Top 200 Vocabulary Word List for CELPIP-General | Must Know Words for Common Examination Instructions

The 200-word examination instruction list

CELPIP-General instructions tell you whether to read correspondence, use a diagram, write an email, answer a survey or give a timed spoken response. A survey asks you to choose and support an option. A speaking task about a difficult situation asks you to respond to the person named in the prompt.

The list includes instructions, answer-format phrases and supporting vocabulary. Check the official wording for the item, paper or test version you are taking.

Exam requirements · Worked examples · Fencing Method

CELPIP-General tasks and response choices

No.	Instruction or term	What it asks you to do
1	CELPIP-General	Use the four-component version if that is what your receiving organisation requires.
2	CELPIP-General LS	Check the separate Listening and Speaking test if that is the named version.
3	Listening to Problem Solving	Track the issue, options and action the speakers discuss.
4	Listening to a Daily Life Conversation	Use the exchange to identify the purpose, details and relationship.
5	Listening for Information	Find the facts or explanation requested by the question.
6	Listening to a News Item	Identify what happened and which reported detail supports the answer.
7	Listening to a Discussion	Keep the speakers’ contributions and attitudes separate.
8	Listening for Viewpoints	Identify and compare the positions expressed in the recording.
9	Reading Correspondence	Use the messages for the sender’s purpose and requested detail.
10	Reading to Apply a Diagram	Match the written information to the relevant part of the display.
11	Reading for Information	Find the information requested and check its scope.
12	Reading for Viewpoints	Track which opinions each writer expresses and why.
13	Writing an Email	Write to the stated recipient and address the requested content.
14	Responding to Survey Questions	Choose an option as directed and support the choice with relevant reasons.
15	Giving Advice	Recommend a workable action and explain why it suits the person.
16	Talking about a Personal Experience	Describe a specific event and connect it to the question.
17	Describing a Scene	Describe the visible people, actions and setting in a clear order.
18	Making Predictions	Say what is likely to happen and use relevant clues.
19	Comparing and Persuading	Compare the options and explain why the preferred one suits the listener.
20	Dealing with a Difficult Situation	Address the person and explain a clear, appropriate response to the problem.
21	Expressing Opinions	State a position and develop it with relevant support.
22	Describing an Unusual Situation	Help the listener understand what is unusual through specific details.
23	Survey option	Choose the stated alternative that you can support in the response.

Speaking, Writing and interface directions

No.	Instruction or term	What it asks you to do
24	Reasons for your choice	Explain why your preferred option fits the scenario or goal.
25	Persuade the listener	Use benefits or reasons that matter to the particular person.
26	Personal example	Use a specific experience only where it supports the task.
27	Communication goal	Identify what the message needs to achieve with the named audience.
28	Word counter	Check the on-screen count against the stated instruction.
29	Task fulfilment	Check that the answer covers the requested actions, audience and purpose.
30	Content and coherence	Make the point and its supporting details easy to follow.
31	Readability	Use sentences and organisation that make the written response clear.
32	Listenability	Use pronunciation, rhythm and delivery that make spoken ideas easy to follow.
33	Vocabulary range	Choose language varied enough to express the ideas accurately.
34	Speaking preparation	Use the allowed time to organise one response for the current task.
35	Role and relationship	Match your tone and explanation to whom you are speaking to.
36	Explain a difficulty	Say what prevents the arrangement from working and why it matters.
37	Offer a practical alternative	Suggest a workable option connected to the stated problem.
38	Compare the options	Use the same relevant feature to explain a difference.
39	Likely outcome	Use evidence to say what could happen next.
40	Relevant diagram label	Identify the exact place, object or service that matches the written information.
41	Contrasting viewpoints	Keep each person’s opinion distinct when identifying disagreement.
42	Main recommendation	Identify the action the writer or speaker favours.
43	Recorded response	Speak into the microphone during the response time shown.
44	Computer-delivered test	Use the keyboard, audio and microphone as directed by the current interface.
45	Practice task	Use official practice to learn both the directions and the timing.

