IELTS Speaking Part 3: question types, a simple answer method and band 7 samples

What is IELTS Speaking Part 3?

IELTS Speaking Part 3 is a two-way discussion. The examiner asks further questions connected to your Part 2 topic, and you discuss them in a more general and abstract way (IELTS). It lasts 4–5 minutes. The whole Speaking test takes 11–14 minutes, and it is the same in IELTS Academic and General Training.

In Part 2 you talked about yourself: a person, a place or something that happened to you. In Part 3, the examiner zooms out to the bigger picture. The British Council describes this as a move from the personal to the general, where you give opinions and speculate about wider issues (British Council).

How IELTS Speaking Part 3 is marked

There is no separate score for Part 3. The examiner gives you one Speaking band for the whole test, using four criteria that count equally. However, Part 3 is where you can show your best English. IDP says this part tests your ability to express and justify opinions, and to analyse, discuss and speculate about issues (IDP).

The band 7 lines paraphrase the official public band descriptors (IELTS). Also, you are not marked on your opinions, so there are no right or wrong answers (British Council). An unusual view, explained well, scores as well as a popular one.

The 7 types of IELTS Speaking Part 3 questions

Part 3 questions come in a few common shapes. Once you recognise the shape, you know what your answer must do. Here are seven types, each with an example from our practice questions and phrases that fit it.

Some questions mix two types, for example “Why is this happening, and what can be done about it?”. In that case, answer both parts, because the examiner asked for both.

How to answer: a simple 4-step method

A good Part 3 answer is longer than a Part 1 answer, but it is not a speech. IDP suggests a simple structure that works for any question (IDP). We call it Answer, Reason, Example, Other side.

That answer has four sentences and takes about 30 seconds to say. Most good Part 3 answers are 3–5 sentences long. If you speak for much longer, you may start to repeat yourself or move away from the question. In that case, the examiner may stop you and ask the next one.

IELTS Speaking Part 3 sample answers (band 7)

Here are four band 7 sample answers to questions linked to four of our Part 2 cue cards. Each one follows the 4-step method, and the useful phrases are highlighted. They are our own answers, and the band is a teaching estimate, not an official score.

Notice what the four answers share. Each one starts with a clear answer, and none of them is about the speaker's own life alone. Also, the useful phrases are ordinary English used well, not rare words.

Useful phrases for IELTS Speaking Part 3

You don't need rare words in Part 3. Instead, you need a small set of phrases for the jobs you do again and again: giving a view, explaining, comparing and guessing about the future. Use them naturally, not in every sentence.

In Part 3, you can ask the examiner to rephrase a question if you don't understand it (IDP). Just don't do it for every question.

7 mistakes to avoid in IELTS Speaking Part 3

In ten years of teaching IELTS, the Part 3 problem I hear most often is the one-sentence answer. Here are seven mistakes to avoid.

• Talking only about yourself

  Part 3 is about people and society. Use personal examples, but only to support a general point.

• One-sentence answers

  “Yes, I agree.” gives the examiner almost nothing to mark. So add a reason, an example and the other side.

• Speeches that never end

  Very long answers often repeat ideas or drift away from the question. Make your point in 3–5 sentences, then stop.

• Memorised answers

  Examiners are trained to notice learned answers, and these rarely fit the exact question. Learn phrases, not speeches.

• Saying “I don't know” and stopping

  You don't need to be an expert. Say what you think, or explain why the question is hard to answer.

• Too many fillers

  Saying “um”, “like” and “you know” all the time sounds as if you can't find the words. A short pause or “Let me think” is better.

• Answering a different question

  If the question asks about the future, talk about the future. Listen for the question word: why, how, will or should.

IELTS Speaking Part 3 questions to practise

Here are 18 practice questions for six Part 2 cue cards from our list of IELTS cue cards. We wrote the questions ourselves, so they are not from real tests. First talk about the card for two minutes, then answer its three Part 3 questions out loud.

Practise IELTS Speaking Part 3 out loud

Reading sample answers helps, but Part 3 is a skill you build by speaking. Our free Speaking Practice Test 1 works like the real test: an examiner asks you Part 1 questions, gives you a cue card with one minute to prepare, and then asks you Part 3 questions out loud. Your whole test is recorded, so you can listen to yourself afterwards.

When you finish, you can get AI Speaking feedback for $4: an estimated band for fluency, vocabulary and grammar, and your own sentences corrected. It is an estimate, not an official IELTS score. Pronunciation is not marked, because the AI reads what you said but cannot hear how you said it.

Questions about IELTS Speaking Part 3

Read next: IELTS Speaking Part 1 questions, with band 7 answers · IELTS cue cards: 18 Part 2 topics with sample answers