CELPIP Speaking Task 6: Dealing With a Difficult Situation

Task 6 is the awkward one. Two people want different things from you, you can only satisfy one of them, and you have to tell the other person to their face. Your sister wants you at her birthday dinner, and your manager wants you to cover a shift. A customer wants a refund, and store policy says no. There's no answer that keeps everyone happy, and the task is built that way on purpose. What it tests is whether you can deliver a decision someone won't like and still sound kind, clear and firm, in 60 seconds.

To practice Task 6 with a real prep clock, take the free mock test → celpipuni.com/free-mock-test.

TL;DR

CELPIP Speaking Task 6, "Dealing with a Difficult Situation," gives you 60 seconds to prepare and 60 seconds to speak. The prompt describes a situation with two choices. You pick one and speak directly to the person affected, which Paragon describes as a friend, family member, acquaintance or customer, to explain your decision. It's rated on Content/Coherence, Vocabulary, Listenability and Task Fulfillment, and tone matters a lot here. The structure that works: acknowledge the situation, state your decision clearly, give one or two real reasons, and offer something to soften the impact. Be considerate but firm. Either choice can score 9; how you deliver it is what counts.

What does CELPIP Speaking Task 6 ask you to do?

Paragon's official study pack describes Task 6 simply: explain a decision to a friend, family member, acquaintance or customer. The prompt sets up a situation with two possible choices, and you pick one. Then you speak to someone, usually the person your decision lets down, and explain it.

The official strategies for Task 6 are worth knowing word for word, because they're the rubric in plain English:

1. Speak directly to the person.
2. Be considerate but firm.
3. Speak in a respectful way.
4. Clearly outline the problem.
5. Explain your decision.
6. Provide effective reasons to support your decision.

Look at number 2. "Considerate but firm" is the whole task. Considerate and not firm sounds like you haven't decided. Firm and not considerate sounds cold. Raters are listening for both together.

How long do you get for CELPIP Speaking Task 6?

60 seconds to prepare and 60 seconds to speak. Task 6 shares the longest prep time in the Speaking section with Task 5, because you have to read a situation, weigh two options and choose before you plan. When prep ends, the screen moves on automatically and recording starts.

Source: Paragon's official CELPIP Speaking Pro study pack. Formats get revised, so confirm current timings on celpip.ca.

How is Task 6 rated?

Same four dimensions as every Speaking task, with a Task 6 slant:

• Content/Coherence: is the situation clearly outlined, the decision clearly stated, and the reasoning developed with specific details? A decision with no "because" is a weak response.
• Vocabulary: can you use precise words for a sensitive conversation, like "I know this isn't what you were hoping for," "I've thought about it carefully," "I'd like to make it up to you"?
• Listenability: rhythm, pronunciation, pausing, grammar and sentence variety. Nervous speakers apologise in fragments; steady speakers use full sentences.
• Task Fulfillment: relevance, completeness, tone and length. Tone carries more weight in Task 6 than anywhere else in the section. Talking about the person ("I would tell my sister that…") instead of to them is a common Task Fulfillment problem.

How should you choose between the two options?

You have 60 seconds of prep. Don't spend 40 of them deciding. Paragon's own advice for practice is to record a response for each choice, which tells you something: neither option is the "right" one. Raters score the response, not the choice.

So use a fast rule: pick the option you can give the stronger reason for. A reason with a specific detail ("the shift has no one else to cover it, and I promised my manager in March") beats a reason that's only a feeling ("work is important").

Using the 60 seconds of prep:

• Seconds 1–15: read the situation. Who's affected? What does each person want?
• Seconds 15–25: choose. Use the stronger-reason rule and don't go back on it.
• Seconds 25–50: keywords for four moves: acknowledge → decision → reason(s) → offer.
• Seconds 50–60: decide your first sentence. Use their name and get to the point.

What structure works for Task 6?

