Describe a time when you worked as part of a team
Try the card on the exam timer first, then read the band-8 sample answer and the Part 3 questions that follow it.
Practice it like the exam
Describe a time when you worked as part of a team.
You should say:
- what the team was working on
- who was in the team
- what your role was
and explain how well the team worked together.
Ready
1 minute to prepare, then 2 minutes to speak. It switches on its own.
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Band 8 sample answer
259 words · about 2 minutes at a natural pace · Phrases from the vocabulary list are highlighted.
I'd like to talk about a group project I did in my final year at university, in which five of us had to design a business plan for a small start-up and present it to a panel of teachers. We were each from different backgrounds: two of us were studying economics, one marketing, one computer science and one design, which turned out to be a real advantage.
At our first meeting, we decided to play to our strengths. I was the team coordinator, since I'm quite organised, and I was also responsible for the financial section. The marketing student wrote the sales strategy, the programmer built a simple website prototype, and the designer prepared the logo and the slides. We set a weekly meeting every Thursday and used a shared online document to keep track of progress.
Of course, it wasn't entirely smooth. In the middle of the project, two members disagreed about the direction of the product, and for a few days there was tension. I suggested that we should write down the pros and cons of each idea and vote on them. This worked, and we ended up combining the two approaches.
On the whole, I think the team worked very well together. Everyone respected deadlines, and we gave each other honest feedback. In the end, we received the highest mark in the class, and one of the teachers said our presentation looked very professional.
I learned that a good team needs people with different skills working towards a common goal. I'd happily work with them again.
What to notice
- It takes the points on the card in order, so the examiner can follow it.
- Each point gets a specific detail or a short story, which is what keeps a talk going for two minutes.
- The "explain" line at the end gets the most time, because that is where you give an opinion and show your range of language.
We wrote this answer for practice; it does not come from IELTS. Take its structure and phrases and tell your own story, because examiners notice memorised answers.
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Useful vocabulary
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| pull together | to work cooperatively |
| share the workload | to divide tasks fairly |
| play to our strengths | to use what each person does best |
| team player | someone who works well with others |
| pool our ideas | to combine everyone's ideas |
| a common goal | an aim that everybody shares |
Plan it in one minute
Choose what to talk about in the first ten seconds, then write two or three key words for each point. Full sentences take too long to write and to read back.
Who or what you could talk about
- A group project at university
- A work team preparing a product launch
- A sports team or volunteer group
How to spend the two minutes
- 25 swhat the team was working on
- 25 swho was in the team
- 25 swhat your role was
- 45 sand explain how well the team worked together.
Part 3 questions
In the exam these come straight after your talk, on the wider subject: Teamwork. Answer each in 3–4 sentences, with your view, a reason and an example.
- Why is teamwork important in the workplace?
- Do you prefer working alone or in a team?
- What qualities make someone a good team member?
- How can a team leader handle conflict?
- Is teamwork taught enough in schools?
- Do people achieve better results alone or in groups?
Keep practicing
More cue cards: Experiences
Part 1 topics on the same subject
Frequently asked questions
How should I describe an experience in an IELTS cue card?
Tell it as a story in the past: set the scene (when, where, who), what happened, how it ended. Then explain what you felt or learned. Past tenses used accurately are part of what the examiner is listening for.
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