IELTS Speaking Part 3: Discussion Topics, Tips, Questions with Answers
International English Language Testing System ( IELTS )
In the IELTS Speaking examination, the "discussion" aspect mainly applies to Part 3, for which the examiner conducts follow-up questions on what you had discussed in Speaking Part 2. This is part of the IELTS Discussion test that is meant to test your capacity for discussing abstract concepts, participating in a two-way conversation, and giving opinions, defending ideas, and investigating abstract matters. The IELTS Discussion will generally take 4–5 minutes, and there are approximately 4–6 questions that the examiner uses to evaluate the candidate's fluency, coherence, and critical thinking.
IELTS Discussion: What to Expect in Speaking Part 3
In IELTS Speaking Part 3 tests applicants based on Discussion which are follow up questions based on Part 2 by an examiner. To score high here, good communication skills are expected including speculating, evaluating situations, and justifying your opinions with clarity.
In IELTS Speaking Part 3, also called the IELTS Discussion round, you will:
- Engage in a deeper conversation with the examiner, lasting about 4–5 minutes.
- Answer follow-up questions based on your Part 2 response, along with some spontaneous or abstract questions.
- You must show that you possess advanced speaking skills like:
- Possible outcomes or scenarios can be speculated
- Evaluating opinions, issues, or solutions
- Justifying your viewpoint with logical reasoning and examples
- To sound confident try and give clear and structured answers
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Purpose of IELTS Speaking Part 3 Discussion and What It Measures
IELTS Speaking Part 3, also referred to as the IELTS Discussion round, is meant to test how well you can manage English complex ideas. It's not merely responding to questions in fact it's critically thinking, making arguments, and articulating opinions lucidly within time constraints.
What is Measured Here:
- Analytical Thinking: If applicants are able to justify their opinions logically. Also if there is potential to look beyond superficial answers.
- Opinion Justification: How they back up their ideas with reasons, comparisons or everyday examples.
- Fluency & Coherence: If their ideas flow smoothly with the right transitioning words.
- Lexical Resource: Level of vocabulary used, particularly topic-related words.
- Grammatical Range & Accuracy: If they can naturally use complex sentence structures.
As opposed to Part 1 (personal questions) and Part 2 (short speech), Part 3 tests your skill in "discussing" like a global communicator which is a valuable skill for life at school and at work.
Tip: Rehearse going more in-depth in a topic, not only responding but explain, compare, speculate, and clarify.
IELTS Speaking Test Overview: Part 1, 2 & 3
To perform well in IELTS Speaking Part 3, it's important to understand how it fits into the overall structure of the speaking test. While Speaking Part 1 warms you up with personal questions and Part 2 tests your ability to speak at length, Part 3 pushes you further, into a deeper, analytical discussion.
Here’s a quick comparison of all three parts to help you see how Part 3 differs and why it demands more critical thinking and fluency.
| Section | What It Tests | Format | Duration | Example Question |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1 – Introduction & Interview | Basic personal questions and everyday topics (Fluency, coherence, grammar) |
Q&A style (3–4 topics, 3–5 questions each) | 4–5 minutes | What do you do in your free time? Do you enjoy reading books? |
| Part 2 – Long Turn (Cue Card) | Ability to speak continuously on a topic (Fluency, organization, vocabulary) |
1-minute prep, 1–2 minutes speaking | 3–4 minutes | Describe a place you like to visit. Why do you like it? |
| Part 3 – Discussion | Critical thinking, expressing opinions, justifying ideas (Fluency, logic, depth) |
Follow-up questions related to Part 2 topic | 4–5 minutes | Do you think travel helps people understand cultures? Why/why not? |
🔍 IELTS Discussion – Key Speaking Functions with Examples
| Function | Useful Phrases | Sample IELTS Discussion Question | Example Answer Snippet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expressing Opinions | - From my point of view... - I think most people would agree that... - I’d like to point out that... |
Do you think money brings happiness? | From my point of view, money brings comfort, but not necessarily happiness. True joy comes from relationships. |
| Speculating | - It’s likely that... - There is a chance that... - I would assume that... |
What will education look like in 20 years? | It’s likely that most learning will be done online, with AI tutors and personalised content. |
| Agreeing/Disagreeing | - I couldn’t agree more... - I see your point, but... - That’s not always true... |
Some say technology isolates people. Do you agree? | I see your point, but I think it depends on how people use it. Technology can also connect distant families. |
| Comparing & Contrasting | - In contrast to... - Similar to... - As opposed to... |
How do city and rural life differ? | City life is fast-paced and full of opportunities. In contrast, rural life is peaceful but lacks resources. |
| Clarifying Questions | - Could you repeat that, please? - I’m not sure what you meant by... - Would you elaborate on that? |
[When a question is unclear] | I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch that. Could you repeat the question, please? |
| Using Transition Words | - Moreover... - Nevertheless... - Therefore... |
Why do people enjoy travelling? | Travelling is relaxing. Moreover, it exposes you to new cultures and helps you grow personally. |
1. Giving Opinions that Make an Impact
In Part 3, you're frequently asked for your own opinion. Don't merely tell what you believe — tell us why and provide examples where you can. Refrain from vague responses. The examiner is looking for reasons and clarity.
