CELPIP Listening Part 6: Listening for Viewpoints
In Listening Part 6 one speaker talks for about 3 minutes in a formal, prepared way, for example about an issue and the different options for solving it. Then you answer about 6 questions in about 8 minutes.
Practice Listening for Viewpoints NowThe official format of Listening Part 6: Listening for Viewpoints
CELPIP's official strategies for Listening Part 6
From CELPIP's Listening Pro Study Pack (2026).
- Set up your notes before the audio starts.
- Read the introductory statement for context clues.
- Identify the issue under discussion.
- Identify who is mentioned, what their opinions are, and why.
- Take note of people's last names. You are more likely to hear last names once their full name is provided.
- Use paraphrase skills to keep notes brief.
- Answer questions you feel confident about first.
- Use context clues to decide whether unfamiliar words in the questions are positive or negative.
- Pay careful attention to the time, and answer every question. Guess if you have to!
A note template for Part 6
Part 6 is one speaker reporting several viewpoints. For each person mentioned, write three things.
A worked CELPIP Listening Part 6 example
You will hear a city planner speaking at a public meeting about the old Riverside Market building.
Read the transcript
Speaker: Good evening, everyone. Tonight I'd like to explain the three proposals for the old Riverside Market building, which has been empty since the market moved last spring.
Speaker: The first proposal comes from Dana Whitfield, who leads the downtown business association. Whitfield would like the building turned into a modern food hall with small restaurants. She argues that a food hall would bring visitors back to the riverfront in the evenings, when the area is quiet.
Speaker: The second proposal is from Marcus Oyelaran, a member of the parks committee. Oyelaran believes the building should be taken down and replaced with an open park. In his view, the riverfront has very little green space, and families need somewhere to gather. He also points out that the building would be expensive to repair.
Speaker: Finally, the local historical society, led by Priya Nandakumar, wants the building kept as it is and used as a community museum. Nandakumar says the market is one of the oldest buildings in the city, and once it is gone, it cannot be replaced.
Speaker: My own recommendation combines two of these ideas: keep the historic front of the building, as Nandakumar asks, and open the inside as a food hall, which answers Whitfield's concern about the quiet evenings. Council will vote next month, and we welcome your comments until then.
- The meeting is mainly about what to do with
- a new shopping center
- an empty market building
- the parks along the river
- a museum that is closing
- Whitfield would like the building to
- become a food hall
- be taken down
- stay exactly as it is
- hold business meetings
- Oyelaran supports a park mainly because
- the building would be cheap to repair
- visitors only come in the evening
- the market is one of the oldest buildings
- the riverfront needs more green space
- Nandakumar is mainly concerned that
- the building cannot be replaced once it is gone
- a food hall would be too noisy
- a park would cost too much
- council will vote too soon
- The speaker recommends
- choosing Nandakumar's proposal only
- waiting until next year to decide
- combining two of the proposals
- building a new market
Show the answers and why
- B. The speaker opens by explaining the three proposals for the old Riverside Market building, which has been empty since spring.
- A. Dana Whitfield is introduced by her full name, then called Whitfield: she "would like the building turned into a modern food hall."
- D. He says the riverfront "has very little green space." Option A is the opposite of what he says: the building would be expensive to repair.
- A. She says the market is one of the oldest buildings, and "once it is gone, it cannot be replaced."
- C. Keep the historic front (Nandakumar) and open a food hall inside (Whitfield): a combination of two proposals.
In the real test Part 6 is about 3 minutes long, with about 6 questions. This shorter example shows the shape: one formal speaker, several people's viewpoints, full names then last names, and the speaker's own view at the end.
A free CELPIP Listening Part 6: Listening for Viewpoints practice question
A Bill to Stop Changing the Clocks
This free question has 6 questions. The audio plays once, as on the real test, so you need to listen to answer them. Here are the first 3:
- This is a report about a
- law that has already ended clock changes.
- study linking clock changes to collisions.
- plan to keep one time all year.
- plan to change the clocks only in spring.
- Whether the bill takes effect would depend on
- what happens in nearby jurisdictions.
- support from medical associations.
- approval from small business owners.
- how much energy it would save.
- Margaret Osei believes that brighter evenings would
- lower the amount of energy people use.
- make the roads safer for children.
- help teenagers get more sleep.
- be good for local businesses.
Common mistakes on Part 6: Listening for Viewpoints
- Expecting a conversation. Part 6 is one speaker who reports what different people think.
- Writing down everything. Use paraphrase to keep your notes short.
- Losing track of names. Last names are more likely once the full name has been said.
- Leaving questions blank. CELPIP says to answer every question and guess if you have to.
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Start PracticingPart 6: Listening for Viewpoints FAQ
How many questions are in CELPIP Listening Part 6?+
About 6, in about 8 minutes.
Is Listening Part 6 a conversation?+
No. It is one speaker, in one clip of about 3 minutes, who presents different viewpoints on an issue.
Why is Part 6 the hardest listening part?+
CELPIP says the parts increase in difficulty from Part 1 to Part 6, and Part 6 uses formal, prepared speech with some specialized language.
What should I write down in Part 6?+
The issue, each person mentioned, what they think, and why.