SHOULD I WRITE IELTS OR CELPIP TEST?

SHOULD I WRITE IELTS OR CELPIP TEST?

Written by: Luisa Asidi

IELTS Coach

Are you planning to go to Canada and wondering which English proficiency exam between IELTS and CELPIP will be best for you? Here, we will guide you on how to make the right choice.

To start with, the CELPIP exam is somewhat similar to the IELTS exam in terms of the modules available and usage. However, while IELTS is an international exam that is widely accepted in over 140 English-speaking countries, CELPIP is an international exam that is accepted by the IRCC (Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship in Canada) and other Canadian based Organisations, Vocational Programs, Colleges, and Universities.

While the IELTS exam is both a paper-based test and computer delivered test which offers two versions – the IELTS Academic and the IELTS General Training, the CELPIP exam is primarily a computer delivered test which is divided into the CELPIP – General and the CELPIP – General LS.

Both the IELTS Academic and the IELTS General Training tests a candidates’ skills in Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking (all four modules). However, in CELPIP – General LS, the test evaluates a candidates’ skills in just Listening and Speaking, while the CELPIP – General evaluates a candidates’ skills in all four modules. This places a distinct difference between the versions of the IELTS test and the CELPIP test.

Additionally, unlike the IELTS Academic test which is written for study and professional purposes, and the IELTS General Training which is written for work and permanent residency purposes; the CELPIP – General focuses on permanent residency, study and professional purposes, while the CELPIP – General LS focuses more on citizenship purposes. As a result of this, the CELPIP test is a very fundamental tool in seeking entry into Canada.

Furthermore, the timing set for both IELTS and CELPIP is considerably different. Looking at the paper-based exam, the exam could be written with different days apart. For example, a candidates’ Speaking day could be a day or two days before or after the main test. However, in the computer delivered test, a candidate can write all the modules of the exam within a day. Meanwhile, the CELPIP test spans for approximately three hours for both versions of the exam. The time stipulated for the CELPIP test is shorter and seems more convenient for candidates.

Given the fact that all four modules of the IELTS test and the CELPIP test are somewhat different in terms of format and delivery, here are some differences of each module in both IELTS and CELPIP.

• In the IELTS listening test, the accents used in the audio file could vary. It could be an Australian, Canadian or American accent. If the candidate is not used to listening to various accent, then the candidate might have a difficult time listening to the audio file. Whereas, the CELPIP test only includes the Canadian accent in the audio file, which means that the candidate would only have to be familiar with the Canadian accent. Additionally, apart from the audio passages, the CELPIP test contains a video which the candidate will have to use to answer some questions.

• In the IELTS Reading test, the passages are extracted from different international magazines, encyclopaedias, and journals. The candidate would have to be conversant with international topics. However, in the CELPIP test, the passages are gotten from only Canadian texts. This makes it easier for the candidate.

• In IELTS Writing and CELPIP Writing, there are 2 tasks. However, in IELTS, candidates write letters or summaries as their 1^st task, while they are required to write essays as their 2^nd However, in CELPIP, emails are written as the 1^st task, responses to surveys are required in the 2^nd task.

• In IELTS Speaking, the test is done in person either through a video call or face-to-face with a certified IELTS examiner. Meanwhile, the CELPIP Speaking test requires the candidate to record himself/herself in separate tasks. This means that there is no human component involved in CELPIP thereby easing tension for the candidate.

So, these are a few things that you need to consider when deciding to choose between the IELTS test and the CELPIP test. Once you have made up your mind, you can book your IELTS test either with the British Council or the International Development Programme (IDP) in your country. You can also book your CELPIP test by clicking this link. In case, you need further assistance in booking or you need some prep advice, click here.

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