Four moves, in this order:

1. Acknowledge (5–10 seconds): name the situation and show you understand how they'll feel. "Hey Priya, I know how much you were counting on me for Saturday."
2. Decide (5 seconds): say it clearly. "I'm not going to be able to make it." Don't hide the decision in the middle of a long apology.
3. Reason (20–30 seconds): one or two real reasons with specific details. This is where Content/Coherence is decided.
4. Offer (10–15 seconds): something that softens it. An alternative, a make-up plan, practical help. "Let me take you out for dinner the weekend after, my treat."

The offer is what separates firm from cold. It doesn't change your decision, but it shows you care about the person it affects.

What do band-9 Task 6 answers sound like for both choices?

The prompt and both answers below were written by CelpipUni as teaching examples. They are not official CELPIP samples, and the levels are our estimates.

Practice prompt: Your close friend Daniel is moving apartments this Saturday and has asked you to help all day. Your manager has just asked you to work an extra shift on Saturday because a co-worker is sick, and you would earn overtime pay. Choose one:

• Option A: Help Daniel move. Talk to your manager and explain why you can't work the shift.
• Option B: Work the shift. Talk to Daniel and explain why you can't help him move.

Option A sample: speaking to the manager

"Hi Karen, thanks for thinking of me for Saturday. I know you're stuck with Marco being sick, and I really wish I could help. But I'm going to have to say no this time.

A close friend of mine is moving that day, and I promised him weeks ago that I'd help with the truck. He's already paid for the rental, and there are only two of us lifting, so if I cancel now, he's basically on his own with a fridge and three flights of stairs.

I don't want to leave you short, though. I could take Marco's Sunday shift if he's still not well, or come in early on Monday to help catch up on whatever didn't get done. And if you'd like, I can message Jen. She mentioned last week she was looking for extra hours.

I hope that helps a bit. Sorry I can't say yes to this one."

Option B sample: speaking to Daniel

"Daniel, I have some bad news about Saturday, and I wanted to tell you right away instead of over text.

My manager just asked me to cover a shift because someone's sick, and I've decided to take it. Honestly, it's mostly the money. It's overtime, and after my car repair last month, I really need it. I also turned down the last two extra shifts she offered, and I don't want her to stop asking.

I know that leaves you short-handed, and I feel bad about it. So here's what I can do. I'll come over Friday night and help you pack the kitchen and take apart the bed frame, so Saturday's mostly just carrying. And my brother has a truck. Let me ask if he can do a couple of hours in the morning.

And Sunday, I'm all yours for unpacking. Pizza's on me."

Each is roughly 150–160 words, which fits 60 seconds at a natural pace.

Why we'd expect both to score around 9:

• Task Fulfillment: each speaks directly to the right person, by name, with a tone that suits the relationship. It's professional with the manager and warm with the friend.
• Considerate but firm: the decision is stated early and plainly ("I'm going to have to say no," "I've decided to take it") and never taken back.
• Content/Coherence: acknowledge → decide → reason → offer, with concrete details: the paid truck rental, the three flights of stairs, the car repair, the two turned-down shifts.
• Vocabulary: "leave you short," "short-handed," "catch up," "I'm all yours." Natural phrases for a real conversation.
• The offer: both answers give something specific back. That's what keeps a firm decision from sounding cold.

What are the most common Task 6 mistakes?

Talking about the person instead of to them. "I would tell my friend that I cannot help him because…" sounds like a report. Use their name and "you" from the first sentence.

Hiding the decision. Forty seconds of apology before the listener finds out what you decided. State it early, in one clear sentence.

Changing your mind halfway. "I'll work the shift… but maybe I can come for a while… or if she lets me leave early…" Considerate is fine. Undecided isn't.

Choosing both. Some speakers try to satisfy everyone. The task gives two choices so that you'll pick one. Offering a compromise after a clear decision works. Refusing to decide doesn't.

Reasons with no details. "Work is very important to me" is a slogan. "It's overtime, and after my car repair last month, I really need it" is a reason.

