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Vera
English

Fifteen seconds to prepare, forty-five to answer.

A timing exercise disguised as a language test.

What Vera actually is

A phone call with someone who is not there. You say the thing out loud, they answer the way a real person would, and you get to do it again — as many times as it takes, with nobody listening.

1She calls youA real phone call, about ten seconds after you tap. Lock screen, headphones, car — wherever you take calls.
2She plays the other personNot a coach reading tips. TOEFL Speaking, with someone on the other end who answers back.
3She pushes when you are vagueFollow-up questions, interruptions when you ramble, and a straight read at the end on what landed.
Start Practising

15 minutes free · no card needed

Start Practising

15 minutes free · no card needed

“What if I am bad at it?”Everyone is, on the first one. That is the entire reason it happens here and not there.
“What if I do not know what to say?”She asks first and follows up on whatever you answer. You never start from a blank page.
“What if it is awkward?”It is, for about twenty seconds. Then it is a conversation, and nobody heard the twenty seconds.

Not practising doesn’t save you anything.

The ticket, the evening, the weeks of applying — all of it is spent before anyone says a word. The practice is the only cheap part, and the only part that changes how the rest goes.

Start Practising

15 minutes free · no card needed

What she'll actually ask

She asks these the way a real person would, then follows up on whatever you say.

  1. Fifteen seconds to prepare. Go.
  2. You used twenty seconds on your introduction. Again, shorter.
  3. Summarise what you just heard in forty-five seconds.
  4. State your opinion and give two reasons. Time starts now.
  5. You stopped early. What was your third point?
More about this one

TOEFL speaking gives almost no preparation time, which makes it as much a timing problem as a language one. Freeze for the first five seconds and you have lost a fifth of the response regardless of how good your English is. The fix is a reusable structure, drilled until it deploys without thought, plus enough timed repetitions that the clock stops being the thing you are thinking about.

What she listens for

Opening speedHesitation in the first five seconds costs a disproportionate share of the answer.
Structure deploymentWhether your template comes out automatically or has to be assembled live.
FinishingTrailing off unfinished scores worse than a slightly rushed conclusion.

Other English practice

English Job InterviewsInterview-specific English, not general conversation.Business EnglishMeetings, updates, disagreement, and the small talk before the call starts.IELTS SpeakingAll three parts, in format, with the long turn timed.Pronunciation & ClarityWork on the things that actually affect whether people follow you.

Common questions

Are templates a good idea?

For TOEFL specifically, yes. The timing is tight enough that a reusable structure beats variety.

Can it do integrated tasks?

It can read a short passage and have you summarise, which approximates the format closely enough to be useful.

How many tasks should I practise?

Eight to ten across a few sessions, which is usually enough for the structure to become automatic.

Ready to try it?

Your first 15 minutes are free. No card required.

Start Practising