The Exam >> IELTS Speaking Part 3

In Part 3 of the IELTS interview, which lasts between 4-5 minutes, you will participate in a discussion with the examiner based on the topic in Part 2. The examiner is likely to ask you questions based on your experience or opinion of the subject.

Example Questions:

Topic = Sport you watch or participate in

Q: How important is it for young people to be involved in sport?

Q: Which sports are particulalry popular in your country?

Q: What would you recommend to someone thinking about taking up a new sporting interest?

Topic = Somebody who has been an important friend to you

Q: Why are friends so important to us?

Q: Which qualities do you most value in a friend?

Q: Is it common to have a ‘best friend’ as we get older?

Part 3: Top Tips!

a) Again, avoid short, ‘yes’, ‘no’ answers.
b) Use personal anecdotes to help yourself make a point or express an opinion.
c) Use expressions to allow yourself time to think. For example:

“That’s a good question …”

“‘Well, let me think …”

d) Refer to stories in the news to help make a point .

Part 3: Troubleshooting

Many non-native speakers about to attend an IELTS interview are understandably worried about making mistakes in their use of English. So how important is it to be accurate and should you try to self-correct any mistakes you make?

The fact that you have a good level of English will certainly be an asset and the interviewer will be reassured if you can speak clearly and reasonably accurately. Self-correction is a good way of showing the interviewer that you’re aware of having made a mistake. However, don’t go mad trying to correct each and every error! Remember, you should also be demonstrating your fluency skills as well. Monitoring your speech TOO closely and self-correcting every mistake will slow you down and make you sound rather hesitant.

Remember this: the interviewer will be interested in WHAT you have to say as well as how you say it so try to concentrate on this fact and worry less about speaking ‘perfect’ English!

Prepare for Part 3

Visit our IELTS Vocabulary section to learn some useful vocabulary for Part 3.