Practise out loud8 questions with Band 8-style sample answers. Record yourself, listen back, then compare.
IELTS Speaking Part 3 is where Band 7 and Band 8 are decided. After your Part 2 talk, the examiner moves from your personal experience to bigger questions about society: “Why do some people become famous?”, “Will people travel less in the future?”
Many candidates find this part hard, not because of their English but because they don’t have an opinion ready. This guide explains how Part 3 works, the question types you’ll hear, a simple 4-step method for building longer answers, and sample answers you can record yourself against.
How Part 3 works#
| Length | 4–5 minutes |
| Topic | Linked to your Part 2 cue card, but general and abstract |
| Questions | About 4–6, usually getting harder |
| Answer length | 3–6 sentences (about 30–60 seconds) |
| Style | A two-way discussion: the examiner can rephrase, ask “Why?” or challenge your view |
If your Part 2 card was “Describe a person you admire”, Part 3 might ask: What qualities make a good role model? Do celebrities have a responsibility to behave well? Are young people today influenced more by friends or by famous people?
Unlike Part 1, the examiner can rephrase a Part 3 question if you don’t understand it, and they’ll often follow up on what you say. That’s a good sign: it means they’re testing how far your English can go.
What the examiner is looking for#
Part 3 tests whether you can discuss ideas, not just describe your life. To reach Band 7+, show that you can:
- Give and justify an opinion: not just “I think yes”, but why.
- Speculate: talk about the future or hypothetical situations (might, could, it’s likely that…, if…would…).
- Compare and contrast: past and present, young and old people, your country and others.
- Use abstract vocabulary: influence, pressure, access, attitudes, trend, consequence.
- Stay fluent while thinking: use natural “thinking” phrases instead of long silences.
Note: There are no right or wrong opinions. The examiner doesn’t care what you think, only how well you explain it.
The 7 question types#
| Type | Example | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Opinion | Do you think children should learn to cook at school? | Give a clear view, then a reason and an example |
| Compare | How is shopping different now from 20 years ago? | Then vs. now, and why it changed |
| Cause | Why do some people never learn to swim? | Give 2 causes, explain one in detail |
| Effect / consequence | How does tourism affect local people? | Positive and negative effects |
| Future / prediction | Will people still read printed books in the future? | Speculate with likely, probably, I doubt… |
| Evaluate / agree | Some say success depends on luck. Do you agree? | Partly agree, show both sides, conclude |
| Solution | What can governments do to reduce traffic? | 2 solutions, say which would work best |
The 4-step method for a longer answer#
Use O-R-E-C: Opinion, Reason, Example, Consider the other side.
- Opinion. Answer directly. “I think it’s a good idea, on the whole.”
- Reason. Explain why. “Mainly because cooking is a basic life skill, and many teenagers leave home without it.”
- Example. Make it concrete. “A lot of students I knew at university lived on takeaways for the first year simply because they’d never been taught.”
- Consider the other side. Show balance. “That said, schools already have packed timetables, so it might be better as an optional club than a compulsory subject.”
That’s about 30–40 seconds: the ideal length. If the examiner wants more, they’ll ask a follow-up.
Example: Do you think people will travel less in the future?
Band 5: “No, I think people will travel more. Because travel is cheap.”
Band 7–8: “It’s hard to say, but I suspect people will travel differently rather than less. On the one hand, cheap flights have made travel part of everyday life for millions of people, and that’s unlikely to disappear. On the other hand, there’s growing pressure over the environmental cost of flying, so I wouldn’t be surprised if more people chose trains for shorter trips, as many Europeans already do. So overall, I’d expect the same amount of travel, just with fewer short-haul flights.”
Sample questions and Band 8 answers#
Read each answer, then record your own. Check: did you give an opinion, a reason, an example and the other side?
IELTS Speaking Part 3 sample questions
Record your own answer first, listen back, then compare. Don’t memorise these: examiners spot memorised answers. Borrow the structure and the highlighted vocabulary instead.
Part 3 sample answers
What qualities make someone a good role model for young people?
Sample answerShowHide
I'd say the most important quality is consistency: someone whose actions match what they say. Young people are very quick to spot hypocrisy. Hard work matters too, because it shows that success isn't just luck. A sports star who trains every day and treats people with respect is a far better role model than one who's simply talented. That said, I think the best role models are often ordinary people, like a parent or a teacher, because young people can actually see how they live.
Useful language:consistencyspot hypocrisythat said
How has the way people shop changed in the last 20 years?
Sample answerShowHide
The biggest change is obviously the shift to online shopping. Twenty years ago you had to go to a shop to compare prices; now people do it on their phones in seconds. As a result, many small high-street shops have closed, while big delivery companies have grown enormously. Interestingly, though, I think we're seeing a small move back towards local shops, particularly for food, because people value the experience and want to support their community.
Useful language:the shift toas a resulthigh-street shops
Why do some people find it difficult to save money?
Sample answerShowHide
There are a couple of reasons. The most obvious is that living costs, especially rent, have risen much faster than wages, so many people simply have nothing left at the end of the month. But there's also a psychological side: apps and online shops make spending incredibly easy, with one-click payments and constant offers. In my country, for example, buy-now-pay-later schemes have become very popular among young people, and I think they make it harder to see how much you're really spending.
