Writing: Purpose, Register, and Coverage in Two Short Tasks
What the section measures
CELPIP Writing gives you two tasks in 53 minutes. In the email task you write 150–200 words responding to a situation with two or three prompts to cover. In the survey task you write 150–200 words choosing between two options and justifying your choice. Both are scored on content coverage, organization, vocabulary range, grammar, and appropriateness of tone - not on how impressive or long the response is.
Concepts to control
- Register: a message to a landlord, business, or colleague is polite and complete; a message to a friend can be relaxed but still coherent.
- Purpose statement: your first two sentences should name the reason for writing.
- Cohesion: linking words (however, as a result, that said) used where the logic actually requires them.
- Sentence variety: a mix of short and complex sentences beats a string of identical structures.
Traps
- Leaving one of the bullet prompts unaddressed - this is the most common content loss.
- Falling well under 150 words, which weakens development, or padding far past 200 with repetition.
- Register slips: contractions and slang in a formal complaint, or stiff legal phrasing in a note to a friend.
- In the survey task, describing both options at length without committing to one.
Worked rule of thumb
Aim for a three-paragraph structure of about 170–190 words:
- Opening - purpose plus context (one or two sentences).
- Body - one short paragraph per prompt, each with a concrete detail or example.
- Close - restate the request or choice and state the next step.
Before submitting, run a 60-second check: all prompts covered, tense consistent, one clear position.