 samples and the CELPIP writing Task 2 samples, which include two responses that defend opposite choices in the same survey.
• To compare answers at several levels, see the CELPIP writing samples page.
• To write against the timer, open a Task 1 email question or a Task 2 survey question, or take the full CELPIP writing practice test.
• Speaking works the same way. The Task 1 speaking template gives the speaking version of a structure you adapt.

CELPIP writing template questions

Is there an official CELPIP writing template?

No. Prometric publishes strategies, such as starting with a purpose or opinion statement and giving each main idea a detail, along with rated sample responses in its study packs. It does not publish a template, and it warns against memorized and templated responses.

Can I use the same template for every Task 1 email?

You can use the same paragraph order for every email, because almost every prompt asks you to do around three things. The tone, greeting, details and request change every time. A complaint to a company and a thank-you note to a neighbour share a structure and almost no sentences.

How many words should I aim for?

Both tasks ask for 150–200 words. The budgets above land between about 170 and 190, which leaves room to add a detail during your check without going far over 200.

Do I need a counterargument in Task 2?

It isn't required. The study pack recommends comparing your choice with the other option, and a short comparison often makes the reasons more convincing. Keep it to two or three sentences so it doesn't take over the response.

Is Task 2 written as an email or a letter?

No. The Overview study pack says there's "no need to use email format" for Task 2. Start with your choice instead of "Dear Sir or Madam."

Does the template work for CELPIP-General LS?

No. CELPIP-General LS has only Listening and Speaking, so there's no writing section. For speaking structures, see the Task 1 speaking template and the CELPIP test format guide.