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CELPIP Speaking Task 6 questions with sample answers
Good Task 6 answers make a decision or request clear while respecting the person affected. Use 60 seconds to prepare and 60 seconds to explain one chosen course of action.
How to use these Task 6 samples
A difficult conversation needs a listener who understands what you are asking and what happens next. These samples choose one person, identify the conflict and explain a practical response. They also distinguish an offer from an agreement: asking for a later return or a replacement delivery does not mean the listener has accepted it. That distinction keeps a considerate tone from becoming pressure.
Read both options before looking at the answer. During the preparation minute, note your listener, the decision or request, and one consequence that matters to them. Use the response timer for your first attempt. When you listen back, locate the sentence that makes your position clear. If it arrives only after several apologies, move it earlier and shorten the background.
Then compare your attempt with the sample’s handling of responsibility. Notice who controls the proposed solution and whether a fallback respects the original commitment. Rehearse one revision, such as replacing blame with a specific explanation or making an offer easier to act on. Do not memorize these conversations. A request to a friend, a correction to a team lead and an admission of a mistake need different wording. Our CLB estimates are teaching judgements, and the written text cannot establish spoken tone or pronunciation.
Task 6 (Dealing with a Difficult Situation) gives you 60 seconds to prepare and 60 seconds to speak. Every question and answer below is original and unofficial, written for CLB Mock; none is taken from a real test. For format and strategy, read the Task 6 guide.
Question 1: An Extra Sorting Session
You volunteer at a book donation centre. Coordinator Leila asks you to stay two extra hours, but you promised to return a borrowed sewing machine to your friend Petro before he starts a project. Choose ONE of the following:
| Option | Details |
|---|---|
| A. Talk to volunteer coordinator Leila | Explain why you must leave on time, and offer help that fits your existing schedule. |
| B. Talk to your friend Petro | Explain the unexpected need at the centre, and ask to arrange a later return of his machine. |
Petro, could I ask about returning your sewing machine a little later today? The book donation centre has received an unexpectedly large delivery, and they're short of people to sort it. I'd like to stay until four, which would mean reaching your place around four thirty instead of two thirty. I know you planned to start your project this afternoon, so I don't want to assume that a delay is fine. Would the later return still leave you enough time, or do you need the machine at the original time? If you're flexible, I'll bring it straight over and help carry your fabric boxes upstairs. If you've already set everything up, I'll leave here as planned. You lent it to me on a clear understanding, and helping out elsewhere doesn't give me the right to change that without checking first.
What the answer covers: Request a precise change to the return time; Recognize the friend's planned project; Respect the original agreement if the delay is unsuitable.
Why it works: Option B addresses Petro with a request, not an announced delay. “Four thirty instead of two thirty” gives Content/Coherence a concrete change to assess. For Task Fulfillment, “I’ll leave here as planned” protects the original agreement if Petro needs his machine. Try changing: Choose option A and offer Leila help that fits before your scheduled departure.
Question 2: Credit for a Team Report
You prepared most of a report with colleague Iryna, but team lead Malcolm's draft announcement credits only you. The announcement goes out tomorrow. Correcting it publicly could embarrass him, while leaving it unchanged would be unfair to your colleague. Choose ONE of the following:
| Option | Details |
|---|---|
| A. Talk to team lead Malcolm | Explain the missing credit privately, and request a correction before the announcement is sent. |
| B. Talk to your colleague Iryna | Explain what you noticed, and discuss how you will help ensure her contribution is recognized. |
Malcolm, could we adjust the announcement before it goes out tomorrow? I noticed it describes the report as my individual work, but my colleague handled the data checks and developed two of the main recommendations. I drafted most of the text, so I can see how that impression arose. Still, leaving her name out would give an inaccurate picture of how the report came together. I'd like the opening sentence to credit both of us, with a brief mention of our different contributions if space allows. We don't need a lengthy explanation or a public correction, since the announcement hasn't been sent yet. I can send you revised wording this afternoon so it doesn't add much to your workload. Getting the credit right matters to our working relationship, and I'd rather resolve it quietly now than let an avoidable misunderstanding linger.
What the answer covers: Identify the inaccurate attribution before publication; Describe the colleague's specific contribution; Request a discreet and practical wording correction.
Why it works: Option A asks Malcolm to correct the draft privately. “Data checks” and “two of the main recommendations” make Vocabulary specific to the colleague’s contribution. Task Fulfillment stays practical through the offer of “revised wording this afternoon”, which reduces the work involved in correcting the credit. Try changing: Draft your own short opening sentence crediting both contributors.
