Part 1 — Listening to Problem Solving

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 is the first scored part of CELPIP Listening, and with 8 questions it's tied with Discussion as the largest. 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 don't just ask "what is the problem." They usually ask about the sequence of proposed solutions, which one the speakers actually settle on, and any conditions attached to that solution.

Three segments, with questions after each

Part 1 plays in pieces: the conversation is split into three segments. After each segment, its questions appear on screen and you answer them before the next segment plays. As in every part, you don't see the questions until the audio for that segment has finished.

That shape changes how you take notes:

• Start a fresh block of notes for each segment. The questions after segment 1 are about segment 1, so you want those notes compact and easy to scan the moment the questions appear.
• Carry the problem forward. The same two people and the same problem run through all three segments. A one-line summary at the top of your page (pkg late, needs by Fri) saves you re-establishing the situation each time.
• Use the questions you've answered as context. After segment 1, you know the problem and the first idea on the table. That tells you what segment 2 is likely to do: raise an objection, a complication or a new option.

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

One segment of 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, shown after this segment ends: "What did the two speakers 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."
• I start a new note block for each of the three segments, under a one-line summary of the problem.

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 play in three segments, with questions after each. Across them, the talk moves through a predictable arc (problem, proposal, objection, revised proposal, conditional agreement), and the questions often 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.