Onterra Tutor

TOEFL iBT Take an Interview: practice prompt 8

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

Describe a teacher, coach or manager who got the best out of you. What did they actually do differently from the others?

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.

My secondary school chemistry teacher, Mr Adeyemi. What he did differently was surprisingly small: he never told you that you were wrong, he asked you what you expected to happen and then let you watch it not happen. The first time he did that to me I was annoyed for an entire afternoon, and I have never forgotten that particular reaction since. He also learned every student's name in the first week, in a class of forty, and used them constantly. Other teachers were kind, and some explained things better, but he was the only one who made being wrong feel like the interesting part of the lesson rather than the humiliating part. That's the thing I try to copy when I explain anything to anyone.

Why this earns band 6

  1. Answers 'what did they actually do differently', which is the harder half of the question, with two concrete behaviours.
  2. The comparison with other teachers is what makes 'differently' land.
  3. Closing on what they took from it turns an anecdote into a developed response.

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?

Answers 'what did they actually do differently', which is the harder half of the question, with two concrete behaviours.

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

More TOEFL iBT Take an Interview prompts

Think about a place in your home town that visitors usually miss. Describe it, and explain... Some people learn best by reading and others by doing. Which describes you? Give an exampl... Universities often ask students to work in groups. What makes a group project work well, a... Describe a decision you made that seemed small at the time but turned out to matter. What ... TOEFL iBT writing questions with model answers →

Onterra Tutor is an independent practice tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by ETS, which owns the TOEFL trademark.