To move CELPIP Speaking from Level 7 to Level 9 in 30 days, change the four things CELPIP’s own level descriptors name: support each idea with a developed reason, use context-specific words instead of only common ones, add some control of complex sentences, and fit your tone to a wider range of listeners, including people in authority. Your accent is not on that list. This plan gives you 30 to 45 minutes a day for four weeks: week 1 structure, week 2 Listenability, week 3 vocabulary and tone, week 4 full mocks, with a go-or-transfer check seven days before the test. It is built for candidates already at 7. From 5 or 6, use the same order over eight weeks. Everything below is tied to a source: the descriptors and sample analysis on CELPIP’s Score Comparison Chart, the criteria on its Results page, its 15 October 2026 blog post on moving from 7 to 9, and IRCC’s points tables.
- Level 7 to 9 is mainly a change in content and tone (developed reasons, a range of listeners) and in grammar range (some complex structures), per CELPIP’s descriptors.
- For a single applicant, CLB 9 is worth 31 CRS points per ability against 17 at CLB 7 (IRCC, modified 16 October 2026).
- 30 to 45 minutes a day, six days a week; three full eight-task mocks; a go-or-transfer decision on day 23.
- No guarantee: nobody publishes how long 7 to 9 takes, and we will not invent a number.
What changes between Level 7 and Level 9
CELPIP rates Speaking on four dimensions, each with five performance levels, per its Results page: Content/Coherence, Vocabulary, Listenability and Task Fulfillment. Its Score Comparison Chart then describes what a speaker can do at each CELPIP level. Here are Levels 7, 8 and 9 side by side, in CELPIP’s words, read on 21 October 2026.
| Dimension | Level 7 | Level 8 | Level 9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Content/Coherence | Present concrete and some abstract information that is supported with moderately complex reasons | The same as Level 7 | Present information and support ideas with moderately complex reasons |
| Vocabulary | Common words and some more precise vocabulary; some figures of speech and idioms | Common words and some context-specific vocabulary; some figures of speech and idioms | Common and context-specific vocabulary; some figures of speech and idioms |
| Listenability | Good control of simple grammatical structures; speak clearly with understandable rhythm, pronunciation and intonation; very few self-corrections, repetitions or inappropriate pauses | Some control of complex grammatical structures; speak intelligibly with mostly fluent rhythm, pronunciation and intonation; very few self-corrections, repetitions or inappropriate pauses | Some control of complex grammatical structures; speak intelligibly with mostly fluent rhythm, pronunciation and intonation |
| Task Fulfillment | Adjust style and tone to some familiar listeners and situations; convey intended meaning | Adjust style and tone to some audiences and situations; convey intended meaning | Adjust style and tone to a range of audiences and situations; convey my ideas. Listed setting: “I speak with peers or authority figures” |
Our reading of the table, which is TalkDrill’s interpretation rather than CELPIP’s: the step from 7 to 8 is mostly Listenability, from good simple sentences to some complex ones and from “understandable” to “mostly fluent”. The step from 8 to 9 is mostly Content and Task Fulfillment: you develop a case rather than list supported points, context-specific words become normal rather than occasional, and you can pitch the same message to a friend, a neighbour or a manager. CELPIP’s analysis of its own Level 9 sample says the same in practice: the speaker gives several supporting reasons, links them with phrases that help the listener follow, and, compared with Level 8, extends the answer with fewer pauses. Nothing in that list says “sounds Canadian”.
Is 30 days enough? Who this plan is for
Nobody publishes how long it takes to move from CELPIP 7 to 9, CELPIP included, and we will not make up a figure. CELPIP’s own post on the move says “there’s no single formula for achieving Level 9”. What we can say is which starting points suit a 30-day run, and which do not. The table is TalkDrill’s judgement, not CELPIP guidance.
