Note that on the real test you won’t be able to read the questions. You will only hear them.
Basically, the interviewer will ask you four questions about the same topic. You’ll have 45 seconds to answer each one. You must answer as soon as the question is finished. You won’t be given any time to prepare your answers.
Introduction:
You have agreed to take part in a research study about shopping habits. You will have a short online interview with a researcher. The researcher will ask you some questions.
Question One:
Thank you for speaking with me today. I’d like you to think back to the last time you made a major purchase—either online or in a store. What did you buy? What did you like or dislike about the experience?
Sample Answer, Question One:
The last major purchase I made was a new laptop computer that I bought about three months ago. I really needed a new one so I could finish all my assignments at school cuz my old computer was completely busted. I actually found the experience pretty stressful. I’ll tell you why. I wanted to get a good deal, so I went into a physical store which was holding a sale instead of buying it online. I hadn’t been to a physical store in quite a while, so I didn’t realize how pushy sales people can be. There was one salesman and I guess he wanted to get a big commission on my purchase so he kept urging me to get a more expensive and more advanced model than I really needed just for my assignments at school.
Question Two:
People respond to shopping in different ways. Some enjoy browsing and comparing options for a long time, while others find it tiring or stressful. What kind of reaction do you usually have to shopping? Why do you think you react that way?
Sample Answer, Question Two:
Oh, I’m not a really big fan of shopping. I find the experience of browsing for a long period of time to be pretty stressful. Yeah, it can make me feel anxious sometimes. The reason for this is that I don’t feel comfortable in places with large crowds and a lot of external stimulation. Accordingly, a crowded shopping mall or even a supermarket can be extremely unpleasant for me. While some people like to do their shopping in person, my dislike of this feeling means I mostly shop on the internet. I tend to go to stores for things like clothes or shoes that I really need to try in person, and otherwise I avoid shopping in person at all costs.
Question Three:
Now I’d like your opinion. Some argue that online shopping generally offers better value and convenience—for example, easier price comparisons and fast delivery—than buying in person. Do you agree that online shopping is usually the better option? Why or why not?
Sample Answer, Question Three:
Yeah, online shopping is almost always superior to shopping in person. A big online store like Amazon can give you hundreds or thousands of options to choose from… whether you’re looking for an everyday item or something more obscure. In contrast, even a large in-person store might only have three or four different options to choose from. This makes a really big difference in our quality of life. For instance, when I’m trying to buy a pair of shoes that I’m going to wear every day I want shoes with a design that fits my feet perfectly and gives me absolute comfort. Not only that, but I want a pair that looks really good. I can achieve that when I have plenty of options to choose from, which is a characteristic of online stores
Question Four:
One last question, looking to the future. Some people have argued that most stores will soon use AI technology to track our preferences and create personalized shopping experiences where we can find what we need right away. Do you think this kind of experience will be popular? Why do you feel that way?
Sample Answer, Question Four:
You know, I don’t think that sort of experience will be particularly popular in the future. While it’s true that people really want to get their purchases made as quickly as possible because time is precious these days, most people will find the use of AI somewhat invasive. I think that people will view the tracking of our preferences and our purchase histories as kind of frightening because of the risk that all of our data could be leaked or even just shared with third parties without our consent. As a result, while companies will certainly get away with using a little bit of AI here and there, I don’t think that it’ll be popular when they implement it on a very wide scale like you’ve described. I’m just not optimistic about the use of AI for shopping.