# Describe a time you worked in a team: IELTS Speaking sample answers

Speaking Part 2 - Work

Describe a time you worked in a team.

You should say:
- what the team had to do
- who was in the team
- what your role was
- and explain how you felt about working in this team

Source: Sample answers and examiner notes are written by Testmigo.

## Band 7 sample

I'd like to talk about a time when I worked in a team during a summer job. It was about three years ago, after my first year at university, and I worked in a busy café near the beach in my hometown. Our team had to serve hundreds of customers every day, especially at weekends, and keep everything clean and running smoothly.

There were six of us in the team. The manager, Hoa, was in her thirties and very organised. Then there were two baristas, a cook and two waiters, and I was one of the waiters. Most of us were students, so we were around the same age, and we got on well from the start.

My role was to take orders, bring food to the tables and clear them afterwards. At the beginning it was really hard for me, because it was my first time to work in a café and I kept mixing up the orders. But the others were very patient. One of the baristas explained me a simple way to write the orders down, and after a week I was much quicker. Later the manager also asked me to train two new waiters who joined in August, which made me feel trusted.

Overall, I felt really positive about working in this team. There were some stressful moments, of course. One Saturday the coffee machine broke down at lunchtime, and the queue went out of the door. But everyone stayed calm, the cook made iced tea for the people waiting, and we dealt with it together.

I think I learned a lot from this job, especially about communication and helping each other under pressure. And I'm still in touch with most of them today, which shows how well we got on.

**Examiner notes.** This Band 7 answer covers every point clearly, describing the task, the team members and the speaker's role in a logical order, with a concrete example of a busy moment (the coffee machine breaking down). It uses good everyday vocabulary ("running smoothly", "mixing up the orders", "made me feel trusted") and speaks at length without difficulty. However, the reflection at the end is fairly general ("I learned a lot"), and there are typical errors: the verb pattern in "my first time to work in a café" (rather than "my first time working in a café") and "explained me a simple way" (rather than "explained to me"). Band 8 adds more precise, idiomatic language and a more insightful reflection on teamwork.

The Band 8 sample is free with an account on the [topic page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/speaking/topics/describe-a-time-you-were-in-a-team).

## Common questions

### How long should an IELTS Speaking Part 2 answer be?

You get one minute to prepare and then speak for up to two minutes; the examiner stops you at two. Aim to keep talking for the full time, which is usually 220 to 300 words.

### Can I use these sample answers in my test?

No. Examiners are trained to spot memorised answers, and a learned script is marked down. Use the samples to see what each band does, then answer in your own words.