Evidence, correspondence and response language

No.	Instruction or term	What it asks you to do
46	Begin the email	Use an opening suited to the reader and the purpose of the message.
47	Follow email format	Use the required message form and any opening directions given by the task.
48	Formal letter	Use a courteous tone suited to an organisation or unfamiliar recipient.
49	Semi-formal letter	Use a respectful but natural tone for an established professional or social relationship.
50	Informal letter	Use a familiar, appropriate tone for a friend or other close recipient.
51	Explain the situation	Describe the circumstances the reader needs to understand the message.
52	Ask for information	Request the precise details you need from the named recipient.
53	Make a request	State the action you want the recipient to take.
54	Suggest a solution	Give a practical response connected to the issue described.
55	Make a complaint	Describe the problem, its effect and any action the prompt requests.
56	Invite	State the event and enough information for the reader to respond.
57	Thank the recipient	Acknowledge the particular help or action the person provided.
58	Purpose statement	Make the reason for writing clear early in the letter.
59	Relevant details	Include facts needed to make the purpose and request understandable.
60	Connected text	Present the answer in paragraphs and sentences rather than notes or bullet points.
61	Relationship to recipient	Decide how well the writer knows the reader and choose an appropriate register.
62	Opening greeting	Use a greeting that fits the recipient and the task instructions.
63	Closing sign-off	End the letter in a manner appropriate to the reader and tone.
64	Everyday texts	Use the short public documents and notices in the first part of General Training Reading.
65	Workplace texts	Read the job-related information for the policy, condition or action asked about.
66	Longer general-interest text	Track the central idea and relevant details across the longer reading passage.
67	Deadline	Identify the last date or time allowed.
68	Exception to a rule	Apply the qualification to the people, times or cases it names.
69	Read the relevant heading	Find the heading or label that identifies the information needed.
70	Match the diagram to the text	Use the written criteria to identify the correct detail in the display.
71	Complete the sentence	Supply the information that fits both the source and the grammar of the gap.
72	No more than	Keep the response within the stated maximum.
73	From the passage	Use the passage’s wording if that is required.
74	Supported by the source	Choose a response that fits the evidence in the material.
75	Conflicts with the source	Reject an option when the text or recording establishes a different fact.
76	Unsupported detail	Avoid choosing a detail that the material does not establish.
77	Agreement cue	Identify language that shows one speaker accepts the other person’s proposal.
78	Disagreement cue	Identify language that shows one speaker rejects or challenges a proposal.
79	Email coverage	Check that the email addresses the requested points and suits the recipient.
80	Survey coverage	Check that the survey answer identifies a choice and develops reasons for it.
81	Coherence and cohesion	Make the progression of ideas and links between parts clear.
82	Lexical resource	Use precise vocabulary suitable for the task and situation.
83	Complete the notes	Enter the specific details requested by the gaps in the listening task.
84	Use the texts	Locate the answer in the supplied sources and follow the response-format instruction.
85	Situation details	Use the details in the task to understand who is writing, why and what happened.
86	Writing task	Read who should receive the letter and what it needs to achieve.
87	Speaking prompt	Read or listen for the topic and the kind of response the examiner is asking for.
88	On-screen speaking prompt	Answer the question displayed in the computer-delivered task.
89	Speaking preparation time	Use the allowed preparation to plan relevant points for the longer response.
90	Purpose of the email	Make the reason for contacting the named person clear early.
91	Relevant background	Include the facts the recipient needs to understand the request or explanation.
92	Current concern	Identify the present issue that prompts the communication.
93	What has happened so far	Summarise the relevant actions or events before stating what should happen next.
94	Recipient’s knowledge	Decide what the recipient already knows and what must be explained.
95	Conciseness and clarity	Keep the essential details and remove repetitions or unrelated history.
96	Genre and style	Use the conventions suitable for the kind of letter and its recipient.
97	Open question	Invite the person to explain their concern in their own words.
98	Closed question	Ask for a specific fact or confirmation when needed.
99	Language appropriateness	Choose terms and tone suitable for the setting and listener.
100	Fluency	Keep communication moving while allowing useful pauses and interaction.
101	Reading time allowance	Use the section’s time allowance to read the texts and record answers as directed.
102	Letter body	Use the main paragraphs to deliver the purpose, relevant details and request.
103	Relevant chronology	Present dates or events in an order that helps the recipient follow the case.
104	Abbreviation	Expand shorthand where the intended reader may need the full term.
105	Unstated detail	Leave out information the task or case notes do not establish.
106	Complete the missing detail	Use the recording or text to supply the detail the gap asks for.
107	Word ending	Check which form or ending fits the surrounding grammar.
108	Word family	Use related forms to decide whether the sentence needs a noun, verb, adjective or adverb.
109	Collocation	Choose words that naturally occur together in the context.
110	Cohesive reference	Work out what a linking expression or pronoun refers to.
111	Notice	Identify the action, time, rule or change communicated to readers.
112	Intended reader	Identify the group the message is meant to reach.
113	Likely next action	Infer what a reader or listener will probably do given the message.
114	Implied request	Recognise when a question about availability or ability is asking for help.
115	Suitable reply	Choose a response that answers both the words and the practical purpose.
116	Conversation goal	Identify what the speakers are trying to arrange, learn or resolve.
117	Relevant personal example	Use a personal example when it directly supports the explanation or argument.
118	Speaker attitude	Use the speaker’s wording and tone to infer their stance where asked.
119	Key spoken detail	Identify the exact name, reason or arrangement the item asks for.
120	Sentence stress	Give appropriate prominence to important words in spoken language.
121	Intelligibility	Speak so that the words and intended meaning can be understood.
122	Explain in stages	Organise the background, problem and request so the reader can follow.
123	Word order	Arrange the pieces so the sentence works grammatically.
124	Question formation	Check auxiliary placement, subject order and verb form when building a question.
125	Opening	Begin a message in a way suited to the recipient and purpose.
126	Recipient	Identify the person or role the email should address.
127	Polite register	Use courteous wording suitable for the situation.
128	Professional tone	Use respectful, clear wording appropriate to the person and task.
129	Support with an example	Add an example that demonstrates the reason you gave.
130	Main purpose	Identify what the text as a whole is trying to accomplish.
131	Central idea	Choose the option that captures the main point at the right scope.
132	Best illustrates	Choose the example or quotation that most directly shows the idea.
133	Signal a change	Notice a phrase such as actually or instead that revises an earlier detail.
134	Confirmation cue	Listen for language showing that a detail or arrangement is final.
135	Function of a detail	Decide how a detail supports or develops a larger point in the material.
136	Overall structure	Track how the text’s main parts are organised.
137	Words in context	Choose the sense or expression that fits the local wording and purpose.
138	Reference within the text	Resolve a reference by locating the word or idea it points back to.
139	First speaker	Identify the first speaker’s contribution before following the exchange.

