- Part 3 is a 4–5 minute discussion of wider ideas linked to your Part 2 topic.
- Questions ask you to give opinions, compare, explain causes, predict, evaluate and suggest solutions.
- Build each answer in four moves: answer, explain, give an example, then extend.
- Aim for 3–5 sentences per answer, and talk about people in general, not only yourself.
IELTS Speaking Part 3, sometimes called Speaking task 3, is where the examiner moves from your personal experience to bigger ideas. Instead of “Tell me about your favourite teacher”, you might hear “Should teachers be paid more?”
It is also the part that separates band 6 from band 7 and above, because it shows whether you can explain and support an opinion in English. This guide covers the six types of Part 3 question, a simple method for longer answers, band 8 sample answers and 60 practice questions on the topics that come up most.
What happens in IELTS Speaking Part 3
Part 3 follows straight after your Part 2 talk and lasts four to five minutes. The examiner asks questions on more general and abstract ideas connected to your Part 2 topic. If you described a teacher in Part 2, Part 3 might be about education in your country, the role of technology in learning or what makes a good teacher.
| Part | Time | What it's about | Typical answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | 4–5 min | You: your home, studies, work and everyday life | 2–3 sentences |
| Part 2 | 3–4 min | One topic from a task card, in a 2-minute talk | Up to 2 minutes |
| Part 3 | 4–5 min | Wider ideas linked to the Part 2 topic: people, society, the future | 3–5 sentences |
Part 3 is marked on the same four criteria as the rest of the test: fluency and coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy and pronunciation. The examiner may also ask follow-up questions such as “Why?” or “Is that true everywhere?” to see how far you can develop an idea.
The 6 types of Part 3 question
Most Part 3 questions fall into six types. Recognising the type tells you what kind of answer the examiner expects.
| Type | Example question | A good way to start |
|---|---|---|
| Opinion | Do you think teachers should be paid more? | I'd say… / From my point of view… |
| Compare | How has shopping changed compared with the past? | Compared with… / Whereas in the past…, these days… |
| Cause | Why do so many young people move to cities? | One major reason is… / This is largely because… |
| Predict | How might working life be different in twenty years? | I imagine… / There's a good chance that… |
| Evaluate | What are the good and bad effects of tourism on a local area? | On the plus side… / The main drawback is… |
| Solve | How could cities in your country be improved? | One thing that would help is… / The government could… |
How to build a longer answer
A one-sentence answer gives the examiner almost nothing to assess. Use these four moves to turn any question into a 30–60 second answer:
- 1Answer
Give a direct answer in the first sentence, so the examiner knows your position.
- 2Explain
Give the main reason. Use words like because, since or the main reason is.
- 3Example
Support it with something specific: your country, a trend you have noticed or a typical situation.
- 4Extend
Add a contrast, a condition or a short conclusion: That said…, It depends on… or So overall…
Band 8 sample answers
These answers follow the four moves above. Each is about 100 words, roughly 40 to 50 seconds of natural speech. Useful phrases are highlighted.
I'd say they definitely should, at least in my country. Teaching is one of those jobs that shapes the whole of society, because every doctor or engineer was once taught by someone. Yet many school teachers earn less than people in office jobs that need far fewer qualifications. As a result, a lot of talented graduates simply don't consider teaching, and the ones who do often give private lessons in the evenings just to make ends meet. That said, I don't think money alone is the answer. Better training and smaller classes would probably make just as much difference.
Quite dramatically, I'd say. When I was a child, shopping meant going to the local market with my parents, and you'd usually know the shopkeepers by name. Nowadays, a huge amount of shopping happens online. You can order almost anything on your phone and have it delivered the next day. The obvious benefit is convenience, especially for busy working people. On the other hand, I think something has been lost, because those small shops were also places where neighbours met and chatted. So it's a trade-off: we've gained time, but perhaps lost a bit of community.
I'm cautiously optimistic, to be honest. It's likely that technology will do a lot of the work for us. Electric cars and solar panels, for instance, are already much cheaper than they were, so people will probably choose them to save money rather than purely for the environment. Where I'm less sure is our habits. People have got used to cheap flights and fast fashion, and it's hard to imagine many of them giving those up voluntarily. So my guess is that change will come from cleaner technology and stricter rules, rather than from people deciding to consume less.
Why these answers work
- Clear position first: each answer starts with a direct response, so the examiner never has to guess the speaker's view.
- Developed, not listed: one main idea is explained and supported, instead of three ideas mentioned briefly.
- Natural range: past and present for comparing (meant, have got used to), future forms for predicting (will probably, it's likely that) and complex sentences such as Where I'm less sure is…
- Balance: each answer ends with a contrast or conclusion, which shows the speaker can weigh up an issue.
These samples show the kind of language examiners associate with band 8. Your actual band also depends on how you say it, including your pronunciation and how naturally you speak.
60 IELTS Speaking Part 3 questions by topic
Each topic below shows a Part 2 card it often follows, then five Part 3 questions. Practise the Part 2 card first, then answer the five questions without stopping, just as in the real test.
Education
Follows Part 2: Describe a teacher who influenced you
- 1.What makes a good teacher, in your opinion?
- 2.Do you think teachers should be paid more? Why?
- 3.How has technology changed the way students learn in your country?
- 4.Is it better to learn in a classroom or online?
- 5.Should schools focus more on practical skills or on academic subjects?
Technology
Follows Part 2: Describe a piece of technology you find useful
- 6.How has the smartphone changed the way people communicate?
