Describe an interview you had.
A strong long turn names the subject in the first sentence, spends most of the two minutes on the last bullet — the why — and arrives at a prepared final line rather than trailing off.
The question, as the examiner gives it
Describe an interview you had.
You should say
- what the interview was for
- how you prepared
- what happened
- and explain how you felt about it
60 seconds to prepare, up to 2 minutes to speak
A band 7 to 8 answer
About 195 words at a natural pace — roughly what 120 seconds holds.
Answer it yourself first
Record your own answer first. A model you have read three times comes out with a flattened rhythm, and examiners are trained to hear exactly that. Read it afterwards for the vocabulary and the shape, not to memorise the sentences.The interview I remember most was for the job I have now, about three years ago, and it went considerably better than I expected because of something I had almost decided not to do. I prepared in the usual way, reading about the company and rehearsing answers, and then the night before I spent two hours actually working through a problem of the kind they would be dealing with, using public data. What happened is that about twenty minutes in they asked what I thought their biggest operational difficulty was, and instead of a general answer I described what I had found, including a number I had calculated that was slightly wrong. One of them corrected it and then spent ten minutes explaining why, and at that point it stopped being an interview and became a conversation. How I felt afterwards was oddly calm. I had no idea whether I had got it, but I knew they had seen how I actually think, which is all you can really ask for. They offered me the job eight days later, and the man who corrected my number is now the person I work with most closely.
The words that earn marks
Each one links to how it is pronounced.
- rehearsing
the right verb for practising answers
- operational
five syllables with the stress on the third
- calculated
four syllables with the stress on the first
- corrected
past participle with an audible ending
- conversation
four syllables with the stress on the third
- calm
short adjective with a silent l
- difficulty
four syllables with the stress on the first
How a strong answer is built
- 1Say what the interview was for and how it went.
- 2Describe the preparation, including the unusual part.
- 3Tell what happened at the turning point.
- 4Answer the last bullet with a precise feeling.
Sounds to watch
The ones this answer leans on most.
Straight answers
How long should my answer to “Describe an interview you had.” be?
You get 60 seconds to make notes and then speak for up to two minutes without interruption. Aim to still be talking at ninety seconds: finishing at forty is the commonest way to lose marks on this part.
Should I memorise the model answer?
No. Record your own version first, then read the model for the shape and the vocabulary. A memorised answer changes rhythm and pace noticeably, and examiners are trained to hear it — it usually costs more than the better wording gains.
Does sayit score this answer?
It scores what a microphone can observe: an estimate from fluency and pronunciation only — not an official band, and not a mark for vocabulary or grammar.
What the band on your result means
An estimate from fluency and pronunciation only — not an official band, and not a mark for vocabulary or grammar.One question a day until your test
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