CELPIP Speaking Task 7, Expressing Opinions: how to build a 90-second argument

Task 7 is one of two CELPIP Speaking tasks with a 90-second window, and you get only 30 seconds to plan it. The question is usually simple. What goes wrong is development: one idea said three ways, a reason with no example, or a change of mind halfway through.

What does CELPIP Speaking Task 7 ask you to do?

You read a question about an everyday, community or social issue and give your opinion with reasons. You get 30 seconds to prepare and 90 seconds to record. Task 1 is the only other task with a 90-second recording window.

Speaking has eight tasks in about 15 minutes. All are recorded replies to on-screen prompts, there is no examiner, and on the official test the screen moves on when the clock ends. Task 7 is the seventh task, so by the time you reach it you have been speaking for most of the section. Plan your energy as well as your ideas.

Timings checked 16 October 2026 against the Speaking Pro study pack. The eight-task, 15-minute format is in the CELPIP Guidebook for Test Takers, July 2026.

What do raters look for in an opinion answer?

CELPIP's performance standards use the same four dimensions for every Speaking task. This is our reading of how they apply to an opinion, not CELPIP's wording.

• Content/Coherence. The number and quality of ideas, their organisation, and examples and supporting details. This is the core of Task 7: a position, reasons that support it, and examples that make the reasons concrete.
• Vocabulary. Range and precision. Opinion language needs variety: "I strongly believe", "in my view", "the main drawback is", "it comes down to".
• Listenability. Rhythm, pronunciation and intonation; pauses, interjections and self-correction; grammar and sentence structure; variety of sentence structure. Over 90 seconds, sentence variety matters because repetition becomes noticeable.
• Task Fulfillment. Relevance, completeness, tone and length. Relevance means answering the exact question. Completeness means giving an opinion and support. Length matters because CELPIP lists it, though it publishes no minimum.

See how CELPIP-General is scored for the full criteria.

How do you use the 30 seconds of preparation?

You are choosing a side and two reasons. You are not drafting.

1. Seconds 0 to 5: choose a side. Do it now. Pick the side where you can think of examples fastest, not necessarily the side you believe.
2. Seconds 5 to 20: find two reasons. Write one keyword for each. Reasons must be different from each other, not two phrasings of one idea.
3. Seconds 20 to 27: attach an example to each. One word for the example is enough: a place, a person, a number.
4. Seconds 27 to 30: pick a counter-point. Decide the best objection and how you will answer it. That is your spare material.

If you cannot decide, take the side that sounds more natural to say aloud. Fluency under time pressure is worth more than perfect conviction.

How do you structure a 90-second argument?

This is ScoreFluent's own technique, with approximate timings.

• Position, about 8 seconds. Say your side and signal that two reasons follow. "I disagree with limiting laptop use, and I have two main reasons."
• Reason one with an example, about 28 seconds. State the reason, explain it, then give the example. "A cafe sells more than coffee. It sells a place to sit… For example, my local cafe is always full of laptops, and it is also the busiest on the street."
• Reason two with an example, about 28 seconds. Use a different kind of reason, such as one about fairness after one about money.
• Counter-point and answer, about 18 seconds. "I do understand the owner's frustration, but a blanket rule is too blunt."
• Conclusion, about 8 seconds. Restate your position in a new sentence.

Signposts such as "First", "Second" and "Overall" help the listener and give you something safe to say while you think.

Worked example

This example is built from bank item 3 below. The side taken is that cafes should not limit laptop use.

I disagree with limiting laptop use in restaurants and cafes, and I have two main reasons. First, a cafe sells more than coffee. It sells a place to sit. Many people, including students and remote workers, choose a cafe because they can work there, and those customers often buy a second drink or a snack because they're staying for hours. If the owner bans laptops, those customers will simply go to a competitor. For example, my local cafe near campus is always full of laptops, and it is also the busiest one on the street. Second, there's a fairer way to solve the owner's real problem, which is tables being taken at lunch. The owner could set a time limit during the lunch rush, for example ninety minutes, or keep a few tables for people who want to eat. That protects the lunch trade without punishing everyone who opens a laptop. I do understand the owner's frustration, because a table that stays for four hours earns nothing. But a blanket rule is too blunt. So, overall, I think cafes should manage how long people stay, not what they bring with them.

