IELTS Speaking Part 3: Complete Guide | IELTS Academic
IELTS Speaking Part 3 is the closing section of the IELTS Speaking test. The examiner asks you wider, more abstract questions related to the topic you talked about in Part 2, and you discuss them together. Your performance is scored on the 9-band scale used across IELTS Reading, Listening, Writing, and Speaking. Part 3 is the part of the test where the questions ask you to think, not just to describe, so it gives the examiner more room to see your full range of language.
This guide covers the official format from ielts.org, the four criteria the examiner scores you on, and the strategies that help you give organised, well-developed answers under time pressure.
Table of Contents
- What is the "Speaking Part 3" question type?
- How "Speaking Part 3" is scored
- Tips to do well on "Speaking Part 3" questions
- How to practice "Speaking Part 3" questions
- Frequently asked questions
- Conclusion
What is the "Speaking Part 3" question type?
IELTS Speaking Part 3 is the third and final part of the IELTS Speaking test. According to the official IELTS Academic Speaking format, Part 3 is described as a discussion that takes 4 to 5 minutes, in which you and the examiner discuss issues related to the Part 2 topic "in a more general and abstract way and, where appropriate, in greater depth".
Here is how Part 3 works:
- The topic of Part 3 is connected to your Part 2 talk, but the questions move from your personal experience to wider, more general questions about the topic.
- The examiner asks several questions on different aspects of the topic during the 4 to 5 minutes.
- Your answers are longer than Part 1 (aim for 3 to 5 sentences) but the format is still a back-and-forth conversation, not a monologue.
- The examiner may push back, ask follow-up questions, or ask you to compare two ideas. This is part of the test, not a sign you said something wrong.
The skill assessed in Part 3 is your ability to "explain opinions and analyse, discuss and speculate about issues". The examiner wants to see whether you can do more than describe; whether you can give reasons, compare things, talk about causes and effects, and discuss what might happen.
Weak answer: "Yes, I think people read less now because they use phones."
Strong answer: "I think it depends on what you mean by reading. If you mean reading printed books, then yes, probably less, because most people now spend their free time on phones and streaming services. But if you include reading articles, news, and even social media posts, people might actually read more words per day than they did 20 years ago. The difference is the format and the attention span, not the total amount of reading."
Why it works: the strong answer questions the question (a band-7 move), gives 2 reasons, compares two views, and uses connectives ("if you mean", "because", "but", "the difference is"). The weak answer is one sentence with one reason.
For more examples like this one, see our 30 IELTS Speaking Part 3 practice topics with sample answers, which cover the full range of contexts and patterns you may face on the real test.
How "Speaking Part 3" is scored
Your Speaking test is scored on four criteria, each rated on the 9-band scale, per the official IELTS Speaking band descriptors:
- Fluency and Coherence: how smoothly you speak and how clearly your ideas connect.
- Lexical Resource: how wide and accurate your vocabulary is, and how well you can paraphrase.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy: how varied and correct your grammar is.
- Pronunciation: how easy you are to understand.
Each criterion is scored on the 9-band scale (1 to 9, in whole bands). The four scores are averaged to give your overall Speaking band, in whole and half bands.
Part 3 is where Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range show most clearly. Abstract topics force you to use abstract vocabulary (causes, effects, trends, comparisons), and the longer answers give you room to use more complex grammar (conditionals, relative clauses, present perfect, modal verbs for speculation). A Part 3 answer made of short, simple sentences with everyday words can rarely score above band 6, even if the ideas are good.
Tips to do well on "Speaking Part 3" questions
Give reasons, not just opinions
Almost every Part 3 question is asking for an opinion plus the reason behind it. "Do you think...?", "Why do you think...?", "What are the main reasons...?". A short opinion ("Yes, I do.") cannot score above band 5, no matter how natural your pronunciation. Always follow your opinion with at least one reason, and ideally a quick example. "Yes, I think so, mainly because [reason]. For example, [example]." is a reliable structure for almost any Part 3 question.