Why it matters:
Demonstrating your opinion demonstrates your capacity to organize and support arguments — a fundamental skill in higher-level spoken English.
2. Speculating and Hypothetical Discussion
Even when you don't know a thing exactly, speculation provides an entrance. Use modal verbs and hypothetical-thinking phrases.
3. Thoughtful Agreeing or Disagreeing
Don't answer yes or no simply instead, outline your agreement or disagreement in the form of examples, conditions or comparisons. This is where you show that you can have a significant conversation.
Why it matters:
This skill is necessary for showing natural conversational flow and argument-style thinking — very useful in IELTS Part 3.
4. Comparing Contrasting Ideas
You can expect to be asked to compare cities, lifestyles, education systems, etc. Have sufficient practice to indicate differences or similarities with appropriate phrases and links.
Common mistakes to avoid:
Listing the differences in a disorderly fashion. Use contrastive language to make smooth comparisons.
5. Clarify When You're Not Sure
If you don't understand asked question, politely request the examiner to repeat or clarify. It's perfectly okay but don't overdo it else it will show that you have poor listening skills.
Why it is helpful:
It provides you with time and ensures you're answering the right question — which is better than a guess.
6. Transition Words to Enhance Structure
Transition words are word glue — they make your sentences and ideas flow together. Use them to organize your ideas, mark cause-effect, compare ideas, or highlight.
IELTS Speaking Part 3 Discussion with Questions with Answers
For reference, a few IELTS Speaking topics on Discussion Questions Part 3 are mentioned below.
IELTS Speaking Part 3 Topic: Choosing Work & Work-Life Balance
What kinds of jobs do young people not want to do in your country?
Well, in my country, we have almost always had a big problem of unemployment among young people, and therefore, there aren’t exactly too many jobs that they don’t want to do. However, as far as I have found out, jobs like “outside sales”, “medical representatives” and other “service-oriented” jobs, that require longer hours of work, are not looked upon very favorably by the young adults in my country. They don’t also like “elementary teaching” jobs because they require a lot of patience (after all, teaching little kids can be really challenging).
Who is more capable of advising youth regarding the selection of a career: parents or teachers?
Is money always the most important thing when choosing a job?
No, I don’t really think that money is “always” ("always" is the keyword here) the most important thing, when choosing a job, primarily because money doesn’t always buy “happiness” or the “job satisfaction” no matter how much of it we really have. Besides, if I am being paid a lot of “money”, but what I do as a “job” is not considered to be “important”, then the chances are that I won’t be able to perform to my full potential despite my best intention. Money is an important thing for us to do a job, but I do not believe that it is the most important aspect of a job.
Do you agree that many people nowadays are under pressure to work longer hours and take less holiday?
Yes, many people are indeed under huge pressure nowadays to work longer hours and enjoy fewer holidays mainly because most of them are struggling to keep up with the soaring living expenses. Then, some people are under pressure to work extra hours also because they are simply being “exploited” by their employers. Then, there is another group of people who are under pressure to work longer hours because they want to meet their additional demand for more comfort and luxuries of life.
What is the impact on society of people having a poor work-life balance?
The impact of people having a poor work-life balance on society is multi-dimensional. In a society where people are either working too much or sitting idle for too long, there won’t be enough people to take responsibility to carry the nation forward to its full potential. Working too much would be without enough opportunity to relax with families and friends, the people in society would go through mental depression which, in turn, would result in inefficiency and less productivity at work. On the other hand, if people in a society are “sitting idle” for too long, the entire society would be negatively affected by crimes and other anti-social activities.
Could you recommend some effective strategies for governments and employers to ensure people have a good work-life balance?
Governments and employers can do several things to ensure a good work-life balance for the employees. First, employers can offer “flexibility” with work schedules, whenever possible, so that the employees can have little time to spend with their families and friends in between the work hours. Employers can also allow some “unpaid time off” (not getting paid for the off days) so that their staff can attend some fun and family events. As for the governments, they can create awareness among people by using different media outlets to highlight the benefits of a good work-life balance. Governments can also arrange for an “annual award” option for the companies/employers who actively work to promote “work-life” balance among their employees.