| Where you start | What it usually means | Runway we suggest |
|---|---|---|
| Official Speaking 7 or 8, every dimension at 7 or above in your own scoring | The gap is content, vocabulary and tone, which daily recorded practice moves | 30 days, this plan |
| Official 7 with one dimension clearly at 5 or 6 (often Listenability: long pauses, many restarts) | One habit is holding the whole score down | 30 days with two extra Listenability weeks, or six weeks |
| Official 5 or 6 | Simple grammar is not yet under control | Eight weeks, same order, two weeks per stage |
| Never taken CELPIP, no scored mock | You do not know your starting point yet | Do day 1 and day 2 below, then decide |
The plan assumes four things: you can record yourself every day; you can give Speaking 30 to 45 minutes six days a week; you have a test date you can move with seven days’ notice; and your Listening, Reading and Writing are handled separately. CELPIP’s own 30-day study plan on its blog suggests 1.5 to 3 hours a day across all four skills. If you need 9 in Writing too, use the Writing page on alternate days.
What CLB 9 is worth in Express Entry points
CELPIP 9 is CLB 9: CELPIP’s chart and IRCC’s Express Entry language page both list the levels one to one. IRCC’s CRS criteria page (modified 16 October 2026) then gives points per ability in your first official language.
| CLB in one ability | Points, with a spouse | Points, no spouse | Gain over CLB 7, no spouse |
|---|---|---|---|
| CLB 7 | 16 | 17 | 0 |
| CLB 8 | 22 | 23 | 6 |
| CLB 9 | 29 | 31 | 14 |
| CLB 10 or more | 32 | 34 | 17 |
So Speaking alone, from 7 to 9, adds 14 core points for a single applicant and 13 with a spouse. All four abilities from 7 to 9 add 56 and 52. The same page has skill transferability rows that reward CLB 9 in all four abilities: a post-secondary credential of one year or longer earns 13 points with CLB 7 or more (at least one ability under 9) and 25 with CLB 9 or more in all four; two or more credentials, one of them three years or longer, earn 25 and 50; one or two years of foreign work experience earn 13 and 25; three years or more earn 25 and 50. Skill transferability is capped at 100 points in total. A Speaking 9 on its own does not open those rows, which is why this plan tells you to check your other three skills on day 2. Draw cut-offs move every round, so we do not quote one.
Day 1: the diagnostic and the self-rating sheet
Record all eight tasks under the real timers before you change anything. CELPIP’s July 2026 Guidebook lists two free online practice tests; use one from the free practice tests page, or eight prompts from our practice bank with a phone timer. Do not restart a task that goes badly. If you use a phone timer, set it to the official times:
| Task | Prepare | Speak |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Giving Advice; 7 Expressing Opinions | 30 seconds | 90 seconds |
| 2 Personal Experience; 3 Describing a Scene; 4 Making Predictions; 8 Unusual Situation | 30 seconds | 60 seconds |
| 5 Comparing and Persuading | 60 seconds to choose an option (no speaking), then 60 seconds | 60 seconds |
| 6 Dealing with a Difficult Situation | 60 seconds | 60 seconds |
Source: CELPIP’s Speaking Pro Target 9+ Study Pack (revised May 2026), which also notes that recording starts automatically when the preparation time ends. On day 2, score each recording with the sheet below. It turns CELPIP’s descriptors into questions you can answer by listening. The sheet is TalkDrill’s; the descriptor wording behind it is CELPIP’s.
| Dimension | Ask yourself | Sounds like 7 | Sounds like 9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Content/Coherence | How many ideas did I give, and did each one get a “because” and an example? | Two or three points, each stated once; the same point returns near the end | Two or three ideas, each developed with a reason, a consequence or a short example, in an order the listener can follow |
| Vocabulary | Which words would only fit this situation? | General words: problem, good, help, thing, nice | Words tied to the setting: lease, shift, daycare, refund, commute, renovation |
| Listenability | Did I use any sentence with although, if, whether or which? How many restarts? | Mostly simple sentences joined by and, so, because; clear but with noticeable pauses | A mix of simple and complex sentences; pauses where a listener expects them; few restarts |
| Task Fulfillment | Did I talk to the person named in the prompt, about their problem, in a tone that fits them, until the timer ran down? | Friendly but generic; stops early or runs out of ideas | Addresses the person by name and situation; tone fits a friend or a manager; uses the time |
Score each task 6, 7, 8 or 9 on each dimension, then take the middle value per dimension across the eight tasks. Circle the lowest dimension: that is your first fix. Your own ear tends to be generous, so before you trust the sheet, listen to the official Level 7, 8 and 9 samples on the Score Comparison Chart for the same two tasks and score them with it. If you can tell those three apart, your scores are worth using. A study partner or the AI feedback in TalkDrill’s role-play practice is a useful second opinion; neither is an official rating.
