Updated October 2026
Take an Interview: how to answer in 45 seconds
In Take an Interview you answer a short series of questions on one topic, with no preparation time and 45 seconds for each answer. This guide shows how to fill those seconds with a clear answer, with original sample answers and notes on what makes them work.
How the task works
An interviewer asks questions on a single topic. They usually start with your own experience and move towards opinions: what you do, what you prefer, what you think should happen. Each question is heard once. After a beep, recording starts by itself and stops when the 45 seconds are over.
There is no time to plan. That is the main difference from earlier versions of the test, and it is the skill to practise: starting to speak at once, with something sensible to say.
What 45 seconds can hold
At a calm, comfortable pace, 45 seconds is roughly 90 to 120 words: about five or six sentences. That is enough for a direct answer, a reason, an example and a short final comment. It is not enough for a story with a long introduction.
Being cut off mid-sentence at the end is normal and is not a problem in itself. Stopping after fifteen seconds is: it leaves most of the time unused and gives the rater very little language to judge.
A shape for every answer
1. Answer in the first sentence
Reuse the words of the question: "The way I usually get to class is by bike." It buys you a second to think while you are already speaking.
2. Give one reason
"The main reason is..." One reason, explained, is better than three named.
3. Add a short example
Something specific from your own life: a place, a time, something that happened. Examples are easy to talk about and they fill time naturally.
4. Finish with a comment or contrast
"So for me, ..." or "That said, ...". If the time runs out before you get here, that is fine.
Sample answers
The topic below was written for this guide: an interviewer is asking about how students use their free time. The first question is about you; the last asks for an opinion. Each answer would take about 40 to 45 seconds at a natural pace.
Question 1: What do you usually do in your free time during the week?
Sample answer: "During the week, my free time is mostly in the evenings, and I usually spend it doing sport. I go swimming at the campus pool about three times a week. The main reason is that I sit at a desk all day, so I need to move, and swimming really clears my head. For example, last week I was stuck on an essay, and after half an hour in the pool I knew exactly how to finish it. So for me, free time is less about relaxing and more about getting my energy back."Question 2: Some students take a part-time job while they study. Do you think that is a good idea?
Sample answer: "I think it can be a good idea, as long as the job is not too many hours. A part-time job teaches things that a classroom doesn't, like dealing with customers and managing your time. I worked in a bookshop for about ten hours a week in my second year, and it actually made me more organised, because I had less time to waste. That said, if a student works twenty or thirty hours a week, their grades will probably suffer. So the number of hours is what really matters."Question 3: Should universities require students to take part in at least one club or sport?
Sample answer: "Personally, I don't think universities should make it compulsory. Clubs are valuable, but they work best when people choose them because they are interested. If students are forced to join, many of them will just appear for the minimum time and not take part. In my experience, the best members of our photography club were the ones who joined because they loved it. A better approach would be to make clubs easy to try, for example with free taster sessions in the first week."What makes these answers work
Direct first sentences
Each answer begins by answering. There is no "That is a very interesting question" and no long introduction.
Plain, accurate language
The vocabulary is everyday. What makes the answers strong is that they flow, they are easy to follow and the grammar is controlled.
Specific details
Three times a week, the campus pool, ten hours a week in a bookshop: details like these make an answer sound real and give it length without padding.
Simple linking words
"The main reason", "for example", "that said", "so". They show organisation without sounding memorised.
When your mind goes blank
Say something true and small. Interview questions are about ordinary things, and an ordinary answer is fine. If you have no experience of the topic, say so and talk about what you imagine or what someone you know does.
A filler such as "Well, let me think" is natural once. Long silence is what hurts. If you lose your thread, go back to the question: "So, to answer the question, I think..."
How to practise
Make a list of everyday topics: study habits, technology, transport, food, free time, work. For each, write four questions that move from personal to opinion. Cover the list, read one question, start a 45-second timer and answer aloud at once. Record every answer.
When you listen back, check three things: did I answer in the first sentence, did I speak for most of the time, and where were the pauses? Then answer the same question again. You can also try a real-format question on the free Take an Interview practice page.
This is an independent summary written for test takers. ETS publishes the official specification of the test on its own website.