How do I keep track of who says what in CELPIP Reading Part 4?

Write each name on your paper with their opinion and their reason beside it. Add how strongly they hold it, because a firm view and a cautious one lead to different answers. Keep facts apart from opinions. Mixing up who believes what is the most common way to lose marks here.

Why is CELPIP Reading Part 4 the longest reading section?

It gets the most time, about 13 minutes for 10 questions in two sets of five, because it is the hardest part. You read an opinion article for the first set, then a reader's comment with blanks for the second, and you need time to note who holds each view.

Does CELPIP Reading Part 4 have inference questions?

Yes. Some answers are not stated directly, so you work them out from what a person's opinion implies or from the tone of the words. You also compare opinions and recognise answer choices that paraphrase the article's arguments.

What makes CELPIP Reading Part 4 harder than the other reading parts?

CELPIP says the Reading passages and questions get harder from Part 1 to Part 4. Here you keep several opinions apart, handle inference, and read a formal article about ideas rather than everyday events, all under time pressure.

How can I improve at CELPIP Reading Part 4?

Read opinion articles and their comment sections. For each one, list who holds which view, why, and how strongly. Practise questions such as "who would agree with this?", and do timed sets of 10 questions in about 13 minutes.

Does CELPIP Reading Part 4 affect my score more than the other parts?

Each correct answer here is worth 1 point, the same as in every part, and wrong answers cost nothing. CELPIP says your level comes from your points and the difficulty of the questions, and Part 4 is the hardest part, but it does not publish a weight for any single part.

CELPIP Reading Part 4 Sample Test: Free, With Answers

In this part, you will read an article expressing different opinions and a related comment or response. The goal is to differentiate between viewpoints, understand the relationships among them, and analyze how they are supported. On test day this part has 10 questions and CELPIP allows about 13 minutes for it, the most of any Reading part. Here you can take one full set for free, all 10 questions on the same clock, with every answer explained, once you make a free account. Every other set on this page is part of Pro.

What is CELPIP Reading Part 4 (Reading for Viewpoints)?

Reading Part 4, also called Reading Task 4, gives you an article with two or more opinions about a community issue, then a short comment from a reader with blanks. You answer 10 questions in about 13 minutes. It is the last Reading part and, according to CELPIP, the hardest one.

How many questions are in Reading Part 4, and how long do you get?

Part 4 has 10 questions in two sets of 5. CELPIP gives about 13 minutes, the most time of any Reading part.

Each Reading part runs on its own clock. You can change your answers as often as you like while the time lasts. When it runs out, the Reading test ends and you cannot go back to this part.

Every correct answer is worth 1 point and a wrong answer costs nothing, so answer every question. Part 4 counts toward one CELPIP Reading level, based on all 38 scored questions. The CELPIP Reading score chart shows how many correct answers each level needs.

What will you read in Reading Part 4?

The main text is an article, blog post or editorial. It is formal and complex, much like a news article. It discusses ideas and possibilities, mixes facts with opinions, and presents each opinion with supporting details. The second text is a short comment from a reader of the article, with blanks to fill in.

CELPIP's examples include citizens' reactions to a recent government decision, the possible good and bad effects of a parenting style, the benefits and drawbacks of an economic strategy, and how a new technology might help or harm society.

How should you spend the 13 minutes?

CELPIP publishes a suggested plan for this part in its Reading study pack. It adds up to 13 minutes:

Read question set 1 (1 minute). Mark the keywords in each question.
Read the article and take notes (3 minutes). Find the topic, and for each opinion note who holds it, what they believe and why.
Answer question set 1 (4.5 minutes). Use your notes, and use inference and paraphrase.
Read the comment and answer question set 2 (4 minutes). Use the context to work out the commenter's opinion, and use your notes to recall who said what and why. Watch for paraphrase.
Review (30 seconds). Make sure every question has an answer.

Our CELPIP Reading time guide shows how this fits with the other three parts.

Tips for CELPIP Reading Part 4

Note who said it, and how strongly. Write each name with the opinion and the reason beside it, and add whether the view is firm or cautious. Several questions turn on that difference.
Keep facts apart from opinions. The article mixes both. A fact the writer reports is not the same as a view someone holds.
Compare the opinions. Who agrees with whom, and on what? Questions often ask which person would support an idea.
Expect inference. Some answers are never stated. You work them out from what an opinion implies or from the tone of the words.
Expect paraphrase. The options restate the arguments in new words.

The video above shows this note method on a real Part 4 article. For more, read the Reading Part 4 tips in our Reading guide or take the free Reading for Viewpoints lesson.

Common mistakes in Reading Part 4

Mixing up whose opinion is whose, especially when two people hold similar views.
Filling a blank in the comment without checking how it fits the commenter's overall position.
Missing the difference between a strong view and a soft one.

Keep practising Reading Part 4

Start the free Part 4 set at the top of this page: 10 questions, every answer explained, with a free account.
Learn the words this part uses with the Reading Part 4 vocabulary list.
Done with all four parts? Go back to CELPIP Reading practice for full Reading sets.