Take an Interview on the New TOEFL iBT® Test (2026): Answer Structure and Sample Answers

How Take an Interview works in the 2026 TOEFL iBT® Speaking section, what the scoring guide rewards, an answer structure for each kind of question, and sample answers.

Updated October 28, 2026. Facts checked against ETS's official pages.

In short

Take an Interview is the second and last Speaking task on the 2026 TOEFL iBT® test. A recorded interviewer asks you four questions, and you have 45 seconds to answer each one, with no preparation time.
The setting is a situation such as a research study or a scholarship interview. The first questions ask about your own life and experience; the later ones ask for your opinion on a broader issue.
Each answer is scored from 0 to 5, so the interview carries 20 of the section's 55 raw points. A 5 answers the question fully, at a good pace, clearly, with accurate and varied language.
The questions are about everyday topics in ETS's samples: city life, commuting, exercise, food, social media, careers. You can prepare for them without knowing the exact questions.

What the task looks like

	Take an Interview
On screen	The situation in a sentence, and a video of the interviewer
Questions	4, heard from the interviewer, moving from personal experience to opinions
Time	45 seconds to answer each question, no preparation time
Directions	Answer the questions and say as much as you can in the time allowed
Scoring	0–5 per answer, by ETS's scoring engine, with human raters checking it

From ETS's Speaking section page, Test Overview, and Technical Manual. ETS's lesson plans and blog also call the task the Virtual Interview.

What the score looks at

ETS's scoring engine measures four things in each answer: fluency (pace, pauses, hesitation), intelligibility (pronunciation, rhythm, intonation), language use (range and accuracy of vocabulary and grammar), and organization (how the ideas hang together, including linking words). The scoring guide puts it in levels:

Score	In short
5	Fully answers the question: on topic and well developed, a good conversational pace, easy to understand, accurate and varied grammar and vocabulary
4	Answers reasonably clearly; developed, but links between ideas or flow may slip at times
3	Answers, but thinly: choppy with long pauses, some unclear words, limited language
2	Tries to answer with little real support, or mostly repeats the question's words
1–0	Barely related or mostly unintelligible; no answer, no English, or only "I don't know"

Two things that worry people matter less than they think. ETS's own top-scoring sample has "um" and "uh" in it, and its comment says they don't get in the way of meaning. And there's no right answer: an honest, ordinary opinion scores as well as a clever one, if it's supported.

An answer structure for 45 seconds

Forty-five seconds is roughly 90 to 110 words at a comfortable pace. That's enough for a direct answer, one or two developed points, and a closing line. Use the structure to think quickly, not as a script to recite: the scoring guide rewards answers that actually develop the question.

Experience questions	Opinion questions
1. Answer directly in one sentence.	1. State your view in one sentence.
2. Add details: when, where, who, how often.	2. Give the main reason.
3. Tell one specific example or moment.	3. Support it with an example from your life.
4. Say what it means to you, or how it changed you.	4. Add a limit or the other side, then restate your view.

A sample interview

Our own situation and questions, with sample answers to one of each kind.

You are taking part in a university study about how students spend their free time.

1. Tell me about a typical weekend for you.

2. What is something you have learned outside of school recently?

3. Some people think all students should have a part-time job. What do you think?

4. In the future, do you think people will spend more or less time online? Why?

Sample answer to question 1 (about 100 words)

On a typical weekend, I try to balance rest and study. On Saturday mornings I usually sleep in a little, and then I meet two friends from my program at a café near campus. We review the week's readings together, which helps me catch things I missed in class. In the afternoon I go for a long run by the river, because sitting all week makes me restless. Sundays are quieter. I call my family, cook a few meals for the week, and get ahead on assignments. That routine makes my Mondays a lot less stressful.

Sample answer to question 3 (about 100 words)

I think part-time jobs are a good idea for most students, as long as the hours are limited. The main reason is that a job teaches things classes don't, like managing your time and dealing with people. For example, when I worked at a bookstore last year, I learned to stay calm when it got busy, and that actually helped me during exams. On the other hand, if a job takes up too many hours a week, grades can suffer. So, in my opinion, a small part-time job is worth it, but school should come first.

Both answers follow the structure above, use plain everyday words, and link ideas with because, for example, on the other hand, and so. None of it is advanced language; it's clear, organized, and fills the time.

Tips for the day

Start within a second or two. With no preparation time, your first sentence is your preparation: answer the question directly and the rest follows.
Fill the 45 seconds. ETS's directions ask you to say as much as you can. If you finish early, add another example or what happened as a result.
Don't repeat the question back at length. The scoring guide marks answers that mostly reuse the question's words as weak.
Use linking words. Because, for example, on the other hand, so, that's why: the engine looks at organization, and these make it audible.
Keep a time-buying phrase ready. "That's an interesting question. I'd say…" gives you two seconds to think without a silent pause.

How to practice

Build up to no preparation. ETS's Speaking lesson plans practice in three steps: 30 seconds to prepare and a minute to speak, then 15 seconds and 45 seconds, then no preparation and 30–45 seconds, which is the real task.
Prepare topics, not answers. ETS suggests practicing familiar topics: your hometown, school, interests, and friends. Add the everyday themes in ETS's samples: city life, travel to school or work, exercise, food, technology, and careers. For each, have one story and one opinion ready.
Record, transcribe, and check. Answer a question for 45 seconds, then write down exactly what you said. Count the words, mark the long pauses, and fix two grammar mistakes before trying again.
Listen to scored samples. ETS publishes sample answers at levels 3, 4, and 5 with audio, so you can hear the difference between them.
Take the section and get feedback. MockPrep's Speaking section runs the interview like the real test, with four questions and 45 seconds each, then scores every answer on the 0–5 scale with a transcript and notes on what to fix.

The other Speaking task is in Listen and Repeat, and Writing templates with the same kind of structure are in Writing templates.

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Take a full mock test of the new TOEFL iBT® test, with every section scored on the 1–6 scale minutes after you finish.

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Sources

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