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CELPIP Writing Task 1 tips

Updated October 2026. How to write a strong email in 27 minutes, based on CELPIP's published scoring areas.

What the task is

Writing Task 1 asks you to write an email of 150–200 words in 27 minutes. The prompt describes a situation and gives you three points to cover, for example: explain the problem, describe how it affected you, and say what you want done. The computer shows a word counter and has a basic spell-check.

A simple 27-minute plan

  • 3–4 minutes, plan: Who are you writing to? Formal, semi-formal or informal? Jot one or two details for each of the three points.
  • 18–20 minutes, write: Write one short paragraph per point.
  • 4–5 minutes, check: Fix grammar, spelling and word count, and make sure all three points are covered.

Use a clear email structure

  • Greeting: "Dear Mr. Patel," (formal) or "Hi Sarah," (informal).
  • Opening: One sentence saying why you're writing.
  • Three body paragraphs: One for each point in the prompt, in the same order.
  • Closing line: A polite request or a next step, such as "I look forward to hearing from you."
  • Sign-off and name: "Sincerely," or "Best regards," for formal emails; "Cheers," or "Take care," for friends.

Tips that lift your score

  • Cover every point fully. A missing or thin point is the quickest way to lose marks for task fulfillment.
  • Match the tone to the reader. Don't write "Hey!" to a landlord, and don't write "I am writing to formally inform you" to your best friend.
  • Add specific details. "The heater stopped working on January 12, and the apartment fell to 14°C" is stronger than "the heater is broken".
  • Vary your vocabulary. Use precise words like "inconvenient", "reimburse" or "I would appreciate it if…" instead of repeating "good", "bad" and "very".
  • Connect your ideas. Linking words such as "As a result", "In addition" and "Unfortunately" make your email easy to follow (readability).
  • Stay inside 150–200 words. Too short looks undeveloped. Going far over wastes checking time.
  • Don't memorise whole templates. Raters reward a response that fits the situation, not generic filler.

Final checklist

  • Is every one of the three points answered?
  • Is the tone right from greeting to sign-off?
  • Are there 150–200 words, in clear paragraphs?
  • Have you fixed small errors: verb tenses, articles (a/the) and plurals?

Practise under real exam conditions

Our Writing Task 1 practice has 50 email prompts, each with a 27-minute timer, a live word counter, a high-band sample answer and instant AI feedback on content, vocabulary, readability and task fulfillment. The first test is free. For the other writing task, see Task 2 survey practice.

Sources

CLB Target is independent and not affiliated with Paragon Testing Enterprises.