Reading Part 1 is called Reading Correspondence. It has 11 questions. This guide explains what the task is, how reading is scored, a plan you can use, and one original worked example.
1.What the task is
Reading Correspondence is the first task in the CELPIP General reading skill. It has 11 questions. The name tells you the kind of text to expect: correspondence, which means a message from one person to another.
The questions are multiple choice. For each one, you choose the answer that fits the text.
2.How it is scored
- Each question is right or wrong. There is no penalty for a wrong answer.
- In CELPIP General reading, 38 items are scored.
- Levels 4 to 12 map one to one to CLB 4 to 12. A level 7 is a CLB 7, for example.
Because a wrong answer costs nothing, answer every question. A good guess is always better than a blank.
3.A plan that fits most tasks
- Find the big picture first. Ask who is writing, who the reader is, and why the message exists.
- Notice the tone. Is the writer polite, urgent, worried or friendly? Some questions depend on this.
- Read each question slowly. Decide what it asks for: a detail, the purpose, a request or an opinion.
- Go back to the text. Find the sentence that answers the question. Do not answer from memory or from your own ideas.
- Test every option. Cross out options that the text does not support. Then pick the one that matches the meaning, not just the same words.
- Watch small words. Words like *only*, *not*, *until*, *always* and *unless* can change an answer.
- Keep moving. If one question is stuck, choose your best answer and go on. Come back if you have time.
4.A worked example
Text (written for this guide):
Dear residents, the city will repair a pipe near our building. The water will be off on Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Please fill some containers the night before. The laundry room will also be closed that day. If someone in your home has a health need that requires water, please call me by Monday and I will help. Thank you for your patience. Maria Chen, Building Manager
Question 1. Why is Maria writing?
- A. To ask residents to pay for a repair
- B. To tell residents about a temporary water shut off
- C. To announce that the laundry room will close for good
- D. To invite residents to a meeting
Answer: B. The main message is that the water will be off for a few hours. A is wrong because no payment is mentioned. C is wrong because the laundry room is closed only on that day. D is wrong because there is no meeting.
Question 2. What should a resident with a health need do?
- A. Fill containers on Tuesday morning
- B. Call Maria by Monday
- C. Use the laundry room
- D. Wait for the city to call
Answer: B. The text says to call Maria by Monday. A uses the wrong day, because the containers should be filled the night before. C is closed on Tuesday. D is not in the text at all.
5.Common mistakes
- Choosing an option because it repeats words from the text. Check that the meaning matches too.
- Using your own knowledge instead of what the writer says.
- Skipping the purpose and tone, then missing questions about them.
- Missing small words such as *not*, *only* and *until*.
- Spending too long on one question and rushing the rest.
- Leaving a question blank. There is no penalty for a wrong answer.
6.Next step
Put the plan to work on real practice questions: Try a free Reading Correspondence set. After each set, look at the questions you missed and find the sentence that gives the answer.