CELPIP Listening Part 6: Listening to Viewpoints
Can you follow one extended opinion — claim, concessions and all — and separate what the speaker believes from what they merely mention?
How this part works
The longest single audio in the section: one speaker presents a developed viewpoint on an issue, played once, then questions probing the main argument, the concessions, and what the speaker would likely agree with.
The one thing that scores 9+
Map the argument, not the sentences: the speaker's MAIN CLAIM, their two or three supporting reasons, and — crucially — their CONCESSIONS ("of course, critics say…"). Part 6 loves to quote the concession back at you as if it were the speaker's own view. Tag anything introduced with "some people think / it's often said" as NOT-THE-SPEAKER, and the trap collapses. Inference questions ("what would the speaker most likely support?") are answered from the main claim, never from a concession.
A worked example
Original — the audio is summarised so you can see the trap on paper. On the real test you'd hear it once, not read it.
What you'd hear: A speaker argues that cities should convert more street parking into protected bike lanes. She concedes that local shop owners fear losing drive-by customers, but cites her own city's pilot where foot traffic rose, and argues the real obstacle is that drivers rarely notice how little street parking is actually used.
What does the speaker believe about shop owners' fears?
- She shares them and wants a smaller pilot
- She acknowledges them but thinks the evidence points the other way
- She thinks shops should relocate away from bike lanes
- She believes the fears are the main reason to keep parking
Answer: She acknowledges them but thinks the evidence points the other way
Why: The fear belongs to the shop owners; the speaker raises it only to answer it with the pilot data. Option A and D both promote the concession into her own position — the exact move Part 6 is built to punish.
What caps people at Level 7
- Attributing a quoted opposing view to the speaker.
- Noting facts but not which side of the argument each fact serves.
- Fading in the final third — the longest audio in the test punishes a wandering ear, and late details feed the inference questions.
Practise this part under real conditions
Reading tactics only gets you so far — single-play listening is a habit you build. Drill the real question formats in free CELPIP Listening practice, sit the full section in the free CELPIP mock, and see what your score means in the CELPIP score decoder. The whole test's structure is in the CELPIP format guide.