TOEFL Take an Interview
Answer four interview questions about your own life and opinions, 45 seconds each, with no time to prepare.
An interviewer on video asks you four questions on everyday topics: your habits, your preferences, your views. You answer straight away. The aim is to sound comfortable and natural: a clear answer, a reason, an example, without long pauses.
How the Task Works
Four questions, no preparation time, 45 seconds to speak each time.
?The Task at a Glance
- Interviewer A recorded video. It will not react to what you say.
- Questions Four, on everyday topics: habits, preferences, experiences, opinions.
- Time No preparation time; 45 seconds to answer each question.
- Scoring Fluency, accuracy, how well your answer is organised, and how easy you are to understand. An accent alone does not lower your score.
A 45-Second Answer Structure
At a relaxed, natural pace, 45 seconds is about 70–100 words. This simple pattern fills it.
| Step | Time | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Answer | about 5 seconds | I usually study in the library. |
| 2 Reason | about 15 seconds | The main reason is that it's quiet, so I can concentrate much better than at home. |
| 3 Example | about 20 seconds | Last semester, for example, I prepared for all my exams there and got my best results so far. |
| 4 Wrap up | about 5 seconds | So for me, the library is simply the best place to work. |
Useful Phrases
Natural phrases keep you fluent while you think.
| Purpose | Phrases |
|---|---|
| Starting | That's a good question. · To be honest, … · Personally, I… |
| Giving a reason | The main reason is that… · That's because… · One thing I like is… |
| Giving an example | For example, … · I remember when… · Just last week, … |
| Contrasting | On the other hand, … · Having said that, … · Although… |
| Wrapping up | So overall, … · That's why I… · All in all, … |
Practice: Three Interviews
Press "Ask" to hear the question. The 45-second timer starts when the question ends. Answer aloud, then compare with the model.
Common Mistakes for German Speakers
Small, frequent mistakes in speaking lower your accuracy score.
| Area | Avoid | Better |
|---|---|---|
| since / for | I play tennis since two years. | I've been playing tennis for two years. |
| agree | I am agree with that. | I agree with that. |
| make / do | I make a lot of sport. | I do a lot of sport. |
| Questions | Why I like it? Because… | The reason I like it is that… |
| Fillers | Ähm… also… | Well, … · Let me think, … |
Talk about your life, naturally.
You don't need impressive words. A direct answer, a real reason and a short example, spoken without long pauses, is what scores.
Answer. Reason. Example. Wrap up.
Back to the new TOEFL format