CELPIP Listening Part 1: Problem Solving | Complete Guide

CELPIP Listening Part 1 is the first thing you hear after the headphones go on. It is a conversation between two people. One person has a problem. The other person suggests solutions. Your job is to follow the conversation, understand what is being discussed, and pick the answers that match what actually happens in the audio.

This part looks simple on paper. Two speakers, an everyday problem, five or six multiple-choice questions. But this is where many students lose easy marks because they relax too much or pick an answer based on a word they heard, not on what the speakers decided.

This guide breaks down the format, walks through a worked example, lists the traps to watch for, and gives you a clean step-by-step approach.

Part 1 at a glance

What is Part 1?

Part 1 is called Listening to Problem Solving for a reason. You hear two people in a real conversation. One has run into a problem. The other listens, asks some questions, and offers advice or suggestions. They might go back and forth on a few options before settling on one path forward.

The topics are everyday Canadian life. A common scenario: someone is moving into a new apartment but the lease has unusual rules. Another scenario: someone got an unexpected charge on their internet bill and is not sure what to do. Or: a colleague needs help rearranging a team meeting because of a flight delay.

None of this requires specialised vocabulary. What it requires is focus, the ability to follow a natural conversation, and the discipline to track which option the speakers actually choose.

The exact format with a worked example

Imagine you hear this conversation:

Anita: Hi Mark, do you have a minute? I am having trouble with my new apartment. Mark: Sure. What is the issue? Anita: The hot water keeps cutting out in the morning. I have called the building manager three times and nothing has changed. Mark: Have you tried writing to him formally? Sometimes a written complaint moves things faster than a phone call. Anita: I have not. I was thinking of just moving out, but my lease is for another six months. Mark: Moving out would be expensive. You could also call the tenant board if the manager keeps ignoring you. That is a stronger option than a letter. Anita: That sounds serious. I think I will try the written complaint first. If nothing happens in two weeks, I will escalate to the tenant board. Mark: Smart. Keep a record of every call you have made too.

Notice what happened. Three solutions were discussed: moving out, writing a formal letter, and calling the tenant board. Anita decides to write the letter first and then escalate if needed. A typical Part 1 question would look like:

What does Anita plan to do first? A. Move out of the apartment B. Call the tenant board C. Write a formal complaint D. Stop paying rent until it is fixed

The correct answer is C. The trap answers are A and B because both were mentioned in the conversation. Students who only catch keywords without tracking the final decision often choose B because the tenant board was described as the stronger option.

What CELPIP raters and the algorithm test

CELPIP Listening is machine scored against an answer key. There is no human judgement on Part 1, which means the test design is very precise. The questions are written to test specific listening skills:

If you score CLB 9 or higher on Part 1, you are usually catching all of these. CLB 6 to 7 listeners tend to miss the inference questions and fall for the discussed-but-rejected trap.

Step-by-step approach for Part 1

Step 1: Use the preview window

Before the audio plays, you see the questions on screen. Read them quickly. Look at the first three or four words of each question. Are they asking what the problem is, what was suggested, or what was decided? This tells you what to listen for.

Do not try to read every answer option in the preview. There is not enough time. Read the question stems only.

Step 2: Identify the problem in the first 20 seconds

The speakers usually establish the problem in the opening exchange. Once you hear it, write a short note on your scratch pad. Two or three words. Apartment hot water, late shift, broken laptop. This anchor helps you stay oriented for the rest of the conversation.

Step 3: Track every solution mentioned

As the conversation moves on, the second speaker will offer one or more solutions. Some get accepted, some get rejected, some get modified. On your scratch pad, list them quickly with a plus or minus next to each one:

• write letter (+)
• tenant board (later)
• move out (-)

This visual map of options is the single most useful note-taking habit for Part 1.

Step 4: Lock in the final decision

The decision is almost always in the last 30 seconds of the conversation. It is often signalled by phrases like “I think I will…”, “Let me try…”, or “Okay, that makes sense”. Pay close attention to the last exchange. This is where the answer to the most heavily weighted question usually lives.

Step 5: Answer using your notes, not your memory

Once the audio ends, work through the questions using your scratch pad notes. Do not try to recall the conversation from memory. Your notes are more reliable than your memory under test pressure.