Core instructions and answer checks

No.	Instruction or term	What it asks you to do
140	Recognise	Find a familiar feature in a new example.
141	Identify	Name or pick out the item the question specifies.
142	Select	Choose only the number of options requested.
143	Choose	Commit to the option that fits the stated criteria.
144	Match	Pair each item with the option that corresponds to it.
145	Complete	Fill in what is missing while keeping the supplied structure.
146	Label	Attach the correct name to the indicated part.
147	Locate	Find the specified detail, point or region.
148	Indicate	Make the chosen feature or answer clear.
149	Answer	Respond directly to the question being asked.
150	Give	Supply the requested fact, example or result.
151	State	Express the required point directly and clearly.
152	Name	Supply the correct term, person or item.
153	List	Set out the requested items separately.
154	Define	Give the precise meaning used in the subject or question.
155	Describe	Report the relevant characteristics, events or pattern.
156	Outline	Give the main steps or points in brief.
157	Summarise	Select the central points and leave out minor details.
158	Explain	Connect the result to its cause, mechanism or reasoning.
159	Compare	Set the items side by side on the same relevant feature.
160	Contrast	Show how the items differ on a shared point of comparison.
161	Analyse	Break down the evidence and explain how its parts relate.
162	Interpret	Say what a statement, result or display means in context.
163	Infer	Use clues to reach a conclusion the material implies.
164	Predict	Use available evidence to say what is likely to happen.
165	Suggest	Offer a plausible answer suited to the information given.
166	Justify	Give evidence or reasoning that supports your answer.
167	Evaluate	Weigh relevant evidence or criteria before reaching a judgment.
168	Assess	Judge the extent, value or strength of something using evidence.
169	Discuss	Develop a structured response that considers the relevant issues.
170	Distinguish	Give the feature that lets the reader tell two things apart.
171	Support	Supply evidence that helps establish the claim.
172	Illustrate	Make an idea clear with a relevant example or diagram.
173	Demonstrate	Show how a fact, process or result can be established.
174	Determine	Work from the given information to establish an answer.
175	Check	Test the answer against the original instruction or condition.
176	Correct	Repair the specific error while preserving the intended meaning or result.
177	Revise	Change a response so it better meets the task.
178	Arrange	Put items into the order or grouping requested.
179	Sequence	Put stages into a meaningful order.
180	Group	Put items with a shared feature together.
181	Replace	Swap the specified part for a suitable alternative.
182	Omit	Leave out the indicated item or detail.
183	Include	Make sure the requested part appears in the response.
184	Exclude	Keep the named item or category outside your answer.
185	Refer to	Use the specified passage, figure or notes when responding.
186	Based on	Ground the answer in the material named in the question.
187	According to	Use what the specified source says.
188	In context	Use the meaning that fits this passage or situation.
189	Most likely	Choose the conclusion with the strongest support among the options.
190	Best supported	Prefer the conclusion backed most directly by the evidence.
191	Relevant	Connected to the specific question or criterion.
192	Specific	Precise enough to identify a particular fact or example.
193	Explicit	Stated directly in the source.
194	Implicit	Suggested by the source and recoverable from clues.
195	Evidence	A fact, detail or observation that supports a claim.
196	Claim	An assertion that can be tested against evidence or reasoning.
197	Reason	The basis for a statement, choice or result.
198	Example	A particular case used to make a general idea clear.
199	Conclusion	The result reached after considering the reasoning or evidence.
200	Assumption	A premise taken as given for the purpose of the question.