The 30 days, week by week
Six study days a week, one rest day. After week 4: day 28 rest, day 29 a ten-minute warm-up, day 30 the test. The same roadmap is on the CELPIP hub and becomes your coach plan when you set CELPIP as your exam on TalkDrill.
| Week | Focus | Goal by the end of the week | Minutes a day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Diagnose and structure | A scored baseline, a booked date, one outline for every task | 30 to 40 |
| 2 | Listenability | Two sound habits and one grammar habit audibly better; half the restarts of day 1 | 30 to 40 |
| 3 | Vocabulary range and tone | Context-specific words in every answer; first full mock at 8 or better | 30 to 45 |
| 4 | Full mocks and test day | Two more full mocks; go or transfer on day 23; calm test day | 15 to 45 |
Week 1: diagnose and structure
- Day 1 (40 min): the eight-task diagnostic above, recorded, no restarts.
- Day 2 (30 min): score it with the sheet. If no dimension is below 7, book a sitting for about day 30. Check your latest Listening, Reading and Writing levels too.
- Day 3 (30 min): listen to CELPIP’s official Level 7, 8 and 9 samples for the same two tasks and write three differences in your own words.
- Day 4 (30 min): learn the four-move outline (point, reason, example, wrap-up) and run Tasks 1 and 7 twice each. The task-by-task page has an outline for each task.
- Day 5 (30 min): Tasks 2 and 6 with the AI playing the person named in the prompt. Use the name in your first sentence.
- Day 6 (35 min): Tasks 3, 4 and 8 with a describing map: big picture, left to right, details, what it means for the listener. Our CELPIP Speaking guide has the overview of each task.
Week 2: Listenability
- Day 8 (30 min): read your first-language page, the one for Punjabi, Hindi and Gujarati speakers or for Filipino and Nigerian candidates. Choose two sound habits and one grammar habit.
- Day 9 (30 min): ten minutes of read-aloud on sound habit 1, then Task 1, listening only for that sound.
- Day 10 (30 min): chunking and falling tone. Read a 60-word answer with a pause at every comma and a falling voice at every full stop; record Task 7 the same way.
- Day 11 (35 min): one complex pattern per answer in Tasks 1, 5 and 7: “if I were you”, “although”, “which means that”.
- Day 12 (35 min): filler audit. Count every um, er and restart in your day 1 Task 2, record a new one, count again. Target: half. Our page on filler words has replacements that buy thinking time.
- Day 13 (40 min): half mock, Tasks 1 to 4, scored with the sheet.
Week 3: vocabulary range and tone
- Day 15 (30 min): a word bank of everyday Canadian vocabulary by topic: housing (lease, deposit, landlord, utilities), work (shift, schedule, supervisor, overtime), transit (bus pass, route, commute), family and community (daycare, recreation centre, volunteer). At least five precise words per task.
- Day 16 (30 min): Task 5. Compare with whereas, while and on the other hand, then persuade the named person with a reason that matters to them.
- Day 17 (35 min): Task 6 tone ladder. Task 6 asks you to explain a decision to a friend, family member, acquaintance or customer, so explain the same decision to a friend, a family member and a customer, back to back. Listen to how your first sentence changes.
- Day 18 (35 min): Task 2 with a story arc (setting, problem, action, feeling, lesson) and Task 7 with a concession: “I can see why some people…, but…”.
- Day 19 (35 min): Task 8 precision: shape, size, material, parts, function, and one comparison with an everyday object. The word “thing” is banned.