If a question feels uncertain, eliminate the obviously wrong options first. You can usually rule out two of the four, which doubles your odds even on a guess.

Common traps in Part 1

CELPIP Part 1 vs IELTS GT Section 1 vs PTE Core

CELPIP Part 1 is the closest in format to IELTS General Training Listening Section 1 and to PTE Core’s short conversation tasks. But there are real differences that matter for preparation.

The biggest gap for IELTS-trained students is the decision-tracking element. IELTS Section 1 is about filling in specific details on a form. CELPIP Part 1 is about following a conversation and identifying what the speakers chose to do. This requires a different listening focus.

For PTE-trained students, the gap is the audio length. PTE Listening clips are often shorter and more transactional. CELPIP Part 1 has a longer arc with more back-and-forth.

How to practise Part 1

Before the test, you want three things in your daily routine.

Canadian audio every day. Listen to CBC Radio One for at least 15 minutes a day. The morning shows and current affairs programs use exactly the kind of conversational Canadian English you will hear on the test. Do not use subtitles. Force your ears to do the work.

Note-taking drills. Take any 2-minute conversation - from a podcast, a TV show, anything - and practise writing the key facts on a small notepad while listening once only. Then check your notes against a transcript. The goal is shorter, faster, more accurate notes over time.

Full Part 1 practice with timing. Use a CELPIP practice platform that mimics the real format. Do not pause. Do not replay. Sit through the full 8 minutes as if it were the real test. Then review every wrong answer and figure out exactly what you missed.

The Marvel Education CELPIP practice software gives you all 6 Listening part formats with real-style Canadian audio, a virtual scratch pad just like the test, and detailed answer review that explains why each option was right or wrong. Start your free trial here.

Quick checklist before test day

• I can identify a problem in a conversation within 20 seconds
• I can track 3 to 4 discussed options on a scratch pad without losing the conversation
• I can spot self-corrections and time markers in spoken English
• I do not need subtitles to follow Canadian conversational audio
• I have done at least 10 full-format Part 1 practice sets under timed conditions
• I have reviewed every wrong answer to understand which trap I fell for

If you can tick all of these, Part 1 will not be where you lose marks. The harder battles come in Parts 5 and 6, where multiple speakers and viewpoints make tracking much harder. But every mark you bank in Part 1 makes the rest of the test easier.

A deeper look at the question types

The 5 to 6 questions in Part 1 are not random. They follow a predictable mix that the test designers use across every Part 1 audio. Once you recognise the pattern, you can anticipate what is coming.

The problem-identification question

Almost every Part 1 set opens with a question about the problem itself. What is the speaker’s situation? What issue did they bring up? This is usually the easiest question if you caught the opening of the conversation. The answer is in the first 30 seconds of audio.

The trap on this question is overthinking. If the speaker said their apartment has a hot water issue, the answer is about hot water. Do not search for a deeper meaning.

The discussed-options question

The next question often asks what solutions were discussed during the conversation. This is where the test sees if you tracked all the options or only the chosen one. Sometimes the question phrasing is “Which of the following was NOT discussed?” which inverts the logic.

For these questions, your scratch pad notes are essential. You should have a quick list of every option mentioned, regardless of whether it was accepted or rejected.

The chosen-action question

The most heavily weighted question is usually about what the speaker will actually do. This is the question where the rejected-solution trap appears. Students who caught the keywords but lost the decision get this question wrong.

The answer is almost always tied to phrases in the last 30 seconds - “I think I will”, “Let me try”, “Okay, I will go with”, “That sounds best”.

The reason or motivation question

Sometimes a question asks why the speaker chose a particular option. Was it because it was cheaper, faster, more reliable, or less risky? The reason is usually stated explicitly in the conversation, but it can be buried in a longer exchange.

Listen for “because”, “since”, and “the main reason” markers. Note the reason next to the chosen option on your scratch pad.

The inference or attitude question

Some Part 1 sets include a question that asks how the speaker feels about their situation or about the advice. This requires reading tone, not just words. Worried, relieved, annoyed, hopeful - these are typical answer options.

The key signal for these questions is the speaker’s word choice. “I really hate this” signals frustration. “I am glad you suggested that” signals relief. Listen for emotion-loaded vocabulary.