Question 3: A Presentation Without Rehearsal
Your classmate Jun wants to submit your group presentation tonight without a rehearsal because he has another assignment due. You think the presentation needs practice. Your instructor Mireille allows groups to request a different presentation time, but approval is not guaranteed. Choose ONE of the following:
| Option | Details |
|---|---|
| A. Talk to your classmate Jun | Explain why you want a short rehearsal before submission, and propose a manageable arrangement. |
| B. Talk to your instructor Mireille | Explain the conflicting deadlines, and ask for a later presentation time so your group can rehearse. |
Jun, before we submit the slides, I'd really like us to run through the presentation once. Your research is solid, so this isn't about questioning your contribution. I'm concerned that our sections overlap, and we might spend six minutes explaining the same example. Since we've only got ten minutes altogether, that could leave the conclusion rushed. I know your other assignment is due tonight, so I'm not asking for a long meeting. Could we spend fifteen minutes on a call at seven, focusing only on the transitions and timing? I'll make any small edits afterwards, while you get back to your assignment. If seven doesn't work, send me a quick recording of your section by eight, and I'll check how it fits with mine. I don't feel comfortable submitting until we've checked that the presentation works as a whole.
What the answer covers: Explain the risk of overlapping sections; Recognize the competing assignment deadline; Propose a brief rehearsal or recorded alternative.
Why it works: Choosing A, the speaker asks Jun for a brief rehearsal while recognizing his deadline. Content/Coherence connects sections that “overlap” to a rushed conclusion. “Transitions and timing” gives Vocabulary a precise rehearsal focus, and the recording alternative keeps the request manageable. Try changing: Propose another short rehearsal slot while keeping the requirement to check the presentation before submission.
Question 4: The Reserved Display Chair
You supervise a furniture shop. Customer Beatriz prepaid for a display chair, but colleague Noah later promised it to another customer who needs it today. The first customer is due tomorrow, and a replacement chair will take a week to arrive. Choose ONE of the following:
| Option | Details |
|---|---|
| A. Talk to customer Beatriz | Explain the double promise, and ask whether she would accept a later delivery with an appropriate concession. |
| B. Talk to your colleague Noah | Explain why the prepaid reservation must be respected, and help him find an alternative for his customer. |
Beatriz, I'm calling about the display chair you've paid for. We made an internal communication error, and it was also promised to someone who needs a chair today. Your reservation takes priority, so I won't release it without your agreement. I wanted to ask whether a new chair delivered next week could suit you instead. We'd honour the display price and cover delivery, subject to your approval of the exact model and colour. I realize the delay could be inconvenient, especially if you've already arranged transport for tomorrow. If you've made plans around collecting this particular chair, please say so; we'll keep it ready as agreed. You don't need to accommodate our mistake. Could you let me know by three whether the replacement offer interests you? I'll send the details in writing before you make any decision about changing your order.
What the answer covers: Acknowledge the shop's error and prepaid reservation; Offer a specific voluntary replacement arrangement; Make clear that the original agreement remains available.
Why it works: Option A offers Beatriz a voluntary change. “Your reservation takes priority” establishes Task Fulfillment through responsibility and a firm boundary. Content/Coherence links the replacement offer to approval of the “exact model and colour”, then preserves collection as agreed if she declines. Try changing: Speak to Noah under option B and explain how you would explore alternatives for his customer.
Question 5: Interpreting More Than Was Said
At a neighbourhood association discussion in Edmundston, you are informally interpreting for resident Cosima. Organizer Fikret asks you to soften her criticism so the discussion stays pleasant. You want to convey her meaning accurately without increasing tension. Choose ONE of the following:
| Option | Details |
|---|---|
| A. Fikret, organizer | Explain why you cannot alter the resident's message, and offer a respectful way to manage the discussion. |
| B. Cosima, resident | Explain the organizer's concern, and ask how she would like to present her point without changing it yourself. |
Fikret, I can help keep the exchange respectful, but I can't change the substance of what the resident says. If I soften her criticism without asking, the group won't hear her actual concern, and she may believe it has been understood when it hasn't. I appreciate that you're trying to prevent the meeting from becoming confrontational. Perhaps you could ask everyone to describe specific problems and avoid personal accusations, applying that request equally across the room. I'll interpret her words in a calm tone and pause when something needs clarification. If a phrase could have several meanings, I'll ask her what she intends rather than choose whichever version sounds easiest. We can also offer her a chance to restate the point herself. That approach protects the discussion's atmosphere while leaving ownership of the message with the person who is making it.
What the answer covers: Maintain accuracy in the interpreting role.; Acknowledge the organizer's concern about tone.; Use clarification and consistent discussion rules..
Why it works: Option A tells Fikret that respectful delivery can coexist with accurate interpreting. “Change the substance” gives Vocabulary precision about the boundary. Content/Coherence explains the harm of an altered message, then proposes “specific problems” and clarification as ways to manage tension. Try changing: Practise asking Cosima how she wants to restate her concern under option B.