- Day 20 (45 min): full mock 1, all eight tasks, with background noise (a radio in the next room is enough), scored.
Week 4: full mocks and test day
- Day 22 (45 min): full mock 2. Score it before you listen to mock 1 again.
- Day 23 (20 min): go or transfer. If mocks 1 and 2 are not at the Level 9 descriptor in every dimension, transfer today: celpip.ca’s policy needs at least seven calendar days for a transfer, which costs CAD 50 plus tax.
- Day 24 (35 min): one targeted drill on your lowest dimension, then re-record the two tasks where it hurt most.
- Day 25 (45 min): full mock 3, then the official Level 9 samples once more.
- Day 26 (20 min): logistics. The ID you registered with; arrive 45 minutes early, because check-in closes 15 minutes before the start; only your ID goes into the room; the timer never stops, even for a washroom break (celpip.ca test-day page). The format page has the room walk-through.
- Day 27 (15 min): warm-up only, Tasks 1 and 7 once each. Day 28 rest; day 29 ten minutes; day 30 the test.
Worked example: one Task 1 answer at Level 7 and at Level 9
Both answers below were written by TalkDrill to show the difference. They are not official CELPIP samples and not real candidates, and the levels are our estimate against CELPIP’s published descriptors, not a rating. For real rated samples, use the Score Comparison Chart.
The prompt (TalkDrill-written, Task 1 style)
Your colleague Simran has been offered a team-lead position at your company. It pays more, but the shifts are in the evenings, and she has a two-year-old son. Give her advice on what she should consider before she decides.
Version A: our estimate, Level 7
“Hi Simran, congratulations on the offer. I think you should take the team lead job, because it is a very good opportunity. The salary is more and it is good for your career. But I know the evening shift is a problem because your son is small. So you can talk to your husband, and he can take care of your son in the evening. Also you can ask your mother-in-law for help. And if it is very difficult, you can ask the manager to give you day shift after some months. Team lead experience is very important for the future, so I think you should take it. Also you will learn many things, like how to manage people. So my advice is, take the job, but talk to your family first. All the best.”
Version B: our estimate, Level 9
“Hi Simran, first of all, congratulations. Being offered the team-lead role after only two years says a lot about how the company sees you. Before you decide, I’d think about three things. The first is childcare. Evenings are the hardest time with a toddler, so I’d sit down with Harjeet this week and work out which evenings he can cover, and whether a daycare with extended hours near the office could take the rest. The second is the schedule itself. It’s worth asking HR whether the evening shifts are permanent or only for the first six months, because if they rotate, the problem is much smaller than it looks. And the third is what you’d be giving up. If you turn it down, another opening might not come up for a while, and experience managing people is exactly what employers here look for. So my honest advice is to say yes, but only once the childcare plan is settled. If it falls through, you can go back to them with a counter-proposal rather than a flat no.”
| What changed | Version A | Version B | Dimension |
|---|---|---|---|
| Structure | Reasons in the order they came to mind; the advice is repeated twice | Three signposted considerations: the first, the second, the third | Content/Coherence |
| Reasons | “It is good for your career” | Why it matters: after only two years; what employers look for | Content/Coherence |
| Words | salary, job, problem, help, small | toddler, extended hours, rotate, schedule, counter-proposal, a flat no | Vocabulary |
| Grammar | Simple sentences joined by and, so, because | Whether-clauses, if-clauses, an -ing subject (“Being offered…”) | Listenability |
| Tone | Friendly but generic | Warm and practical; names her partner; leaves the decision with her | Task Fulfillment |
| Ending | Repeats the advice | Gives a condition and a fallback | Task Fulfillment |
Version B is longer because each reason is developed, not because it is faster. Read both aloud with a timer. Then write your own Version B for a different person and problem, and run it in role-play practice with the AI playing Simran.