Score-level differences in Part 1

If you find yourself stuck at CLB 7 to 8 on Part 1, the upgrade usually comes from two specific habits - better note-taking discipline (especially on options and reasons) and ear training for indirect language and inference.

Useful Canadian conversational phrases to recognise

Part 1 audio uses informal Canadian English. Recognising common phrases helps you process the conversation faster. Here are phrases that show up regularly.

Asking for help

• “Hey, do you have a minute?”
• “I could use your advice on something”
• “I am dealing with a tricky situation”
• “Can I run something by you?”

Describing a problem

• “Here is the thing”
• “The issue is”
• “I have been having trouble with”
• “It is starting to get to me”

Offering a suggestion

• “Have you thought about”
• “You could try”
• “One option is”
• “What if you”
• “Some people in your situation just”

Hedging a suggestion

• “It is just a thought”
• “I am not sure if this will work, but”
• “You probably already considered this”
• “Maybe it is not the best idea, but”

Accepting a suggestion

• “That sounds doable”
• “I think I will give that a shot”
• “Let me try that first”
• “Okay, I will go with that”

Rejecting a suggestion politely

• “I appreciate the idea, but”
• “I had thought of that, but”
• “I am not sure that is the best fit”
• “Maybe, but I am leaning towards”

Confirming a decision

• “Alright, that is the plan”
• “Yeah, let me do that”
• “I will follow up on that”
• “Thanks, that helps a lot”

The more of these you recognise on first hearing, the faster you can focus on the substance of the conversation rather than parsing language.

A 7-day pre-test preparation plan for Part 1

You do not need months of preparation to become solid on Part 1. A focused week of practice can fix the most common gaps.

Day 1 to 2 - Familiarisation

Listen to 5 sample Part 1 conversations. Do not try to answer questions yet. Just get used to the rhythm, the accent, and the back-and-forth between speakers. Write a one-sentence summary of each conversation after listening.

Day 3 to 4 - Note-taking drills

Take 5 more Part 1 conversations. This time, build a scratch-pad note as you listen once only. List every option discussed and mark which one was chosen. Compare your notes to a transcript and adjust your shorthand.

Day 5 to 6 - Full timed sets

Do 3 full Part 1 sets per day under timed conditions. No pauses, no replays. Use the virtual scratch pad. Answer all questions and check your score. For each wrong answer, write down which trap caught you.

Day 7 - Review and refine

Go back over every wrong answer from the week. Categorise them - rejected solution trap, keyword bait, speaker confusion, inference miss, time confusion. Identify your most common error and focus your final practice on fixing it.

Final tips for test day

Settle in before the audio starts. The headphones, the chair, the screen layout - get comfortable in the first minute. If you are tense when the Part 1 audio begins, you will miss the opening exchange where the problem is established.

Use the pre-read time fully. Do not check your scratch pad or look around. Read the question stems and prepare your listening focus.

Take notes with simple shorthand. You are not writing an essay. Three-word notes are enough. The goal is to free up cognitive space for listening, not to produce a transcript.

If you miss something, do not panic. Mark it on your scratch pad with a question mark and move on. Other parts of the conversation may give you the information you need to answer confidently. Even if not, an educated guess on one question is better than losing focus on the rest.

Part 1 sets the tone for the entire Listening section. A clean Part 1 builds confidence. Confidence improves focus. Focus drives every score that follows.

A second worked example - workplace scheduling

Let us walk through another full Part 1 conversation with annotations for what to notice at each step.

Raj: Hey Lin, do you have five minutes? I have got a scheduling problem. Lin: Sure, what is going on? Raj: My team lead wants me to cover the weekend shift this Saturday, but I have my brother’s wedding that same day. I have known about the wedding for six months. Lin: Did you let your team lead know? Raj: I mentioned it briefly last month, but I forgot to put it in the calendar system. So she may not realise it is a conflict. Lin: Okay. You could send her a formal email explaining the situation and asking for someone to swap shifts. Raj: That is one option. I was also thinking of asking Priya directly. She owes me a favour from last month. Lin: Both could work. Asking Priya first is faster, but the email creates a paper trail in case there is a dispute later. Raj: True. You know what, let me ask Priya first today. If she cannot swap, I will send the formal email tomorrow. Lin: Smart approach. Good luck with the wedding.