Useful language:living costspsychological sidebuy-now-pay-later
Do you think people will still read printed books in the future?
Sample answerShowHide
I suspect they will, although probably fewer of them. E-books are clearly more convenient for travel and much cheaper, so they'll keep growing. On the other hand, a lot of people, including younger readers, say they remember more from paper and enjoy the break from screens. So I wouldn't be surprised if printed books became a bit like vinyl records: less common, but valued as something special.
Useful language:I suspectI wouldn't be surprised ifvalued as
Some people say that success depends mainly on luck. Do you agree?
Sample answerShowHide
I'd only partly agree. Luck certainly plays a role: being born into a family that can afford a good education, for instance, gives you a huge head start. But I don't think luck is enough on its own. Most successful people I've read about failed many times before things worked out, so persistence clearly matters. I'd say luck creates opportunities, but it's effort that turns them into success.
Useful language:plays a rolehead startpersistence
What can governments do to reduce traffic in cities?
Sample answerShowHide
The most effective step is probably improving public transport, because people only give up their cars when there's a fast, reliable alternative. Some cities have also introduced congestion charges, which make driving into the centre more expensive, and London is a good example of that working. Personally, I think investment has to come first, though. If you charge drivers before the buses and trains are good enough, it just feels like a punishment.
Useful language:congestion chargesreliable alternativeinvestment has to come first
How does tourism affect local people?
Sample answerShowHide
It's a mixed picture. On the positive side, tourism creates jobs and brings money into areas that might otherwise struggle, especially rural or coastal towns. However, in very popular places it can push up rents and house prices, so locals can no longer afford to live in their own neighbourhoods. Cities like Barcelona and Venice have had protests about exactly this. So I think tourism is beneficial up to a point, but it needs to be managed carefully.
Useful language:a mixed picturepush up rentsup to a point
Should children learn to cook at school?
Sample answerShowHide
On the whole, I think it's a good idea, mainly because cooking is a basic life skill and many teenagers leave home without it. A lot of students I knew at university lived on takeaways for the first year simply because they'd never been taught. That said, schools already have packed timetables, so it might work better as an optional club than a compulsory subject.
Useful language:on the wholebasic life skillpacked timetables
Want your own answer scored? With Worddemy Pro, the AI examiner asks you real Part 1–3 questions and gives a band score for fluency, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation.
Useful phrases for Part 3#
Giving an opinion: I’d say… / From my point of view… / I’m fairly convinced that… / I’m not entirely sure, but…
Buying time (see our buying time guide): That’s an interesting question. I’ve never really thought about it, but… / It’s difficult to give a simple answer, because…
Speculating: It’s likely that… / I suspect… / I wouldn’t be surprised if… / There’s a good chance that…
Comparing: Compared to my parents’ generation,… / Whereas in the past…, these days… / In my country, unlike in…
Balancing: That said,… / On the other hand,… / Having said that,… / It depends on…
Generalising carefully: Generally speaking,… / In most cases,… / For many people, though not all,…
For more on giving thoughtful answers, see how to give thoughtful Part 3 answers and how to expand your answers.
Common mistakes in Part 3#
Common mistakes: these hold many candidates at Band 6.
- Answering about yourself. Part 3 asks about people and society. “I don’t like shopping online” answers Part 1, not Part 3. Start with the general view, then use yourself as one example.
- Short answers. “Yes, I agree.” Always add a reason and an example.
- Saying “I don’t know” and stopping. If you have no opinion, speculate: “I’ve never really thought about it, but I’d guess…”
- Learning model answers by heart. Part 3 is a real discussion; the examiner will follow up, and memorised answers fall apart quickly.
- Only using simple grammar. This is the part to use conditionals, modals (might, could, would) and passives (it is often said that…).
How to practise Part 3#
- Pick any cue card page: each one has Part 3 questions and sample answers on the same topic.
- Answer out loud using O-R-E-C, record yourself and aim for 30–60 seconds.
- Practise topics you find “boring” (economics, the environment, technology). Those are where most candidates run out of ideas.
- Read the news in English for 10 minutes a day. It gives you both opinions and the vocabulary to express them.
Want the full picture? See our Part 1 guide, Part 2 guide and the IELTS Speaking topics list.
Frequently asked questions#
How long should my answers be in IELTS Speaking Part 3?#
About 30–60 seconds, or 3–6 sentences. Give an opinion, a reason, an example, and if possible the other side. The examiner will interrupt or ask a follow-up if they want you to move on.
Can the examiner rephrase questions in Part 3?#
Yes. Unlike Part 1, the examiner can rephrase a Part 3 question if you don’t understand it, and they will often ask follow-up questions such as “Why?” or “Do you think that will change?”
What if I don’t have an opinion on the topic?#
Speculate. Say “I’ve never really thought about it, but I’d imagine…” and give a reason. The examiner is assessing your English, not your knowledge, so a thoughtful guess is better than silence.
Should I talk about my own experience in Part 3?#
You can use your experience as an example, but Part 3 questions are about people and society in general. Start with a general answer, then support it with a personal or local example.
Is Part 3 harder than Part 1 and Part 2?#
Most candidates find it the hardest because the questions are abstract. It’s also where higher bands are decided, because it shows whether you can discuss ideas, speculate and use complex grammar.