Hello Reader,

A little while ago a viewer from my Youtube channel asked if I would make a video to help with their writing skills for the CELPIP. I haven't created content on my channel on that topic yet, but I wanted to know if that is something you would be interested in?

Recently on Reddit I saw this question: "Does word count matter on the writing section of the CELPIP? I wrote 287 words, will my score suffer as a result?" ( I am paraphrasing their question.)

Later in the comments the writer revealed they scored a 10 in this section, and concluded that going over the word count didn't negatively impact them.

So, does word count matter? Your word count DOES matter. Your limit is 200 words, and minimum is 150. You should always aim to get as close to the 200 as you can. I heard on a CELPIP writing focused webinar that you can go over your limit by about 10% and not be penalized for it- so that works out to be about 220 words.

But be warned! That webinar I linked to a second ago is over a year old. Things may have changed. On a recent Writing Pro target 9+ webinar from 4 months ago, there was no mention of this 10% flexibility. It might still be there and they didn't talk about it... but why take the risk?

Our friend on Reddit went over by 87 words, well beyond that 10% limit, and while I'm not a test rater, I believe their score was negatively impacted, here's why:

One of the ways test raters check your writing is through the lens of task fulfillment. Specifically, are you following the instructions? One of the instructions is that 200 word limit. If you go over that limit, you run the risk of paying a point price for it.

It's a needless loss of points! There's no need to give away points like this! The exam has a word count feature, so you'll always know how much you've written. My best suggestion for you: don't go over your limit, period. Get as many points as you can without needlessly lowering your score because of something as simple as writing too much - or too little!

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Did you get your free audio course? This email was brought to you by my new free 5 part audio course. If you have been struggling to build your skills in English, and your CELPIP scores are continually lower than what you want them to be, then this mini course just might be the key that will help you!

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I'm so excited! My family and I are heading to Mexico City for a few weeks. My wife is from there, and I lived there for 16 years. I haven't been back for a visit in over 11 years. Here's what I'm looking forward to doing: 1. spending time with my extended family. 2. Eating tacos. 3. Eating tacos. 4 Watching a World Cup game in a public watch party - hopefully with Mexico playing!

Thank you for reading! I hope you have a fantastic rest of your week.

Aaron