TOEFL Take an Interview: how it works and how to do well
Take an Interview puts you in a short recorded interview: you hear four questions, one at a time, and answer each one out loud in 45 seconds. It’s the second of two Speaking tasks on the TOEFL iBT since January 2026, and it checks how clearly and naturally you can talk about your experiences and opinions.
- Questions
- 4
- To answer each one
- 45 sec
- Points for each answer
- 0–5
- For the whole Speaking section
- ~8 min
How Take an Interview works
The task starts with a situation, read aloud and shown on screen: for example, you’re applying for a scholarship or taking part in a research study. An interviewer then asks you four questions about it. The interviewer is recorded, so it isn’t a live conversation.
The questions move from personal to general. The first ones ask about facts and your own experience; the later ones ask for your opinion on a broader issue, and why you hold it.
You have 45 seconds to answer each question. It’s the second and last task in the Speaking section, after Listen and Repeat.
How it’s scored
Each answer gets a score from 0 to 5 on ETS’s scoring guide for this task. An answer at the top of the scale fully answers the question, clearly and fluently. It typically:
- stays on topic and is well developed, with reasons, details or examples
- keeps a good conversational pace, with natural pauses
- is easy to understand, with rhythm and intonation that help carry the meaning
- uses a range of accurate grammar and vocabulary to say exactly what you mean
Lower scores go to answers with less development, frequent or long pauses and fillers, pronunciation that sometimes gets in the way, or a narrower range of language. An answer that mostly repeats the interviewer’s words scores low.
There’s no right answer to an interview question. What counts is how well you answer it.
Worked example
These questions were written for this guide in the same format as the real task. Play each one once, then answer it out loud in 45 seconds, with a timer, before you open the sample answers. On the test you never see the questions written; here they’re behind a toggle.
You hear
You have agreed to take part in a research study about how people learn new skills. You will have a short online interview with a researcher. The researcher will ask you some questions.
Interviewer, one at a time:
Show the questionHide
Thanks for joining me. To start, tell me about a skill you learned outside school, like cooking, a sport or a musical instrument. How did you learn it?
Show the questionHide
Interesting. Some people like to learn from a teacher, while others prefer to teach themselves with videos and books. Which do you prefer, and why?
Show the questionHide
Now I’d like your opinion. Some people say that adults find it much harder to learn new skills than children do. Do you agree? Why or why not?
Show the questionHide
One last question. Many companies now pay for their employees to take courses in new skills. Do you think this is a good use of a company’s money? Why or why not?
Show strong sample answersHide
Answer 1
A skill I learned outside school is cooking. When I moved into my first apartment, I realized I could only make pasta, so I started cooking one new dish every weekend. Mostly I learned from my grandmother. I’d call her on video while I cooked, and she’d tell me what I was doing wrong. Now I can make about ten of her recipes, and I actually enjoy cooking for my friends.
Answer 2
I prefer learning from a teacher, at least at the beginning. A good teacher notices mistakes I can’t see myself. When I taught myself guitar from videos, I held my hand the wrong way for months, and it was hard to fix later. Once I know the basics, though, videos and books are great for practicing in my own time.
Answer 3
I partly agree. Adults are often slower at some things, like the pronunciation of a new language, and they usually have less free time. But adults have advantages too. They know how they learn best, and they’re often more motivated, because they choose what to learn. My father started swimming lessons at fifty, and now he’s a better swimmer than I am.
Answer 4
Yes, I think it’s a smart investment. Jobs change quickly, so workers need new skills to keep up, and a company that trains its staff doesn’t have to hire new people every time something changes. It also makes employees feel valued, so they’re more likely to stay. Of course, the courses should be related to the job, or the money could be wasted.
What makes it strong
- Each answer responds to the question it was asked. The first describes the skill and how it was learned, and the other three give a clear position straight away.
- The answers are well developed. Each gives a reason and a short example, like the guitar lessons or the father who learned to swim at fifty.
- The ideas are easy to follow. Linking words like “so”, “though”, “but” and “of course” show how each idea connects to the next.
- The language is varied and precise. Phrases such as “a smart investment”, “keep up” and “feel valued” say exactly what’s meant.
How to do well
Answer first, then explain. Start with a direct answer to the question, then give a reason and an example. For an opinion question, say which side you’re on in your first sentence.
Use your own life. A short, specific example, like a teacher you had or a place you’ve been, is the quickest way to develop an answer when there’s no time to plan.
Keep a steady pace. Speak at a comfortable conversational speed. A short pause to think is natural; long silences and lots of “um” make an answer harder to follow.
Use your 45 seconds well. Don’t spend them repeating the question. If you finish your point early, add another detail or an example rather than stopping.
Try Take an Interview in a real-format test
Speaking Practice Test 1 has both Speaking tasks, timed and scored on the 1.0–6.0 band scale, with feedback on every answer. Free, with no account needed. You’ll need a working microphone.
Start Speaking Practice Test 1