Orientation & Diagnostic

What you'll learn: the shape of the CELPIP Writing test, and where your own writing currently stands before you start training it.

The test at a glance

CELPIP Writing has two tasks, both typed, both timed independently:

• Task 1 — Writing an Email (27 minutes): you respond to a everyday situation — a complaint, a request, an invitation — by writing a full email to a named recipient.
• Task 2 — Responding to Survey Questions (26 minutes): you're given a short survey question with two options, and you write a response arguing for one option with supporting reasons.

There is no "essay" task and no handwriting — everything is typed into a plain text box with no spell-check, so accuracy has to come from you, not the software.

Why a diagnostic matters

Most learners have a rough sense of their English level but no sense of their writing level specifically, which is a narrower skill than reading or speaking. A diagnostic under real conditions — timed, single draft, no dictionary — tells you which of the four scored areas (content/coherence, vocabulary, readability, task fulfillment, covered in Lesson 2) is actually holding your score down, so the rest of this course can target that area instead of everything at once.

Worked example: running your own diagnostic

Set a timer for 27 minutes. Use this prompt: "Write an email to your building manager explaining that your apartment's heating has stopped working and requesting a repair within the week." Write the full email — greeting, body, closing — without pausing to look anything up. When the timer ends, stop mid-sentence if you have to.

Diagnostic checklist

After writing, score yourself honestly against these four questions:

• Did I answer every part of the prompt (the problem and the request)?
• Is the email organized into clear paragraphs with a logical order?
• Did I use varied vocabulary, or repeat the same three or four words?
• Are there grammar or punctuation errors I can spot on a second read?

Whichever question you answered "no" to most honestly is your priority area for this course.

Common mistakes

• Writing a diagnostic with a dictionary or translator open — this hides your real gaps.
• Stopping the timer early "to finish the thought" — timing pressure is part of what's being measured.
• Judging the diagnostic by whether it "sounds good" rather than against the four scored areas.

Recap

CELPIP Writing is two independent, strictly timed tasks with no built-in editing tools, which makes an honest, timed diagnostic the fastest way to find your actual starting point. Keep this first draft — you'll compare it against your work in the final lessons to see concrete progress.