CELPIP Speaking Task 2 · Talking About a Personal Experience · question 13 of 20
A Time You Volunteered
A CELPIP Speaking Task 2 practice question (Talking About a Personal Experience), with a model answer below. No sign-up needed. Read the task, take 30 seconds to prepare, then speak for 60 seconds, out loud, as you would on the test.
The task
Talk about a time when you volunteered your time to help others. Describe what you did and how you felt about it.
- Read the task, prepare during the preparation time, then speak aloud for the speaking time.
- Preparation
- 30 seconds
- Speaking time
- 60 seconds
- Question
- 13 of 20
A simple way to build your answer
- Set the scene briefly: when, where and who.
- Tell the events in order, in the past tense.
- Finish with how you felt or what you learned.
Model answer · CLB 9
135 words · no sign-upTwo years ago I volunteered as a tax clinic helper at a public library in Regina. The program helps seniors and newcomers with low incomes file their tax returns for free. I'm an accountant, so I thought it would be easy, but the first evening was harder than I expected, because many people were anxious and some had brought shoe boxes full of receipts. One woman I helped had just arrived from Ukraine and didn't know she could get benefits for her children. When I showed her how much she would receive, she started crying. That moment really stayed with me. I volunteered every Thursday evening that spring, and I've gone back every year since. It reminded me that skills I use every day at work can make a big difference in someone else's life.
Why this answer works
- Gives purpose and context in one sentence (the program helps seniors and newcomers...).
- A single emotional moment is described in detail instead of listing many small events.
- Uses a mix of simple past, past perfect and present perfect accurately.
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