What to notice:

• The problem appears in the first 30 seconds (weekend shift conflict with brother’s wedding)
• Two options are discussed (formal email to team lead, asking Priya directly)
• A sequencing emerges in the final exchange (ask Priya first, fall back to email)
• The chosen first action is asking Priya, not sending the email

A typical question and answer:

What will Raj do first? A. Send a formal email to his team lead B. Skip his brother’s wedding C. Ask Priya to swap shifts D. File a complaint with HR

The answer is C. The trap is A, which was discussed but is the second option, not the first. The wedding is never proposed as a thing to skip - Raj is trying to avoid that outcome.

Common Part 1 scenarios you should be ready for

The actual topics in Part 1 vary across test sittings, but they fall into a small set of recurring scenarios. Familiarity with the type of vocabulary and decision patterns in each one makes the test feel predictable.

Housing scenarios

Someone is dealing with a rental issue, a roommate problem, or a question about moving. Discussion options often include staying and complaining, moving out, escalating to a manager, or contacting a tenant board. Vocabulary to know - lease, landlord, tenant, security deposit, notice, eviction, utilities.

Work and workplace scenarios

A colleague needs help with a scheduling conflict, an overload, or a difficult coworker. Options often include talking to a manager, swapping shifts, asking for help from another team, or accepting the situation. Vocabulary to know - shift, schedule, overtime, deadline, manager, performance review, time off.

Travel and transport scenarios

A friend is dealing with a missed flight, a car issue, or a trip planning problem. Options often include rebooking, calling customer service, taking a different route, or cancelling. Vocabulary to know - itinerary, layover, booking, refund, rebook, departure, terminal, transit.

Money and bills scenarios

Someone has a billing dispute, an unexpected charge, or a budgeting question. Options often include calling the company, switching providers, requesting a refund, or paying and moving on. Vocabulary to know - invoice, charge, refund, account, statement, due date, late fee, dispute.

Family and personal scenarios

A friend has a personal issue - planning an event, dealing with a family member, organising a gift. Options often include various ways of handling the situation. Vocabulary to know - reservation, RSVP, celebration, hosting, gift, surprise.

Customer service scenarios

A speaker is dealing with a product return, a service complaint, or an installation issue. Options often include escalating, accepting a partial solution, or trying another provider. Vocabulary to know - return, exchange, warranty, complaint, technician, appointment.

Recovery strategies if you miss information

You will miss something at some point. Part 1 audio plays once, and even strong listeners zone out for a few seconds. The skill is recovering without losing the rest of the audio.

If you miss the problem statement, listen for context clues in the rest of the conversation. The second speaker usually references the problem as they offer advice. “If you call the manager about the noise” tells you the problem is noise.

If you miss an option that was discussed, keep tracking the rest. You can usually answer the chosen-action question even if you missed one of the rejected options.

If you miss the final decision, listen for confirmation phrases at the very end. The speaker often summarises their plan with phrases like “so I will try”, “okay, that is what I will do”, “thanks for the advice”. Even a 5-second catch of the closing can save your decision question.

If you miss the entire conversation, do not panic. Read the questions and look for keywords that match anything you did catch. Eliminate obviously wrong options. Take an educated guess. There is no penalty for wrong answers, so always answer every question.

What CELPIP Part 1 is really testing about your English

The test description says Part 1 measures your ability to follow a problem-solving conversation. The deeper truth is that it measures your readiness for Canadian workplace and daily-life communication.

In a Canadian workplace, you will often hear colleagues discussing options before deciding. Meetings rarely end with the first suggestion. People propose, others respond, and the group settles on a path. Part 1 mirrors this exactly.

In daily life, you will have conversations with neighbours, friends, and service staff where solutions emerge from discussion. The skill of tracking what was proposed, what was rejected, and what was chosen is a daily skill, not just a test skill.

This is why Part 1 is the easiest of the Listening parts but still demands real listening. It is not about advanced vocabulary or complex grammar. It is about following a natural conversation the way a fluent English speaker would. Build that skill and the test reflects it.