This sample was written by ScoreFluent for this guide. It is not an official CELPIP model answer and has not been scored. The two reasons are different in kind, one commercial and one about a fairer solution. Each has support, the objection is acknowledged and answered, and the closing sentence restates the position in new words.

What mistakes make opinion answers weaker?

• Sitting on the fence. "There are good points on both sides" leaves you with no position to develop.
• Changing sides midway. If you start with "I agree" and finish with "but actually", the answer contradicts itself.
• Reasons without examples. "It is good for the community" is a claim. A concrete case makes it a supported reason.
• Two reasons that are one reason. "It saves money" and "it is cheaper" are the same idea. Make your second reason a different angle.
• Reciting a template. A memorised opening that does not fit the question wastes time and may not be relevant. Answer the specific question in the prompt.
• Running dry at 50 seconds. Without a spare idea you end up repeating. Keep a counter-point or a personal example in reserve.
• A new idea in the last seconds. If the clock cuts you off mid-point, the answer ends on a fragment. Close deliberately.

What do Task 7 practice items look like?

These are practice items from the ScoreFluent bank. They are not real exam questions. They are listed from easier to harder on the bank's own difficulty rating.

Item 1. A grocery chain plans to offer discounts to customers who buy only locally grown food, even though those items can cost more at first. Some shoppers say the plan favours people who can afford to be choosy.

Task: Should stores promote local food with discounts? State your opinion and back it up with reasons.

Item 2. Your town is considering making repair skills a required high-school course.

Task: State whether you agree or disagree and support your opinion.

Item 3. A restaurant owner argues that customers should not be allowed to use laptops during lunch hours because they occupy tables for hours. A few regulars say a coffee shop should welcome anyone who buys something.

Task: Should restaurants and cafes limit laptop use? Explain your opinion and support it with examples.

Item 4. A hospital is considering a rule that visitors may stay only two hours a day in order to help patients rest. Families argue that long visits help patients feel less alone.

Task: Do you agree with limiting visiting hours at hospitals? Support your opinion with reasons.

Item 5. A landlord association suggests that tenants should pay a small monthly fee for use of shared laundry rooms instead of having the cost included in the rent. Tenant groups argue that this is a hidden increase.

Task: Do you agree with charging tenants separately for laundry? State your opinion and explain it.

The bank does not include model answers for these items. Item 2 gives only one line of background, so you have to supply the reasons yourself. That is useful practice for the exam, where a short prompt gives you little to borrow.

How do you practise Task 7?

1. Build an example bank. Keep five concrete examples from your own life or from things you know well, such as a job, a school, a neighbourhood, a trip and a purchase. Most reasons can use one.
2. Argue both sides of one question. Take one item, speak for 90 seconds in favour, then 90 against. This trains you to find reasons quickly, whatever side you choose.
3. Time the structure. Record at 90 seconds and note where the second reason started. If it started after 60, shorten the first.
4. Listen for variety. One pass for repeated sentence openings and filler phrases, one for whether every reason had an example.

On ScoreFluent you can record Task 7 against the real timings and get a practice estimate on the four published dimensions. That estimate is provisional: the CELPIP speaking grader has not been calibrated against human-rated CELPIP responses, so use it to see what to fix, not as a level you will receive. New accounts get 40 free credits, credits never expire, and there is no subscription. Start with 40 free credits →

Compare this task with Task 1, Giving Advice, which shares the 90-second window but asks for suggestions, not a position. Task 5, Comparing and Persuading also needs reasons that match facts. The whole section is covered in CELPIP Speaking, and the exam overview is on the CELPIP-General hub.

Where do these timings and criteria come from?

The task name and the 15-minute, eight-task Speaking format come from the CELPIP Guidebook for Test Takers, July 2026. The 30-second preparation, 90-second recording and move-on rule come from the Speaking Pro study pack. The four Speaking dimensions are from CELPIP's performance standards. Checked 16 October 2026. Exam details change, so confirm against the official pages before you rely on a number.

ScoreFluent is an independent practice platform. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to Paragon Testing Enterprises or CELPIP.