What the examination requires

Four components in one sitting

CELPIP lists Listening at 46–55 minutes, Reading at 43–56, Writing at 53 and Speaking at 15. CELPIP-General includes all four. CELPIP-General LS covers Listening and Speaking. Confirm the required test version with the organisation receiving the result.

Listening and Reading can ask for details, viewpoints or decisions

Identify what the question asks before looking for an answer. In a diagram task, combine the written requirements with the relevant display labels. In a viewpoints task, attribute the opinion to the person who expresses it. The provider notes that Listening and Reading can include unscored items in the same formats.

Writing has two tasks

The official format includes Writing an Email and Responding to Survey Questions. Use the email’s recipient and purpose to organise your message. In the survey task, choose the option as directed and explain your reasons. Follow the displayed length and timing instructions for the specific task.

Speaking has eight tasks

Official tasks range from giving advice and describing a scene to comparing and persuading, expressing opinions and dealing with a difficult situation. Use the preparation time to plan for the current question. A prediction needs a plausible outcome supported by the situation. A difficult conversation needs wording appropriate to the person you are addressing.

• Read the full instruction before planning the answer.
• Identify the source, quantity, person or situation the prompt names.
• Check the response form, scope and any stated limits.

Worked examples of common examination instructions

These original examples show how to turn a prompt into the response it asks for.

Choose a survey option and explain why

An original prompt asks whether a library should extend weekday hours or add a Sunday opening. A response favouring Sunday could explain that people working late on weekdays would gain an alternative. Add a concrete example and explain why that benefit matters for the group the survey describes.

Apply a diagram rather than guessing from a label

A practice diagram shows a quiet room on the second floor and a meeting room on the first. A group needs a place to discuss a project and must stay on the first floor. The meeting room fits both conditions. Check the floor and the purpose before choosing.

Describe a scene and then predict a change

Imagine a picture showing people approaching a bus stop and a bus in the distance. A description names the visible actions. A prediction could say the people are likely to form a queue if the bus stops. Use the visible evidence to support the prediction and keep it conditional where appropriate.

Address the person in a difficult situation

An invented prompt says you must tell a colleague you cannot swap shifts because you already have an appointment. Explain the constraint to the colleague and offer a feasible next step, such as checking another date. The response should sound like a conversation with that person.

Use the Fencing Method to practise instructions

Start with an accurate answer or sentence. Add a precise detail, then add the relationship, reason or action the task needs. Apply the same instruction to fresh material.

1. I prefer Sunday opening.
2. I prefer Sunday opening because it helps people who work late on weekdays.
3. Sunday opening gives weekday workers a chance to use services they cannot reach after work.
4. Try a new survey. State the option, explain who benefits and add an example tied to the stated situation.

Read the eduKate Fencing Method for Vocabulary.

Practise and check your answers

Separate a prediction from a description

In a practice image, write one sentence about what is visible and one about what might happen. Give the evidence for your prediction. This helps you practise the change in instruction without forcing uncertain details into a description.

Make the audience part of your plan

For an email, identify what you need the named person to know or do. For a difficult speaking situation, identify the other person’s concern and respond to it directly. In a survey answer, use reasons that explain why your chosen option fits the stated problem.

Practice 1. A survey asks which of two options you prefer. What comes first?

Make the choice clear. Then give reasons connected to the situation.

Practice 2. A scene task asks what will happen next. How should you use the image?

Use visible clues to support a plausible prediction, then distinguish that prediction from what is already shown.

Practice 3. An email asks you to explain a problem and request an action. What should you check?

Make the problem clear and state what you want the reader to do.

Practice 4. A listening item asks whose opinion changed. What should you track?

Keep each person’s first and final positions separate and identify the person who changed.

Frequently asked questions

Does CELPIP-General LS include an email task?

General LS covers Listening and Speaking. The four-component General test includes Writing.

Can I use one memorised Speaking response for every prompt?

Use the task to decide whether you need advice, a description, a prediction or another response.

How do I learn the interface?

Use the provider’s official sample and guidebook to practise the screen instructions and timing.

Official sources and next reading

• CELPIP-General format and timing
• CELPIP test format and scoring
• CELPIP official 2026 guidebook

Related guide in this series · IELTS General Training examination instructions

Read eduKateSG’s 200-word vocabulary guide for more ways to group and practise vocabulary.

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