CELPIP Listening Part 6: Listening for Viewpoints
Follow an argument about an issue and distinguish the narrator’s position from other views being reported.
At a glance
- Typical part time
- 8 minutes · approx.
- Questions
- 6
- Full skill time
- 46–55 minutes
Part timings are approximate. Follow the timer and instructions displayed on your test screen. Listening and Reading each have 38 scored questions; additional unscored material can appear, so attempt every part.
For a realistic first attempt, listen once without pausing. Use MockPip’s replay and transcript tools afterward to review what you missed.
Format reference: official Listening study pack · current test format. Checked 4 October 2026.
What you will do
An extended single-speaker presentation followed by six written questions on one screen.
Manage this part’s time
Use the audio time to map arguments rather than copy sentences. On the question screen, answer evidence-based items first and return to difficult inferences while time remains.
Practice routines are MockPip suggestions, not additional official timing rules.A step-by-step approach
- Identify the issue and the main claim.
- Note each named group or person and their position.
- Connect reasons, examples and objections to the claim they support.
- Check the conclusion to see which position the speaker ultimately favours.
Techniques for this part
- Use a claim/evidence/objection map. A reported objection is not automatically the narrator’s belief.
- Notice changes in certainty: “could”, “is likely to” and “will” do not make the same claim.
- When an unfamiliar term appears, follow how it functions in the argument instead of stopping to translate it.
See the technique in action
Original mini-example: A speaker supports a bicycle lane but recognizes parking concerns. The viewpoint is conditional support, not complete opposition and not a claim that there are no disadvantages.
This example is independently written for practice.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Confusing a quoted viewpoint with the speaker’s endorsement.
- Remembering examples but missing the argument they illustrate.
- Choosing an extreme answer when the speaker expresses a qualified position.
Choose an answer for every question
Wrong answers do not lose points. Eliminate implausible choices, then choose one best answer per question; leave no question blank. This does not mean selecting every option.
Official guidance on guessing and answering all questions →Your next practice exercise
Draw an argument map after one listen, then review the transcript and label each sentence as claim, evidence, objection or conclusion.
Before you finish
- Whose opinion is being described?
- How certain is the claim?
- Does my inference fit the conclusion?
Explore another skill
MockPip’s techniques and practice examples are independently created. MockPip is not affiliated with or endorsed by CELPIP or its test provider. Practice results are not official CELPIP scores.