CELPIP® Writing Task 1: how to write the email

Task 1 of CELPIP Writing gives you a short situation and asks for an email of about 150 to 200 words that does three things, in 27 minutes. This guide shows how to read the three points, choose the right tone for your reader, use the 27 minutes and avoid the mistakes that cost the most. It ends with an original prompt and a sample email, with Prepiva’s estimated level for each rating dimension.

By the Prepiva team · Last reviewed October 30, 2026 · How we make and review our content

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What Task 1 asks

The situation: a few sentences that put you in an everyday situation, at home, at work or in your community, and name the person you write to.
The three points: a list of three things your email must do, each starting with a verb such as describe, explain, ask or suggest.
Length and time: about 150 to 200 words in 27 minutes. You type your email on the screen, which counts your words.
Rating: raters judge Content/Coherence, Vocabulary, Readability and Task Fulfillment. The CELPIP Writing guide explains what each one covers.

Read the three points first

The three points are your outline. Give each one its own paragraph, in the order the prompt lists them, and let the first word of each point tell you what to write:

What each kind of point asks for
If the point says…	Write…
Describe…	what happened or what something is like, with two concrete details: when, where, how big, how long
Explain…	a reason or an effect, with because, so or which means
Suggest… or Propose…	one specific solution and why it would work
Ask… or Request…	a polite, direct question: Could you…? Would it be possible to…?
Apologize…	one clear apology, what went wrong and what you will do about it
Thank…	what you are thankful for and why it mattered to you

Every point needs an answer, because completeness is part of Task Fulfillment. If a point asks for two things, such as two questions, give two.

Formal or informal: tone by reader

Decide on the tone before you write a word. It depends on who will read the email and how well you know them.

Tone by reader
Reader	Tone	Greeting	Closing
A friend or relative	Informal: warm, with contractions, in complete sentences	Hi Sam,	Talk soon, / Take care,
A neighbour, coworker or manager	Semi-formal: polite and friendly	Hi Ms. Clarke, / Dear Tom,	Thanks again, / Best regards,
A company, a landlord’s office or a city department	Formal: no slang, a clear purpose	Dear Sir or Madam, / Dear Mr. Patel,	Sincerely, / Kind regards,

Whatever the tone, say why you are writing in the first sentence or two, and keep the same level of formality from the greeting to the sign-off.

A plan for the 27 minutes

Minutes 0 to 4: read and plan. Find the reader and choose the tone. Note one or two concrete details for each point: a date, a place, a number, a reason.
Minutes 4 to 22: write. A greeting, one or two sentences on why you are writing, one paragraph for each point in order, then a closing line and a sign-off.
Minutes 22 to 27: check. Are all three points there? Is the tone the same throughout? Is the count between 150 and 200? Then fix verb forms, articles, plurals and spelling.

Sample prompt and email, with estimated levels

The prompt and the email below are new, written for this page. The levels are Prepiva’s practice estimates, not a CELPIP result.

Sample email: applying for a market table (about level 9)

Your town’s Saturday farmers’ market is looking for new vendors for the summer season. You make jams and pickles at home and have sold them at a school fair, and you would like a table at the market. The market coordinator is Ms. Duval.

Write an email of about 150–200 words to Ms. Duval. In your email, do these three things:

Introduce yourself and describe the products you would sell.
Explain why your products would suit the market.
Ask two questions about the rules for vendors.

Sample email (192 words, inside the 150–200 range)

Dear Ms. Duval,

I saw your notice in the community newsletter that the Saturday farmers’ market is looking for new vendors, and I would like to apply for a table this summer.

My name is Lena Kowalski, and I have been making preserves in my own kitchen for about ten years. I would sell four kinds of jam, including a strawberry-rhubarb jam that sold out at my children’s school fair in May, as well as two kinds of dill pickles made from my grandmother’s recipe.

I believe my products would suit the market well. Almost all of my fruit and cucumbers come from farms within an hour of town, so customers would be supporting local growers twice. My jars are also small and easy to carry, which matters to shoppers who walk to the market.

I have two questions about the rules for vendors. First, do I need a food safety certificate to sell preserves, or is a kitchen inspection enough? Second, does the market provide tables, or should I bring my own table and tent?

Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Lena Kowalski

Prepiva’s estimate: Sample email
Dimension	Estimated level	Why
Content/Coherence	9	Each point has its own paragraph and specific support: ten years of making preserves, a jam that sold out at a school fair, farms within an hour of town.
Vocabulary	9	Words that fit the situation exactly (preserves, vendors, local growers), used naturally rather than to impress.
Readability	9	Clear paragraphs, helpful links (First, Second, also, so) and a mix of simple and complex sentences without errors.
Task Fulfillment	10	All three points in the prompt’s order, two real questions for the third point, a formal tone for a coordinator the writer has never met, and 192 words.
Overall	About level 9	The rounded average of the four, as Prepiva’s rating computes it

What would raise it:

Vary the sentence openings: several sentences start with I or My.
Add one more precise detail to the paragraph on why the products suit the market, such as how the jars are labelled, to move toward level 10.

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Mistakes to avoid

Skipping or merging a point. Two points squeezed into one sentence often read as one point.
The wrong tone: “Hey!” to a company, or stiff, formal phrases with a close friend.
A long introduction about the background, which uses words that the three points need.
General statements without details, such as “It is a big problem” with nothing that shows why.
Copying sentences from the prompt. Raters look for your own language, so say it in your own words.
Writing far outside 150 to 200 words, or leaving no time to check.

Get your email rated

Prepiva’s free CELPIP mock test includes a Task 1 email on a 27-minute clock, and with a free account the report on your first full mock test rates your email on the four dimensions, with a strength and a next step. See emails at about levels 5, 7 and 10 in the CELPIP Writing samples, learn the other task in the Task 2 survey guide, or read more about the free CELPIP practice test.

Get a free Writing rating

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FAQ

How long is CELPIP Writing Task 1?

27 minutes for one email of about 150 to 200 words.

Should my CELPIP email be formal or informal?

It depends on the reader. Write informally to a friend or relative, politely and semi-formally to a neighbour, coworker or manager, and formally to a company or an organization.

Do I have to cover all three points?

Yes. Completeness is part of Task Fulfillment, so give each point its own paragraph with at least one specific detail.

What if I write more than 200 words?

Word count is one of the factors raters consider under Task Fulfillment, and a long email also takes time away from checking. Aim for 150 to 200 words; the screen counts them for you.

How should I start a CELPIP email?

With a greeting that fits the reader, then a sentence that says why you are writing, such as “I am writing to ask about…” in a formal email or “Thanks so much for the invitation!” to a friend.

Can Prepiva rate my email?

Yes. Prepiva’s free CELPIP mock test includes a Task 1 email. With a free account, an AI rater estimates the email’s level on each of the four dimensions in your first full mock test. It is a practice estimate, not a CELPIP result.