CELPIP Vocabulary for Study and Education
The Celpip Plus team
Written and reviewed against the official CELPIP scoring criteria
Study & Education collocations for CELPIP
Education prompts appear all through CELPIP. Writing Task 1 can ask you to email an instructor about a missed exam, a college about a program you want to join, or a school office about fees. Writing Task 2 surveys often ask how a school or library should spend its money, with two options to choose from. In Speaking, Task 2, Talking about a Personal Experience, may ask about a teacher or a course that changed you; Task 1, Giving Advice, may involve a friend choosing a program; and Task 7, Expressing Opinions, may ask whether college should be free. These collocations help you discuss all of them.
Verb + noun collocations
| Collocation | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| enrol in a program | officially register for a course of study | She enrolled in a nursing program at the local college. |
| take a course | study a specific subject over a term | I'm taking a course in statistics this semester. |
| submit an assignment | hand in required academic work | Students must submit assignments before midnight on Fridays. |
| study for an exam | prepare specifically for a test | He stayed up late studying for his chemistry exam. |
| pass an exam | successfully meet the required standard on a test | Most students pass the exam on their first attempt. |
| write an exam | take an exam (common in Canada) | I'm writing my last final on Thursday morning. |
| earn a degree | complete a program and receive its qualification | She earned a degree in engineering after four years. |
| apply for a scholarship | submit a request for financial academic support | Many students apply for scholarships to cover tuition. |
| attend a lecture | be present at a class taught by an instructor | We attended a lecture on climate policy yesterday. |
| meet a requirement | satisfy a rule needed for admission or graduation | This course meets a requirement for the science major. |
| conduct research | carry out a systematic academic investigation | Graduate students conduct research under a faculty advisor. |
| graduate from (a school) | complete an educational program successfully | She graduated from university with honours. |
Adjective + noun collocations
| Collocation | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| a rigorous curriculum | an academically demanding course of study | The engineering program has a rigorous curriculum. |
| a supportive teacher | an instructor who helps and encourages students | A supportive teacher can make a difficult subject feel manageable. |
| a heavy workload | a large amount of assigned academic work | My final year came with a much heavier workload. |
| a well-structured course | a class organized logically and clearly | The professor designed a well-structured course with clear milestones. |
| a competitive program | an academic program with limited, hard-to-get spots | Nursing is a competitive program at many Canadian colleges and universities. |
| steep tuition fees | a very high cost of education | International students often pay steep tuition fees. |
| a hands-on approach | teaching that emphasizes practical, active learning | The trade school takes a hands-on approach to teaching. |
| an engaging lecture | a class presentation that holds students' interest | Her engaging lectures made even statistics feel interesting. |
| a flexible curriculum | a program that lets students choose their courses | The flexible curriculum let me combine art and computer science. |
| a demanding schedule | a timetable requiring significant time and effort | Balancing a part-time job with a demanding class schedule was exhausting at first. |
| a well-funded institution | a school with strong financial resources | A well-funded institution can offer better labs and facilities. |
| an outdated syllabus | course content that no longer reflects current knowledge | Students complained about an outdated syllabus in the department. |
Phrasal verbs
| Collocation | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| fall behind (in class) | fail to keep pace with coursework | I fell behind in class after missing a week because of the flu. |
| catch up on (readings) | finish work that has piled up | She spent the weekend catching up on her readings. |
| cram for (an exam) | study intensively in a short period before a test | He crammed for the final the night before. |
| figure out (a problem) | work out a solution through effort | It took me an hour to figure out that math problem. |
| hand in (an assignment) | submit completed work to an instructor | Please hand in your essays by Friday afternoon. |
| look into (a topic) | research or investigate something further | I want to look into scholarship options before deciding. |
| drop out (of school or a course) | leave a program or course before finishing it | He nearly dropped out of college in his second year. |
| sign up for (a class) | register for a course or activity | We signed up for the same elective this term. |
| brush up on (a subject) | review and refresh existing knowledge | I need to brush up on my grammar before the exam. |
| work through (material) | study content step by step | We worked through the textbook chapter by chapter. |
| put in (effort or hours) | invest time or energy into something | She put in extra hours preparing for the presentation. |
| wrap up (a course) | finish or conclude something | We wrapped up the semester with a group project. |
Formal and spoken phrases for study and education
These phrases belong to school and college situations. Use the formal ones in Writing Task 1 emails to an instructor or a school office, and the spoken ones when you describe your own studies in Speaking.
Formal phrases for Writing
| Collocation | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| request an extension | formally ask for more time to finish work | I am writing to request a one-week extension on my final assignment. |
| write a make-up exam | take a replacement exam after missing the original | I would be grateful for the chance to write a make-up exam next week. |
| academic accommodations | official adjustments for students with a disability or illness | The college offers academic accommodations, such as extra time on exams. |
| a reduced course load | fewer courses than a full-time student normally takes | I would like to move to a reduced course load of three courses this winter. |
| a bursary | money given to a student based on financial need | I received a bursary that covers half of my textbook costs. |
| tuition fees | the money a school charges for its programs | The increase in tuition fees has made it harder for many students to continue. |
| the learning environment | the conditions in which students study | Smaller classes would improve the learning environment for everyone. |
| quiet study space | a place set aside for students to study without noise | The library does not have enough quiet study space during exams. |
Spoken phrases for Speaking
| Collocation | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| I was never a (math) person | I was never naturally good at (a subject) | I was never a math person, so statistics scared me. |
| it finally clicked | I suddenly understood something | After three weeks of practice, the formula finally clicked. |
| pull an all-nighter | stay up all night to study | I pulled an all-nighter before my chemistry final, and I don't recommend it. |
| ace a test | do extremely well on a test | She aced the midterm after weeks of steady review. |
| bomb a test | do very badly on a test (informal) | I bombed my first quiz because I misread the instructions. |
| a study group | a small group of students who study together | Joining a study group was the best decision I made that year. |
| office hours | times an instructor is available to help students | I started going to my professor's office hours every Tuesday. |
| learn the hard way | learn something through a bad experience | I learned the hard way that cramming doesn't work. |
Connectors such as "with this in mind" and chunks such as "looking back" fit any topic, so they are collected on two shared pages: Formal Phrases for CELPIP Writing and Natural Spoken Phrases for CELPIP Speaking.