Question 6: A Freezer Switched Off During Cleaning
At a shared rehearsal building in Sault Ste. Marie, you unplugged a freezer while cleaning and forgot to reconnect it. It contains refreshments belonging to coordinator Oumar. You do not know how long the food remained cold. Caretaker Vesna has just discovered the problem. Choose ONE of the following:
| Option | Details |
|---|---|
| A. Oumar, coordinator | Take responsibility, explain the uncertainty, and discuss checking the contents and covering the loss. |
| B. Vesna, caretaker | Explain what happened, and ask for help preventing the contents from being served until assessed. |
Oumar, I need to tell you about a mistake I made while cleaning yesterday. I unplugged the freezer to reach behind it and failed to reconnect it before leaving. The caretaker found it this morning. I don't know how long the contents stayed cold, so I can't reassure you that the refreshments are still suitable to serve. I've asked that they be kept aside while you arrange an appropriate assessment. I'm sorry; reconnecting the appliance was my responsibility, and I should have checked before finishing. Please keep a record of anything that must be discarded, and I'll discuss reimbursing the reasonable replacement cost with you. We should also check whether tomorrow's rehearsal needs a different refreshment plan. Once this is resolved, I'll add a final appliance check to my cleaning routine so that the same oversight doesn't happen again on my watch.
What the answer covers: Admit the specific mistake and uncertainty.; Avoid serving unassessed contents.; Address replacement costs and prevention..
Why it works: Choosing A, the speaker tells Oumar exactly what happened and says “I don’t know how long” the contents stayed cold. That uncertainty supports Task Fulfillment without false reassurance. Content/Coherence moves from the mistake to assessment, replacement costs and a “final appliance check”. Try changing: Address Vesna under option B and focus on keeping the contents aside for assessment.
The same question at about CLB 7
Here is an answer to Question 1 (“An Extra Sorting Session”) at a lower level, written for comparison.
Hi Petro, I am still at the book centre. Leila wants me to help for two more hours because there is a lot of books to sort. Could I return your sewing machine later today? I think staying would be very good for the centre.
I remember you want to start your project, and I am sorry about this. Can you do another part first? If that is not possible, I will bring the machine when I promised. Your plans is important too. Please tell me if waiting is okay. I can call you before I leave, so you know I am coming. Thank you for lending it to me.
- Content/Coherence: “later today” leaves the revised arrangement vague; the CLB 10 sample gives both the original and proposed arrival times.
- Vocabulary: “very good for the centre” gives a broad benefit, while “short of people to sort it” names the staffing difficulty in the stronger answer.
- Listenability: “there is a lot of books” and “Your plans is” contain agreement errors. The stronger text uses controlled conditional sentences for Petro’s possible replies.
- Task Fulfillment: both ask Petro rather than assume permission, but “Can you do another part first?” shifts some inconvenience onto him; the stronger answer explicitly recognizes his right to keep the agreement.
Make the proposed return time specific first. Petro can then decide whether the delay works with his project, and the request becomes easier to answer.
Task 6 checklist before you record
- Have I chosen one option and its intended listener?
- Is my decision or request clear near the beginning?
- Have I explained the consequence for that person?
- Does my tone acknowledge inconvenience without blaming the listener?
- Do proposed changes depend on consent where needed?
- Does my closing give a realistic next step within the chosen course of action?
Your turn: an unseen Task 6 question
Use the timer below with this question. There is no sample answer for it on this page, so you cannot read ahead.
Try it now: timed practice
You are preparing a school time capsule in Brandon. Volunteer Seraphina proposes one short description of the town's cultures, written without consulting the families described. Committee chair Abdi wants to seal the capsule tomorrow. You believe the description includes stereotypes. Choose ONE of the following:
| Option | Details |
|---|---|
| A. Seraphina, volunteer | Explain your concern respectfully, and propose a better approach to representing families. |
| B. Abdi, committee chair | Explain why the description needs review, and suggest a realistic adjustment before sealing. |
Press Start. Speak out loud when the speaking timer begins, as on test day, where recording starts automatically.
Nothing is recorded on this page. To get an AI-estimated level for an answer, use the app.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use the same apology in every Task 6 answer?
A brief apology fits some situations, especially when you caused inconvenience. Choose wording that reflects your role; correcting missing credit may need a courteous request rather than an apology.
How long should a Task 6 sample answer be?
Use the 60-second response timer and leave room for a clear decision and next step. Treat the sample word counts as practice references rather than quotas to reach.
Must I solve both options in one response?
Choose one option and address its listener. Adding a second conversation can make your decision unclear and use time needed to explain the first.
What if the listener might reject my proposed solution?
Explain a reasonable fallback without pretending the person has agreed. The sewing-machine sample, for example, keeps the original return arrangement available.
Sources
Checked October 19, 2026. Rules and fees change: check the official page before you act. celpip.ca pages were read from public archive snapshots because the site blocks automated access.