CELPIP Speaking Task 6 · Dealing with a Difficult Situation · question 1 of 10
Two Requests for the Same Long Weekend
A CELPIP Speaking Task 6 practice question (Dealing with a Difficult Situation), with a model answer below. No sign-up needed. Read the task, take 60 seconds to prepare, then speak for 60 seconds, out loud, as you would on the test.
The task
You supervise the weekend staff at a grocery store in Winnipeg. Two employees, Priya and Daniel, have both asked for the Saturday of the August long weekend off, but you can only give the day to one of them. Priya asked three weeks ago for a family camping trip. Daniel asked yesterday because his cousin's wedding was moved to that date.
- Choose ONE option.
- EITHER Talk to Priya. Explain why you are giving the day off to Daniel.
- OR Talk to Daniel. Explain why you cannot give him the day off.
Original CELPIP-style practice question, not an official CELPIP test item. This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by Paragon Testing Enterprises. The CLB level of each sample answer was reviewed by a TESOL-certified instructor. It is not an official CELPIP score.
- Preparation
- 60 seconds
- Speaking time
- 60 seconds
- Question
- 1 of 10
How to structure it
- Whoever you talk to, say the decision in your first two sentences so the listener is not left waiting.
- To Priya: admit she asked first, then explain why a wedding date cannot move. To Daniel: explain the first-come rule and say it is not about the wedding.
- Close with something concrete, such as an early finish, the Sunday and Monday off, or a promise to ask other staff about a swap.
Model answer · CLB 7
95 words · no sign-upDaniel, do you have a minute? It's about the Saturday on long weekend. I'm sorry, but the day off, I can't give you. Priya asked me three weeks before, and she already booked the camping with her family. I know about the wedding, and the date moving is not your fault, I understand. But the rule here, uh, the rule is first person who ask gets the day. If it helps, I can change your shift to start at noon. Then you can go to wedding after. Tell me tomorrow if you want this, okay?
Why this answer works
- Option chosen: talking to Daniel. Content/Coherence: the refusal and the reason (Priya asked first) come early, and the noon shift is a real offer; the ideas are listed rather than linked.
- Vocabulary: everyday words; "three weeks before" (used in place of ago) and "booked the camping" show a limited range.
- Listenability: a restart ("the rule here, uh, the rule is") and missing articles ("on long weekend", "to wedding"); the meaning is never lost.
- Task Fulfillment: a clear refusal with a usable offer and a time to reply; adequate but basic.
Model answer · CLB 9
107 words · no sign-upPriya, thanks for coming in. I wanted to tell you in person: I've decided to give the long-weekend Saturday to Daniel. I know you asked three weeks ago, and honestly, that makes this hard, because you did everything right. The reason is that his cousin's wedding was moved to that day, and a wedding can't be rescheduled, while a camping trip can sometimes shift by a day. So here's what I'd like to offer: you take the Sunday and Monday off, and I'll put you on an early shift Saturday, finishing at one o'clock, so you could still leave that afternoon. Would that work for your family?
Why this answer works
- Option chosen: talking to Priya. Content/Coherence: the decision is explicit in the second sentence ("I've decided to give the long-weekend Saturday to Daniel"), followed by an acknowledgement and a compromise.
- Vocabulary: "rescheduled" and "shift by a day" are accurate; the range is good rather than wide.
- Listenability: a short aside ("and honestly, that makes this hard") sounds spoken, and "So here's what I'd like to offer" signals the turn to the compromise.
- Task Fulfillment: acknowledges Priya's fairness, gives one strong reason and a workable compromise; ends with a question that invites her reply.
Model answer · CLB 11
116 words · no sign-upDaniel, I'm sorry the wedding date moved; that's stressful for the whole family. I've thought about it carefully, and I can't give you the Saturday off. Priya booked her trip three weeks ago, and if I took the day back now, the first-come rule would mean nothing, including for you the next time you plan ahead. What I can do is cover the closing myself so you can leave at three, which might get you to the ceremony if it's in the evening. Could you check the start time with your cousin and text me by Thursday? If that still doesn't work, I'll ask the team whether anyone's willing to swap, though I can't promise anything.
Why this answer works
- Option chosen: talking to Daniel. Content/Coherence: acknowledges his situation, refuses clearly, and reframes the rule as something that protects Daniel too ("including for you the next time you plan ahead").
- Vocabulary: "cover the closing", "first-come rule" and "willing to swap" are precise workplace language.
- Listenability: the long sentence explaining the rule is followed by a plain request ("Could you check the start time with your cousin and text me by Thursday?"), so the next step stands out.
- Task Fulfillment: the refusal comes with an early finish that might save the wedding, a reply date and a swap he is told honestly may not happen.
Level reviewed by a TESOL-certified instructor. Not an official CELPIP score.
The most common mistake
Explaining the store's staffing problem for 40 seconds and only reaching the decision at the end, so the listener never hears a clear answer.
Get your own answer scored by AI: free account, no card
The model answer shows the target. To find out where your own recording lands, answer this question in the practice runner and get a CLB level for each criterion. A free account includes 3 AI-scored answers every 30 days.