Worked examples
Writing Task 2: Choosing a library improvement
Prompt: Your local college has money for one improvement to its library. Choose the option you prefer and explain why.
- Option A: Keep the library open 24 hours a day during exam periods.
- Option B: Hire more tutors to give free drop-in help all year.
I prefer Option B, hiring more tutors, because it would help students all year rather than only in the last two weeks of each term.
First, most students who fall behind do not need more hours in the library; they need someone to explain the material. When I took a course in statistics last year, I spent whole evenings trying to figure out problems that a tutor could have explained in ten minutes. Free tutoring would let students catch up on difficult topics before they become a crisis.
Second, longer library hours would mostly encourage students to cram for exams overnight. Many students already have a heavy workload and part-time jobs, and staying up until 3 a.m. is not a healthy way to study for an exam.
Finally, tutors are especially valuable in a competitive program such as nursing, where students must pass every exam to stay enrolled. Option A would be convenient, but Option B would have a real effect on how many students earn their degrees.
For these reasons, I believe hiring more tutors is the better use of the money.
The answer picks one option in the first sentence, gives three separate reasons, and mentions the other option once to show why it is weaker.
Speaking Task 2: Talking about a Personal Experience
Prompt: Talk about a time when you had to learn something difficult. What was it, and how did you manage?
I'd like to talk about my first semester at college in Winnipeg, when I signed up for an accounting course. I was never a numbers person, so I fell behind in class within about three weeks. I remember sitting in an engaging lecture, understanding every word, and then going home and being completely unable to figure out the homework. So I made a plan. I joined a study group, I started going to my instructor's office hours every Tuesday, and I put in an extra hour every evening to work through the textbook. The study group helped the most, because my classmates explained things in simpler words than the book did. Around midterms, it finally clicked. I didn't ace the final, but I passed the exam with a B, and that felt like a huge win. I learned that asking for help early works much better than trying to cram for a test the night before.
The story moves from problem to plan to result, and each step uses a collocation from the tables, which suits a 60-second answer.
CLB 7 vs CLB 9: one sentence, two ways
CLB 7 version: The course was very hard and I had too much homework, so I was behind.
CLB 9 version: The course had a rigorous curriculum and a heavy workload, so I fell behind within a few weeks.
What changed: "very hard" and "too much homework" became two collocations, and "I was behind" became the phrasal verb "fell behind" with a time detail.
Common mistakes
- "I made a course in accounting" or "I studied a course" → I took a course in accounting. Courses are taken; "study" goes with the subject itself, as in "I studied accounting".
- "Tomorrow I will pass my exam" (meaning you will take it) → Tomorrow I will take my exam or write my exam. "Pass" means you succeeded, so it can only describe the result.
- "The students gave the exam on Monday" → The students took the exam on Monday. In English, the instructor gives an exam and the students take or write it.
- "I applied a scholarship" → I applied for a scholarship. "Apply" needs "for" before the thing you want to receive.
- "A hard curriculum" → a rigorous curriculum or a demanding curriculum. Curriculum is rarely described as "hard"; these adjectives are its normal partners.
- "A supported teacher" → a supportive teacher. The teacher gives support, so the adjective is "supportive"; a student who receives it is "supported".
- "I fell down in class" → I fell behind in class. "Fall down" means dropping to the ground.
- "I gave in my assignment" → I handed in my assignment. "Give in" means to stop resisting or to surrender.
- "I looked up the topic for my essay" (meaning you researched it) → I looked into the topic. "Look up" is for a quick fact, such as a word in a dictionary; "look into" means investigating more deeply.
- "I signed in for a class" → I signed up for a class. "Sign in" means logging into an account or a building.
- "I studied in the University of Calgary" → I studied at the University of Calgary. Use "at" with a named school. "When I was in university" is fine for the general period of being a student.
- "I made my homework" → I did my homework. Homework is done, not made.
- "I learned for the exam all weekend" → I studied for the exam all weekend. "Study for" is the fixed phrase for preparing for a test.
- "I assisted a lecture" (meaning you were there) → I attended a lecture. In English, "assist" means to help, unlike similar words in French and Spanish.
- "I graduated university in 2019" → I graduated from university in 2019. "Graduate from" is the standard form in writing.
- "I want an extension" (in an email to an instructor) → I am writing to request an extension. The blunt version sounds like a demand in a formal message.
- "I missed the exam because of some problems" (in an email to an instructor) → I missed the exam because of a family emergency. A formal request needs a specific reason, stated briefly.
Practise
- Vocabulary flashcards and quizzes: review these collocations until they come to mind without effort.
- Writing Task 2 practice: answer a school or library survey and use at least five collocations from this page.
- Speaking Task 2 practice: tell the story of a course or a teacher using "fall behind", "work through" and "figure out".