Over-formal or over-casual tone. "I regret to inform you" to your best friend sounds wrong, and "Nah, can't do it" to your manager does too. Match the relationship.

Your Task 6 checklist

• Option chosen within the first 25 seconds of prep, using the stronger-reason rule
• First sentence uses the person's name and speaks to them directly
• Decision stated clearly within the first 15 seconds of speaking
• One or two reasons, each with a specific detail
• A concrete offer that softens the decision without reversing it
• Tone matched to the relationship: friend, family member, acquaintance or customer

Not sure whether your Task 6 sounds firm or cold? Get feedback on tone and all four rating categories → celpipuni.com/evaluation.

Why the offer matters more than the reason

Most Task 6 coaching focuses on reasons, and reasons matter. But listen to a stack of Task 6 responses and you'll notice that the ones that sound mature aren't the ones with the best reasons. They're the ones where the speaker clearly thought about the other person's problem. The friend still has to move the fridge. The manager still has a shift to fill. When you offer to pack on Friday or suggest a colleague who wants hours, you show the rater exactly what the task description asks for: a considerate response to a difficult situation.

So when you practice, spend some prep time on the question "what does this person still need after I say no?" That question usually gives you your best 15 seconds.

Tools and resources

• The official CELPIP site and study packs. These cover current timings and the official Performance Standards. Formats get revised, so confirm there.
• CELPIP Speaking Task 5. The other 60-second-prep task, where you compare and persuade: celpipuni.com/celpip-speaking-task-5
• CELPIP Speaking templates. Structures for all eight tasks: celpipuni.com/templates
• Speaking Roulette. Random task prompts to drill the switch: celpipuni.com/games/speaking-roulette

Frequently asked questions

How long is CELPIP Speaking Task 6?

You get 60 seconds to prepare and 60 seconds to speak. Task 6 and Task 5 have the longest prep time in the Speaking section, because you have to choose between two options before you plan. Confirm current timings on celpip.ca.

Does it matter which option I choose in Task 6?

Neither option is the "correct" one. Paragon even suggests practicing a response to each choice. Raters score how well you explain and deliver your decision, so pick the option you can support with a stronger, more specific reason.

Who do I talk to in Task 6?

The person the prompt tells you to address, which is usually the person your decision affects. Paragon describes this as a friend, family member, acquaintance or customer. Speak to them directly using "you," not about them.

Can I suggest a compromise in Task 6?

Yes, after you've stated a clear decision. An offer that softens the impact (help on another day, a replacement, a make-up plan) strengthens your answer. Refusing to choose, or trying to do both, weakens it.

What tone should I use in Task 6?

Considerate but firm, which is Paragon's own wording. Be warm and respectful, and make sure the decision itself is never in doubt. Adjust formality to the relationship: relaxed with a friend, polite and professional with a manager or customer.

What to do next

1. Today, record the Daniel prompt twice, once for each option, timed at 60 seconds prep and 60 seconds speaking.
2. Listen back and mark the second where your decision first appears. If it's after 15 seconds, move it earlier.
3. Check each recording for a specific offer. If there's none, add one and re-record.
4. This week, run Tasks 5 and 6 back to back so the 60-second prep rhythm feels normal.

Related reading

• CELPIP Speaking: The Complete Guide to a 9+
• CELPIP Speaking Task 5: Making Choices With 60 Seconds to Prepare
• CELPIP Speaking Task 7: The Opinion Playbook
• CELPIP Speaking Scoring Criteria: The 4 Things Raters Score

The bottom line

Task 6 gives you 60 seconds to choose and plan, and 60 seconds to deliver a decision someone won't like. Speak directly to them, state the decision early, give one or two real reasons with details, and offer something back. Considerate but firm, in Paragon's own words, is the whole task, and either option can score a 9 if you deliver it that way.

Practice Task 6 with the real 60-second prep clock → Take your free mock test.