Quick answers about VerbaNorth, how the practice tools work, and what to expect from AI feedback.
VerbaNorth is an independent Canadian language test preparation platform. It provides CELPIP-style practice tools — full mock tests, a Writing Lab, a Speaking Lab, a Reading Lab, and a Vocabulary Builder — to help candidates prepare for Canadian language proficiency tests.
No. VerbaNorth is an independent platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by CELPIP, Paragon Testing Enterprises, or any official test provider. All practice content on VerbaNorth is original and created specifically for this platform. "CELPIP" is a registered trademark of Paragon Testing Enterprises.
Payments are not currently active on VerbaNorth. We do not charge for access at this time. If you have an account, you can use all available features at no cost. We will communicate clearly if paid plans are introduced in the future.
Practice prompts, reading passages, and vocabulary entries are updated on a rolling basis as we add new content. The eleven mock tests are fixed — each is designed to be taken as a realistic timed exam. Writing and Speaking prompt banks are expanded periodically. You can check the FAQ or follow announcements at [email protected] for updates.
No. VerbaNorth is a practice platform — none of our content is sourced from official CELPIP materials, and using it does not give you access to real exam questions. The actual CELPIP examination is administered by Paragon Testing Enterprises in a controlled test-centre environment with its own anti-cheating measures. VerbaNorth is for practice and preparation only.
VerbaNorth is an independent platform with no affiliation to Paragon Testing Enterprises or any official test provider. Our content is original and CELPIP-style — it is designed to be representative of the format and difficulty, but it is not official material and is not endorsed by the test maker. For official preparation resources, we encourage you to also consult Paragon's own materials. VerbaNorth works best as a complement to official preparation, not a replacement.
No. AI writing and speaking scores on VerbaNorth are estimated practice feedback, not official scores. They are generated by a language model and may differ — sometimes significantly — from the score you would receive on an actual CELPIP test. Use them for self-assessment and to identify areas for improvement, not as a prediction of your official result.
No. VerbaNorth is a practice tool. We cannot guarantee any specific outcome, including your official test score, immigration application result, school admission, employment offer, or any other consequential decision. Please rely on official testing and official guidance for decisions that matter.
When you submit a writing response in the Writing Lab, it is sent to our backend, which forwards it to an AI provider for scoring. The AI evaluates your response across four rubric criteria (Task Fulfillment, Vocabulary, Organization, and Conventions) and returns a band estimate with a rubric breakdown, a full CLB 9–10 rewrite for comparison, and vocabulary upgrade suggestions. The entire process runs through our server — your API keys are never exposed to the browser.
When you finish a speaking response, your audio is sent to our backend for transcription (using Whisper). The transcript is then evaluated by an AI model across four criteria (Task Fulfillment, Vocabulary, Coherence, and Grammar) and a band estimate is returned. A word-level pronunciation heatmap is also shown where timing data is available. All processing runs server-side.
Your submitted essays and speaking transcripts are stored in your account so you can review past attempts. They are sent to our AI provider for scoring. No personally identifying information (name, email) is included in the AI prompt. See the Privacy Policy for full details on how submissions are handled and retained.
AI scoring is an estimate, not an official measurement. Several factors can affect it: very short or incomplete responses may score lower than they deserve; strong vocabulary in an otherwise disorganised response may score higher than the overall writing quality warrants; the AI model can misread tone or cultural register in some contexts. Use the rubric breakdown and the full CLB 9–10 rewrite example to understand the feedback rather than treating the band number as a precise result. For a reliable sense of your ability, take multiple attempts across different prompts and look for the trend.
VerbaNorth offers four complete CELPIP-style mock tests: Equilibrium (Test 1), Hemlock (Test 2), Cascade (Test 3), and Ridgewood (Test 4). Each covers all four sections — Listening (36 questions, 47 min), Reading (38 questions, 55 min), Writing (2 tasks, 53 min), and Speaking (8 tasks, 15 min). You can take a full test or drill one section at a time. Listening and Reading are scored deterministically from the answer key; Writing and Speaking receive AI band estimates.
Each of the eleven mock tests can be taken one section at a time — for example, just Listening or just Writing — without completing the full exam. Section-only results are saved separately from full mock-test attempts. They appear in your progress history but do not count toward an overall mock-test score (which requires all four sections to be completed).
The Reading Lab is a standalone drill tool with its own set of passages, separate from the mock tests. Reading Lab results are saved to your device only (localStorage) and are not mixed with your mock-test scores. Taking a Reading Lab drill does not affect your mock-test progress or band estimates.
You need a VerbaNorth account to use the practice labs, take mock tests, and save your progress. Public landing pages (like this one) are accessible without an account. Create a free account to get started.
Email verification confirms that you own the address you signed up with and protects your account. Until your email is verified, access to practice tests and AI feedback is not available. Verification just requires clicking a link in the email we send you. If you did not receive the email, check your spam folder or use the "Resend" button on the sign-in page.
You can delete your account from the Settings page. Deletion removes your account, stored scores, study plan, and writing/speaking submissions from our active database. The action is immediate and cannot be undone. See the Privacy Policy for details on data retention after deletion.
Your account data (name and email), practice results, writing submissions, and speaking transcripts are stored in Supabase (cloud-hosted PostgreSQL), protected by row-level security so only your account can read your records. Transactional emails (verify, reset) are sent through Resend. Writing and speaking submissions are forwarded to our AI provider (OpenAI) for scoring — your name and email are never included in that request. Some features (Vocabulary Builder, Reading Lab history, streak counter) save state in your browser's localStorage only — that data stays on your device and is not synced to our servers. See the Privacy Policy for full details.
If we ever need to shut down the service, we will give users reasonable advance notice and an opportunity to request a copy of their data. Submissions and scores can be exported on request by emailing [email protected]. Account data would be deleted within 30 days of shutdown. We do not intend to sell user data to a third party.