Practice section
Real-Life Scenarios: what would you do on the job?
Real-Life Scenarios puts you in a short scene from a real job site. A narrator reads the scene. Then you answer four questions about what you do and what you say.
What Real-Life Scenarios is
Interviewers often ask what you would do in a difficult situation. This section lets you practise that. Each scene shows a problem at work, such as a customer complaint, a safety risk, a mistake or a deadline. A narrator reads the scene, and the text is on the screen under "What is happening".
Every scene has four questions. The first two are multiple choice. The last two are spoken.
Who it helps
This section helps you if:
- you find "what would you do if" questions hard
- you want to practise what to say to a customer or a boss in English
- you want to practise putting safety first
- you need to report a problem clearly and calmly
How a scene works
Open a scene
Choose a scene from the list, or continue from your saved place.
Listen to the narrator
The narrator reads the scene. Press "Replay scene" to hear it again.
Start the questions
Press "Start the 4 questions". The scene stays on the screen while you answer.
Questions 1 and 2: choose
Choose one option and press "Check my answer". You see if it was correct.
Questions 3 and 4: speak
Answer out loud. The timer is 90, 75 or 60 seconds, set by your English level.
Finish the scene
See your four results. Your place is saved, and you can go to the next scene.
Spoken answers work the same way in every section. See how it works.
How it is marked
This section uses two kinds of marking. The table shows which question uses which.
| Question | How you answer | How it is marked | Uses a marked question |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. What do you do first? | Choose one option | Right or wrong | No |
| 2. Safety and risk | Choose one option | Right or wrong | No |
| 3. What do you say? | Speak | AI marking, 0 to 10 | Yes |
| 4. Report and handover | Speak | AI marking, 0 to 10 | Yes |
AI marking compares your spoken answer with a model answer, by meaning and not by exact words. A full scene uses up to two marked questions from your plan. "We did not hear an answer" does not count. See pricing.
Tips for getting the most from it
- Listen to the whole scene before you start the questions.
- Think about safety first. Then think about the customer and the job.
- For "What do you say?", speak the real words you would say to the person.
- For "Report and handover", say what happened, what you did and what is left to do.
- Press "Listen" on "A stronger answer" to hear a good reply.
- For more on how people speak at work, try Living & Working Here.
What a question looks like
The example below is a real scene from the Real-Life Scenarios bank. It is shown without the correct options or the model answers, the same way you see it before you answer. Read the scene first, then the four questions.
Scene: A Different Price on the Quote
A customer comes up to you during the job, they're holding the written quote and pointing at one item. They say the price is higher than what was talked about before.
What should you do first when a customer questions a price on paper?
- Listen calmly and check the quote with them
- Tell them to call the office and walk away
- Give them a discount straight away to keep them happy
Then, out loud
How do you explain the pricing to the customer politely?
A real question from the practice bank. The model answer is shown only after you answer.
More ways to practise
Questions and answers
How many questions are in each scene?
Four. Two are multiple choice and two are spoken.
Do the multiple-choice questions use marked questions?
No. Only the two spoken questions are AI-marked, so only they use marked questions.
Can I hear the scene again?
Yes. Press "Replay scene" or "Hear the narrator".
What does "handover" mean?
A handover is when you tell the next person what you did and what is left to do.
Can I do a scene again?
Yes. Open the scene and press "Practise again". This does not move your saved place back.
Practise real job site problems
Create your account, choose your trade and open your first scene.