Part 1 — Listening to a Conversation

What you'll learn: how to track two speakers working through a practical problem, and how to match your notes to Problem Solving-style questions.

What this part actually tests

This lesson corresponds to the CELPIP test's Listening to Problem Solving part — the first scored part of the test. You'll hear a conversation between two people (a customer and a staff member, two coworkers, two friends) who are working through a concrete problem: a scheduling conflict, a billing error, a broken item, a plan that fell through. The questions that follow don't just ask "what is the problem" — they typically ask about the sequence of proposed solutions, which one the speakers actually settle on, and any conditions attached to that solution.

The shape of a typical Problem Solving conversation

These conversations tend to follow a predictable arc: a problem is stated early, one speaker proposes a first solution, the other speaker raises an objection or complication, a second (often modified) solution is proposed, and the conversation ends with an agreement — sometimes with a condition attached ("that works, as long as..."). Because the final agreed solution is what most questions target, and because it's easy to lock onto the first proposed solution and stop updating your notes, this part rewards continuing to listen — and continuing to update your notes — all the way to the end of the recording.

Worked example

Audio (paraphrased transcript):

Staff: Hi, I see your package was supposed to arrive Tuesday but our system shows a delivery issue.
Customer: Right, I never got it. Can you just resend it?
Staff: We could, but a resend would take another five business days. Alternatively, I could refund you now and you could reorder if you still want it.
Customer: Five days is too long, I need it by Friday. Actually — is there a faster shipping option you could upgrade me to for the resend?
Staff: Yes, I can upgrade you to two-day shipping at no extra charge since this was our error.
Customer: That works, as long as it's guaranteed by Friday.
Staff: I'll note it as guaranteed Friday delivery.

Shorthand notes:

S: pkg late, resend=5d OR refund
C: 5d too slow, need Fri
S: + upgrade 2-day, free (our error)
C: ok, IF guaranteed Fri

Sample question: "What did the two speakers ultimately agree to?" The correct answer is the upgraded two-day resend guaranteed for Friday — not the original five-day resend and not the refund, both of which were mentioned but rejected. Notice the notes preserve the final state (ok, IF guaranteed Fri) rather than just the first idea raised, which is exactly what a rushed listener would answer incorrectly.

Listening-focus checklist for this part

• I identify the stated problem within the first few lines and note it in one short phrase.
• I track every proposed solution, not just the first one, using arrows for "changes to."
• I note any condition attached to the final agreement ("as long as," "only if," "provided that").
• I keep a clear tag for who proposed which solution, since some questions ask "who suggested X."

Common mistakes

• Answering with the first proposed solution instead of the one the speakers actually settled on.
• Missing conditional language ("as long as," "unless") attached to the final agreement, which often changes the correct answer.
• Losing track of which speaker proposed which idea when both speakers suggest multiple options.
• Assuming the problem stated in the first sentence is the only problem — some conversations introduce a second, related complication midway through.

Recap

Problem Solving conversations move through a predictable arc — problem, proposal, objection, revised proposal, conditional agreement — and the questions almost always target the final agreed solution and any conditions attached to it. Track both speakers with tagged shorthand, keep updating your notes as proposals change, and resist locking onto the first solution mentioned.