On a teamwork card, be clear about roles: who did what, and what you were responsible for. The strongest answers include a small crisis and how it was solved, which makes the story interesting and sets up the conclusion.
The cue card
Describe a time when you worked in a team.
You should say:
what the task was
who was in the team
what you did
and explain how you felt about working in that team.
One-minute notes
- task: 48-hour startup competition at university, last spring
- team: two programmers, a designer, me (economics: research + pitch)
- did: app for booking local tutors; argued, two-minute pitch and vote; parent interviews; presentation
- feel: exhausted but proud; 2nd of 15; teamwork = fair way to decide
Model answer (about 2 minutes)
I'd like to describe a weekend last spring when I took part in a startup competition at my university, where teams had forty-eight hours to come up with a business idea and present it.
There were four of us in the team. Two were computer science students who did the programming, one was a design student who made everything look professional, and I was the only person studying economics, so I was responsible for researching the market and giving the final presentation.
Our idea was an app that helps parents find and book local tutors, with reviews from other parents. The first night was chaotic. We argued for hours about which features to include, and at one point I honestly thought the team would fall apart. What saved us was one of the programmers suggesting that we each defend our idea for two minutes and then vote, which sounds simple, but it stopped the arguments immediately.
After that, things went surprisingly smoothly. I spent most of Saturday interviewing parents in a nearby park, and on Sunday evening I presented our prototype to the judges. We came second out of fifteen teams.
I felt exhausted by the end, but also really proud. It taught me that good teamwork isn't about everyone agreeing; it's about having a fair way to decide when you don't.
Useful words and phrases
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| take part in | take part in |
| come up with | come up with |
| be responsible for | be responsible for |
| fall apart | fall apart |
| defend an idea | defend an idea |
| go smoothly | go smoothly |
| a prototype | a prototype |
| perspectives | perspectives |
How to answer
- Introduce the team by roles: who was responsible for what.
- Tell the small crisis and the fix: "What saved us was...".
- Give the result with a number: "second out of fifteen teams".
- Build the conclusion on a contrast: "isn't about..., it's about...".
Practise this topic now
The AI examiner asks you these questions, listens to your answers and shows your mistakes.
Part 3: follow-up discussion questions
What makes a good team member?
Someone reliable who does their part on time, but also someone who listens. The best team members I've worked with were happy to change their minds when someone else had a better idea.
Is it better to work alone or in a team?
It depends on the task. Creative or complex projects usually benefit from different skills and perspectives, while tasks that need deep concentration are often done better alone.
Do schools in your country teach teamwork well?
Should a team always have a leader?
Part 2 strategy: the cue card guide. Next step: the Part 3 guide.
Practise this topic now
The AI examiner asks you these questions, listens to your answers and shows your mistakes.