Use the right linking words
The band 7 descriptor for Fluency and Coherence rewards "flexible use of spoken discourse markers, connectives and cohesive features". These are the words that link your ideas: however, on the other hand, in addition, for instance, as a result, the main reason is, what I mean is, having said that. Use 2 or 3 different linking words across your Part 3 answers. Repeating the same one ("and", "also") every time keeps your Fluency score capped.
Speculate with modal verbs
Part 3 often asks you to talk about the future or about possibilities: "How might this change in the next 20 years?", "What could governments do about this?". The natural way to answer is with modal verbs of speculation: might, could, may, would probably, is likely to. Using these shows the examiner Grammatical Range and matches the way native speakers actually talk about uncertain futures. Avoid the temptation to use "will" for everything; the future is rarely certain.
Extend your answer, do not rush
A good Part 3 answer is 3 to 5 sentences long. After your first sentence (the opinion), use the next 2 to 4 sentences to give a reason, an example, a comparison, or a counter-point. Do not rush to finish the answer to look fluent. Take a small pause before you start to think about what you want to say, then deliver a well-organised answer. A fast, short answer scores lower than a calm, longer answer in Part 3.
How to practice "Speaking Part 3" questions
Random practice does not raise your Speaking band. What raises it is practising Part 3 questions at your current level and learning from the parts of your answers that were weak. After each practice attempt, listen to your answer and check it against the four criteria. Did you give a reason, not just an opinion? Did you use more than one linking word? Did you use any modal verbs to speculate? Did you stay in one tense when the question called for two? Naming the specific weakness is what stops it from happening on the real test.
Arno's IELTS Speaking practice is free to start. You get Part 3 questions across a wide range of topic areas, with sample band-7 and band-8 answers for each one.
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Frequently asked questions
How long is IELTS Speaking Part 3?
Part 3 lasts 4 to 5 minutes, per the official IELTS Academic Speaking format. The examiner asks several questions on different aspects of the topic from Part 2. The whole IELTS Speaking test is 11 to 14 minutes long.
How long should each IELTS Speaking Part 3 answer be?
Aim for 3 to 5 sentences per answer. Part 3 answers are longer than Part 1 (where 2 to 4 sentences is the target) but the format is still a back-and-forth conversation, not a monologue like Part 2. If your answer goes much beyond 5 sentences, the examiner may interrupt to move to the next question, which is normal and not a sign you said anything wrong.
What topics come up in IELTS Speaking Part 3?
The Part 3 topic is connected to your Part 2 topic, but the questions move from your personal experience to wider issues. IELTS does not publish a list of Part 3 topics; commonly-reported areas include education, technology, the environment, work, and society. The questions ask you to compare ideas, give reasons, talk about causes and effects, or speculate about the future.
Can I say I do not know in IELTS Speaking Part 3?
Try to avoid it. The examiner is scoring your language, not your knowledge. Even on a topic you have not thought about before, you can say something like "That's an interesting question. I haven't thought about it much, but if I had to give an opinion, I would probably say..." and then attempt an answer. A short "I don't know" cannot be scored at band 6 or above on any of the four criteria.
Does IELTS Speaking Part 3 differ between Academic and General Training?
No. The Speaking test, including Part 3, is identical for IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training: same examiner format, same kinds of discussion questions, same four scoring criteria. Only the Reading and Writing sections of the test differ between the two versions.
What kind of vocabulary should I use in IELTS Speaking Part 3?
Part 3 rewards more abstract, topic-specific vocabulary than Part 1. If the topic is education, words like curriculum, motivation, lifelong learning, and inequality are more useful than basic words like school and teacher. If the topic is the environment, words like carbon emissions, sustainability, and renewable energy are useful. Do not force technical words; use them only where they fit naturally.
Conclusion
Part 3 is the section of the Speaking test where the examiner has the most room to see your range of language. The two habits that matter most are always giving a reason after your opinion, and using a mix of linking words and modal verbs to show grammatical range. Build both into your practice, and Part 3 becomes the part of the test that lifts your band, not the part that holds it back.