IELTS Speaking Part 3: The Discussion

The Speaking test ends with a discussion. It follows the long turn in Part 2, and it is the part where you explain and justify your views. For an overview of all three parts, start with Part 1.

What happens in Part 3

The examiner asks bigger questions about the same subject as your Part 2 talk.

Part 3 tests your ability to explain your opinions and to analyse, discuss and speculate about issues source: ielts.org. To speculate is to talk about what might be true or might happen.

Part 3 lasts 4 to 5 minutes source: British Council.

There is no preparation time. Expect the examiner to interrupt you from time to time. This is normal, and it is meant to help you go deeper into the topic source: ielts.org.

The examiner speaks more with you in this part, and may ask you to justify your opinions source: IDP.

So an interruption is not a sign that your answer was wrong. Answer the new question the same way.

How Part 3 differs from Part 1

Part 1 asks about you. Part 3 asks about people and society in general.

In Part 3, the aim is to share more about your general view, as opposed to a personal experience source: ielts.org. If you talk about yourself and your family, the examiner will encourage you to speak in a general way source: IDP.

A personal example can still help, as support for a general point. Make the general point first, then give the example.

A four-step answer

A good Part 3 answer starts with a direct answer, then explains it.

Treat the steps as a check, not as a script. If every answer uses the same four phrases in the same order, the listener hears the pattern more than the ideas.

An example answer, with notes

Here is one answer, written for this page. The question was why some people prefer to learn a skill online rather than from a teacher.

I think it's mainly about time.^{note 1} Online, people can learn whenever they're free, whereas a class has a fixed hour^{note 2}. My neighbour, for instance, learned to edit videos late at night after work.^{note 3} Having said that, it probably depends on the skill.^{note 4} Something physical, like swimming, is hard to learn from a screen, because nobody is there to correct you^{note 5}.

1. Step 1 is "give a direct answer to the question" source: ielts.org. The first sentence answers "why" in six words, before any detail. The examiner knows the point at once.
2. At band 7, the descriptors list "flexible use of spoken discourse markers, connectives and cohesive features" source: ielts.org. Here "whereas" is a connective. It joins two ideas in one sentence and gives the reason by contrast.
3. Step 3 is "provide an example to support your answer" source: ielts.org. The neighbour supports a point about people in general. The answer does not become a story about the speaker.
4. Step 4 is "give an alternative or consequence" source: ielts.org. "Having said that" turns to the other side. "Probably depends" is speculation, which Part 3 tests.
5. Coherence means linking ideas "to form coherent, connected speech" source: ielts.org. The last reason links back to the question about teachers, so the answer ends where it started.

How to answer harder questions

The same band descriptors apply to Part 3 as to Parts 1 and 2. The questions are harder, so these points focus on reasons, thinking time and abstract words.

Give the reason behind the reason

Give more details in your answer, and always try to answer the "why" of what you say source: IDP.

In Part 3, make your answer longer by explaining one reason more fully, not by adding new points. After your first reason, ask yourself why that reason is true, and say it. Fluency and coherence explains how long answers are judged.

Pause to think, not to search for words

At band 8, hesitation "may occasionally be used to find words or grammar, but most will be content related" source: ielts.org.

If you need time to think, you can pause briefly or use a natural filler such as "Let me think about that" source: British Council.

Part 3 questions are harder, so you will often need a moment to think. At band 8, most pauses are to think about content. Pauses to search for words happen only now and then. So learn words for abstract topics before the test, and keep your pauses for ideas.

Use grammar for what might happen

Grammatical range includes the "appropriate use of subordinate clauses within clauses and phrases" source: ielts.org.

Part 3 asks you to speculate, so it gives you natural places for "might", "would" and "if". "If classes were cheaper, more people might choose them" is one example. The "if" part is a clause inside the sentence. Grammatical range and accuracy covers the rest.

Paraphrase abstract words

At band 7 and band 8, the descriptors list "effective use of paraphrase as required" source: ielts.org. Paraphrase means using other words when you do not know a word source: ielts.org.

Part 3 topics are more abstract, so gaps are more likely. If you do not know a word, describe the idea and keep going. Lexical resource shows how this is judged.

Stay clear in longer sentences

At band 8, a speaker "can be easily understood throughout" source: ielts.org.

Longer answers give the examiner more to listen to. Split your ideas into short groups of words, and stress the word that carries each point. Pronunciation explains the features the examiner listens for.

Where to go next

To see how the four criteria combine into one Speaking band, read How IELTS Speaking is marked. Then use the band score calculator to see how that band affects your overall score. The Speaking hub lists every Speaking guide. For a plan across all three parts, read how to improve your IELTS Speaking score.

The Part 3 description and what it tests come from ielts.org's Speaking format page. The interruptions, the lack of preparation time, the general view and the four steps come from its article Three parts of IELTS Speaking and what to look out for. The band wording comes from the Speaking band descriptors and the key assessment criteria, which carry no revision date. The timing comes from the British Council's Speaking format page, and the pausing and opinion points from its Speaking preparation page. The examiner's role and the topic link come from IDP's Speaking question types and Part 3 articles. The advice to answer the "why" comes from its guide to IELTS Speaking, and the point on opinions from its IELTS Speaking page. All were last checked on 3 October 2026. The example answer was written for this page and is not from any test.

Frequently asked questions

What if I don't know much about the topic?

Most topics are general and suit test takers at every level. Your examiner will explain a term to you if you ask source: IDP.

Are my opinions marked?

No. You are not marked on your opinions, and there are no right or wrong answers source: British Council. The examiner is assessing how well you can use your English to report information and express ideas source: IDP.

Does Part 3 count more than the other parts?

You are rated on your average performance across all parts of the test source: ielts.org. The band descriptors give no separate weight to any one part.

Is the Part 3 topic always linked to Part 2?

Yes. The long turn topic is always related to the Part 3 topic area source: IDP. So the ideas from your Part 2 talk can help you here. If you do not understand a question, the Part 1 guide explains how to ask the examiner to repeat it.