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TOEFL iBT Take an Interview: practice prompt 7

One real-format Take an Interview prompt with a model spoken answer and notes on why it scores. Read the interviewer's question, take a few seconds to plan, then answer for about a minute. Speak in full sentences and give a reason for what you say.

The prompt

Some employers now hire people who have no degree but can prove what they can do. Is that a good change? Support your answer with reasons.

15 seconds to prepare, up to 75 seconds to speak.

Hear a strong answer

One way this question can be answered well, spoken at the pace and length the task expects. Listen for where the pauses fall, then try it again in your own words and with your own examples.

I think it's a good change, with one condition. It's good because a degree measures who could afford four years and pass exams, and a portfolio measures whether you can do the work, and for a lot of jobs the second question is the only one that matters. My cousin taught himself to write code from free courses while working nights, and he now earns more than several graduates I know. The condition is that 'prove what you can do' has to mean a real test the employer designs, not an unpaid trial project that quietly becomes free labour. Where companies get that part right, dropping the degree requirement widens the pool. Where they get it wrong, it just moves the unfairness somewhere new.

Why this earns band 6

  1. A position with a stated condition is more developed than a straight yes, and it is easy to organise.
  2. The example is specific and quantified, which makes the argument concrete.
  3. The final contrast gives the answer a clear ending, which matters when the clock is running.

Questions about this answer

What band is this model answer?

It is written to earn the top of the TOEFL iBT scale, band 6, and the notes under it say why.

How long do I get for this prompt?

15 seconds to prepare and up to 75 seconds to speak.

What should I watch for in my own answer?

A position with a stated condition is more developed than a straight yes, and it is easy to organise.

Answer it yourself, then see your score

Record your own answer and get a score with your transcript in about a minute. Your first test is free, no sign-up.

Record my answer

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