- 7.Why do some older people find it harder to adapt to new technology?
- 8.Do you think people rely too much on technology today?
- 9.What kinds of jobs might disappear because of technology in the future?
- 10.At what age should children be allowed to have their own phone?
Work and careers
Follows Part 2: Describe a job you would like to do
- 11.What do young people in your country look for when choosing a job?
- 12.Is it more important to enjoy your work or to earn a lot of money?
- 13.Why do some people change careers later in life?
- 14.How might working life be different in twenty years?
- 15.Should people be able to work from home if they want to?
Environment
Follows Part 2: Describe a place with beautiful nature
- 16.What are the biggest environmental problems in your country?
- 17.Who should be responsible for protecting the environment: individuals, companies or governments?
- 18.Why do some people not care about environmental issues?
- 19.How can schools teach children to respect nature?
- 20.Do you think people will live more sustainably in the future?
Family
Follows Part 2: Describe a family member you admire
- 21.How have families in your country changed in recent decades?
- 22.Who usually looks after elderly people in your country?
- 23.Do children today spend enough time with their parents?
- 24.What qualities make someone a good parent?
- 25.Is it better for young adults to live with their parents or on their own?
Cities and housing
Follows Part 2: Describe a city you have visited
- 26.What are the advantages of living in a big city compared with a small town?
- 27.Why do so many young people move to cities?
- 28.How could cities in your country be improved?
- 29.Do you think people will live in smaller homes in the future?
- 30.Should old buildings be protected or replaced with modern ones?
Travel and tourism
Follows Part 2: Describe a trip you really enjoyed
- 31.Why do people like to travel to other countries?
- 32.What are the good and bad effects of tourism on a local area?
- 33.How has the way people travel changed compared with the past?
- 34.Is it better to travel alone or with a group?
- 35.Should popular tourist sites limit the number of visitors?
Health and sport
Follows Part 2: Describe a sport or exercise you enjoy
- 36.Why do some people find it hard to stay healthy?
- 37.Should the government do more to encourage people to exercise?
- 38.Are professional athletes good role models for young people?
- 39.How has people's diet changed in your country?
- 40.Do you think people will be healthier in the future?
Media and advertising
Follows Part 2: Describe an advertisement you remember
- 41.How does advertising influence what people buy?
- 42.Should there be limits on advertising aimed at children?
- 43.Where do most people in your country get their news today?
- 44.Is it a problem that anyone can publish information online?
- 45.Why are social media influencers so popular with young people?
Shopping and money
Follows Part 2: Describe something you bought recently
- 46.Why do people sometimes buy things they don't need?
- 47.How has online shopping affected small local shops?
- 48.Is it important for children to learn how to manage money?
- 49.Are people more materialistic than they were in the past?
- 50.What are the advantages of paying by card or phone rather than cash?
Culture and traditions
Follows Part 2: Describe a festival or celebration in your country
- 51.Why are traditional festivals important to a country?
- 52.Are young people in your country still interested in traditional customs?
- 53.How has globalisation affected local culture?
- 54.Should governments spend money on preserving historical sites?
- 55.What can people learn from other cultures?
Friends and communication
Follows Part 2: Describe a friend you have known for a long time
- 56.What makes a friendship last for a long time?
- 57.Is it easier to make friends as a child or as an adult? Why?
- 58.How has social media changed friendship?
- 59.Do people today have fewer close friends than in the past?
- 60.Is face-to-face conversation still important in the digital age?
Useful phrases for Part 3
| To… | Try |
|---|---|
| Giving an opinion | I'd say that… / From my point of view… / I'm fairly convinced that… |
| Gaining a moment to think | That's an interesting question. / I've never really thought about that, but… |
| Generalising | Generally speaking… / In most cases… / For the most part… |
| Comparing | Compared with… / Whereas in the past…, these days… |
| Talking about the future | I imagine… / There's a good chance that… / It's hard to say, but… |
| Balancing your answer | That said… / On the other hand… / It depends on… |
| Giving an example | Take … for example. / A good example of this is… |
Vary your phrases. Starting every answer with “In my opinion” sounds memorised and doesn't show range.
6 common mistakes
- Answering in one sentence. “Yes, I think so” is not enough. Always explain why and give an example.
- Only talking about yourself. Use your experience as an example, but answer about people and society in general.
- Learning answers by heart. Examiners notice memorised answers, and they rarely fit the exact question. Learn ideas and phrases instead.
- Saying “I don't know” and stopping. Think aloud instead: “I've never really thought about that, but I suppose…”
- Talking for too long. A two-minute answer to one question leaves no time for others. Three to five sentences is about right.
- Worrying about the “right” opinion. There is no correct answer. The examiner is listening to your English, not judging your views.
How to practise Part 3
- Practise Parts 2 and 3 together. Use a card from our cue card topics list, then answer the matching Part 3 questions above.
- Record yourself answering five questions in a row. Listen back: did every answer have a reason and an example? Did you vary your phrases?
- Stuck for ideas? The speaking answer generator shows how a question can be developed. Use it for ideas, then answer in your own words.
- Keep yourself to time with the free IELTS speaking timer.
- Read or listen to opinion pieces on everyday topics. They give you ideas and the language for discussing them.
Practise Part 3 with an AI examiner
Answer real-style discussion questions out loud, with follow-ups on your Part 2 topic, and get feedback on all four criteria.
- Parts 1, 2 and 3 in the real exam format
- Answer with your microphone, or type if you prefer
- A band score with examiner-style comments