One upgrade per task
The eight task names are CELPIP’s. The habits and moves are TalkDrill’s judgement of where a 7 answer usually stops and what a 9 answer adds, mapped to the descriptors above. Full outlines and model answers are on the tasks 1 to 8 page.
| Task | Where a 7 often stops | The move that reads as 9 | A phrase to try |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Giving Advice | One reason, repeated | Two or three considerations, each with a consequence | “The second thing I’d look at is…” |
| 2 Personal Experience | Events in order, no point | Setting, turning point, feeling, what changed for you | “Looking back, what stayed with me was…” |
| 3 Describing a Scene | A list of objects | Layout and action, front to back, with the mood of the scene | “In the foreground…, while behind them…” |
| 4 Making Predictions | Describing the scene again | Two or three predictions, each tied to a clue in the picture | “Judging by…, I’d expect…” |
| 5 Comparing and Persuading | Praising your choice | A direct comparison on the listener’s priorities, then a concession | “Whereas the first option…, this one…” |
| 6 Difficult Situation | The decision arrives late, or bluntly | State the decision early, give the reason, acknowledge the other person, offer something | “I’ve decided to…, mainly because… I know that’s not what you hoped, so…” |
| 7 Expressing Opinions | “It is good for everyone” | A clear position, two reasons with examples, a concession | “I can see why some people…, but…” |
| 8 Unusual Situation | “It is a thing like…” | Shape, size, material, parts, function, a comparison, then the listener’s view | “It’s roughly the size of…, and it’s made of…” |
What a 9 does not need
Candidates stuck at 7 often spend the month on the wrong things. Each myth below is checked against something CELPIP has published.
| Myth | What CELPIP’s own material says |
|---|---|
| A 9 means no mistakes | CELPIP’s 15 October 2026 post on moving from 7 to 9: “That doesn’t mean every sentence needs to be complicated or that minor mistakes are unacceptable.” Its official Level 9 sample includes hesitations and small grammar slips. |
| A 9 needs a Canadian accent | CELPIP’s podcast (episode 24) says having an accent does not automatically lower your Speaking score. Listenability asks for intelligible, mostly fluent rhythm, pronunciation and intonation. |
| Faster means more fluent | The same post: “Your goal is to make your ideas easy to understand, not to speak as quickly as possible.” |
| Idioms raise the level | The descriptors say “some figures of speech and idioms” at Levels 7, 8 and 9 alike. |
| A memorised template is safe | The post recommends a brief outline that keeps you focused “without making your response sound memorized”. Relevance is one of the four Task Fulfillment factors. |
If accent work is still on your mind, the first-language pages separate the few sound habits that block understanding from the many that do not, and give a two-minute drill for each.
When to book, and what to do with an 8
Book early, transfer if needed. In India, celpip.ca says the test is available within two weeks at 25 centres in 15 cities; in Canada and elsewhere, check the live date finder for open sittings. Booking on day 2 gives you a deadline. The policies on celpip.ca’s overview page decide the rest: cancel at least seven calendar days before for a 50 per cent refund and nothing later; transfer at least seven days before for CAD 50 plus tax; register for no more than one sitting in any five calendar days. That is why day 23 is the go-or-transfer day. Prices and booking steps by country are on the fees page.
Go only if both mocks are at 9. Our rule of thumb, not CELPIP’s: sit the test when mocks 1 and 2 both score at the Level 9 descriptor in every dimension on the self-rating sheet, and a second listener agrees. One good mock is a good day, not a level.
After the test. Results appear in your CELPIP account in 2 to 4 business days as an official PDF score report, per celpip.ca’s Results page, and you upload that PDF to IRCC. For Express Entry the results must be less than two years old when you complete your profile and when you apply.
If Speaking comes back at 8. You can request a re-evaluation of any component within six months of the test. The fee depends on the components, is refunded for any component whose level changes, and each component can be re-evaluated once; results come in about one to two weeks. CELPIP notes that Listening and Reading re-evaluations are unlikely to change a score because those components are computer-rated. Speaking is rated by three to five raters, with a benchmark rater if they disagree, so the original score already reflects several opinions. If your mocks were borderline 8 and 9, a re-evaluation is a reasonable bet. If they were clearly 8, two more weeks of this plan and a new sitting usually serve you better. The results page covers the steps.