Yes, notes are allowed in CELPIP Listening: celpip.ca recommends taking them and says a pen and notepaper are provided on test day. CELPIP, the English test that Paragon Testing Enterprises organizes, plays each Listening recording once, scores every Listening and Reading answer by computer as correct or incorrect, and counts a blank as incorrect. celpip.ca’s tips page says there is no penalty for incorrect responses on its multiple-choice questions, so the method is to note key points, answer every question and keep to the on-screen timer.
Why does the scoring method matter?
A computer scores every CELPIP Reading and Listening answer. According to celpip.ca, the questions are in the multiple choice or similar format, each answer is either correct or incorrect, and a question left blank is scored as incorrect (celpip.ca’s results page).
celpip.ca’s tips say there is no penalty for incorrect responses on the multiple-choice questions or on the Reading test, so every question should get an answer. The tests also contain unscored items used for test development. They can appear anywhere in the test, in the same format as the scored items, and a test taker cannot tell them apart, so every question deserves the same effort.
celpip.ca publishes an example chart of approximate raw scores (results page, read November 4, 2026). In that chart, CELPIP level 7 is about 27–31 correct out of 38 in Listening and 24–28 out of 38 in Reading, and level 9 is about 33–35 and 31–33. celpip.ca warns that the raw score for a level may vary slightly from one test to another. The full chart, with every level, is in how CELPIP levels are reported.
What do you need before you start practicing?
celpip.ca describes a free online sample test that shows the test format and timing, the types of questions and the correct answers for Listening and Reading (test format and scoring page), and it says every CELPIP account includes one set of 2 practice tests at no charge. A timer helps, because each part of the test shows one in the corner of the screen, and test takers read the Listening answer choices on screen (celpip.ca’s CELPIP-General page). How many full tests to take is covered in how many practice tests, and for planning the weeks ahead see how long to prepare.
Express Prep (expressprep.ca), which offers preparation for the CELPIP test, publishes a 7-day Listening plan and a 7-day Reading plan on its site, each pairing mock tests with an error review (read November 4, 2026).
How do you prepare for Listening and Reading, step by step?
Work through these seven steps in order:
- Learn the parts. Read the names of the six Listening parts and four Reading parts and how many questions each has; the parts and their question counts are set out in the CELPIP-General format. You know it worked when you can name each part without looking.
- Take one full sample test in a single sitting and mark it against the answer key. The result should be a score for each part, not only a total.
- Practice taking notes on a single listen. Play a recording once, write only key words, numbers and names with abbreviations of your own, then answer from the notes. It worked if your notes alone are enough to answer without replaying.
- Train to answer and move on. Some Listening parts give a set time per question and others a set time for several, so when a question stumps you, choose an answer and continue, and return at the end only where the part allows it. The check is simple: every part ends with every question answered.
- Read in three passes. Skim the passage for the main idea, read the questions, then scan for their key words. You are done with this step when you find each answer by scanning rather than rereading.
- Answer from the passage only. celpip.ca says all the answers are in the passage, so check each answer against the text and not against what you already know about the topic. Test it by pointing to the line behind every answer.
- Log every error by part and by cause, and leave no question blank. It is working when the same cause stops repeating in the log.
Which mistakes cost points in Listening and Reading?
Four mistakes come straight from celpip.ca’s tips:
- Leaving a question blank. A blank is scored as incorrect, the same as a wrong answer, so an answer is never worse than leaving it empty.
- Moving on before clicking an answer. In Listening parts with a set time per question, the test moves forward on its own when time runs out, and on many Reading parts there is no opportunity to go back and change an answer, so click an answer choice first.
- Trying to memorize the text. celpip.ca says the test is not a memory test.
- Spending all the time on the passage. Each Reading part has a passage and several questions, and the questions and answer choices also need time.
Study notes and paper of any kind are not allowed in the test room, and the test centre provides a pen and notepaper (celpip.ca’s test day information).
What does a drill plan for each part look like?
The drills below are practice suggestions built on the part names that celpip.ca’s CELPIP-General page lists, not rules from celpip.ca:
| Part | Questions | Drill |
|---|---|---|
| Part 1: Listening to Problem Solving | 8 | Note the problem and the main points, then choose from the on-screen answer choices without replaying. |
| Part 2: Listening to a Daily Life Conversation | 5 | Note who says what, plus any times, places and numbers. |
| Part 3: Listening for Information | 6 | Note facts and figures in short form, abbreviating names and units. |
| Part 4: Listening to a News Item | 5 | Note the main event first, then its details in the order mentioned. |
| Part 5: Listening to a Discussion | 8 | Note each speaker’s position in a short phrase. |
| Part 6: Listening to Viewpoints | 6 | Note each viewpoint and the reason given for it. |
| Part 1: Reading Correspondence | 11 | Skim for the purpose of the message, then scan for the detail each question names. |
| Part 2: Reading to Apply a Diagram | 8 | Read the diagram and the text together, and check each answer against both. |
| Part 3: Reading for Information | 9 | Skim for the topic, then scan for the key words in each question. |
| Part 4: Reading for Viewpoints | 10 | Mark each writer’s viewpoint and the reason given, then check each answer against the passage. |
FAQ
Can I take notes during the CELPIP Listening test?
Yes. celpip.ca says test takers are provided with a pen and notepaper that must be returned at the end of the test, and that extra notepaper can be requested by raising a hand. Test takers cannot bring their own study notes or paper, because celpip.ca lists them among the items not allowed in the test room (read November 4, 2026).
What is a good CELPIP Reading strategy for a high level?
celpip.ca’s tips are to skim for the main idea, read the questions, then scan for key words, to think of the answer before reading the choices, and to answer from the passage, because all the answers are in it. The tips also say a test taker does not need to understand every word in a text.
Does CELPIP take points off for wrong answers?
celpip.ca says there is no penalty for incorrect responses on the multiple-choice questions of the test, and none on the Reading test, and that a question left blank is scored as incorrect. For an answer a test taker does not know, the tips advise eliminating the options known to be wrong and then guessing.
Can I go back to a question I skipped?
Sometimes. According to celpip.ca’s tips, a test taker can go back to a question they were unsure about if there is still time at the end. The tips also say that a Listening part with a set time per question moves forward on its own when time runs out, and that many Reading parts give no opportunity to go back and change an answer, so click an answer before moving on.
Do all Listening and Reading questions count toward the score?
Not necessarily. celpip.ca says the Listening and Reading tests contain unscored items used for test development, found anywhere in the test and in the same format as scored items, and that a test taker cannot tell which are which. Every question therefore deserves the same effort.
The bottom line
- celpip.ca tells test takers to take notes in Listening, and a pen and notepaper are provided on test day (celpip.ca, read November 4, 2026).
- A computer scores every Listening and Reading answer as correct or incorrect, and a question left blank is scored as incorrect.
- celpip.ca’s tips say there is no penalty for incorrect responses on its multiple-choice questions, so every question should be answered.
- Listening has 6 parts and Reading has 4, and the test contains unscored items that test takers cannot tell apart from scored ones.
- Practice with a timer, note key points on a single listen, and review errors by part.
Express Prep offers preparation for the CELPIP test, including a 7-day trial of its simulator. The trial becomes a paid monthly subscription unless you cancel before day 7; current price and terms: Express Prep trial page.
Published by Express Prep, which offers preparation for the CELPIP test. Last updated November 4, 2026.