IELTS Discussion Questions for Speaking Part 3: Topic-Wise Practice List
IELTS Speaking Part 3 tests your ability to think critically, justify opinions, and discuss abstract ideas — not just speak fluently. To score high, you need real practice with actual discussion themes. Find the list of questions or topics commonly tested on IELTS Discussion (Speaking Part 3).
1. Love, Dating & Marriage
- If you are 35 years old and unmarried, would you still wait for your true love? Why?
- Who will pay for the wedding costs? Man, woman or both? Why?
- What do you think is the best age to get married?
- Do you think weddings in your country waste a lot of money?
- At what age do most people in your country get married?
- Does getting married mean giving up your freedom?
- Is it okay for a couple to live together before getting married? Why or Why not?
- Is it better to be single or to be married?
- Is it OK to marry someone from a different religion?
- Is it OK for a man to have two wives?
- Do people change after getting married?
- What makes a happy marriage?
- What is the most important ingredient in a happy marriage?
- What are some advantages of an international marriage?
- Is it good for children to have parents from two different countries? Why?
- Do you think that gays should be allowed to marry?
2. Advertising
- How do advertisements attract attention?
- Do young and old people show the same attitude towards advertisements?
- Are advertisements a good or bad influence on children?
- Do advertisements actually influence people to buy things? How?
- What are the harmful and beneficial effects of advertising?
- Do you think advertising should be allowed to interrupt TV or radio programs? What are the alternatives?
- What are the different methods of advertising?
- What is the most popular way of advertising?
- Do you think that ads create a desire for more and more material possessions?
3. Animals & Pets
- Do you think animals have feelings and rights? (Why?/Why not?)
- Some people breed animals such as dogs for money. How do you feel about that?
- Do you think there should be laws to protect the welfare of pets and farm animals? (For example, laws against cruel treatment.) Why?/Why not?
- Are there any wild animals in your country that are not found in any other country?
- Are there any animal reserves in your country where wild animals can live with protection?
- How do people feel about the protection of wild animals?
- Have you seen any TV programs about animals?
- What should we do to protect endangered animals?
- Why do some people refuse to eat animals?
- What would happen when some species disappear from the earth?
- Do you think it is right to keep wild animals in captivity all their life?
- How do you feel about the use of animals for medical research?
- Is it morally right to spend a lot of money on pets, rather than helping people in need?
- What can children learn by having a pet?
- What can people learn from animals?
- Why do some people not like pets?
- What are the pros and cons of keeping a pet?
- Are there laws regarding hunting, in your country?
4. Law
- Do you think that people obey the law all the time?
- Do people like being a policeman in your country?
- What qualities should a police officer have?
- Why do some people prefer to be a lawyer over being a policeman?
5. School subjects
- Can computers help us with math?
- What methods can be applied to make math class more interesting?
- How do schools teach math in your country?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of using a calculator?
- Do you think students should be able to choose the subjects they like?
- What subject would be added to high school?
- Which is the most useful subject?
- Can the students in your country choose their favourite subjects?
6. Cellphones
- For children, from what age do you think it becomes suitable for them to use cellphones?
- Is it common for children to use cellphones in your country?
- What do teenagers in your country use cellphones for?
- What are the advantages/disadvantages of using a cellphone?
- Why are so many people addicted to social apps?
7. City & Countryside
- What are the advantages of living in the countryside?
- What are the disadvantages of living in the countryside?
- What kinds of people live in the countryside?
- What do people living in the countryside like to do?
- How has life changed over time in the countryside?
- Do you think it is better to live in the city or in the countryside?
- Do you think landmarks make a city more famous, why?
- What interesting things can we do in big cities?
- What’s the difference between living in the city and in the countryside?
8. Music
- Why do you think that some local singers or musicians aren’t as successful as some from other countries?
- Do you think the Internet has affected the music industry? In what ways?
- Do you think there will be further changes in the music industry in the future?
- Do you think the music young people listen to in your country is becoming more globalized? Why/Why not?
9.Handwriting
- Is handwriting still important?
- Is it possible to improve a student’s handwriting after years?
- Is being left-handed the cause of the problem?
- Are handwriting problems more common in boys?
- What is the future of handwriting?
- Do you think that handwriting expresses the personality?
10. Weather
- Do you think the weather has an influence on people’s mood?
- How do you feel about the climate in recent years?
- What can we do to stop the greenhouse effect?
- What are the possible results if the temperature continues going up?
- What do people usually do in winter?
- What are the new jobs that comes up in extreme weather ?
- How do people find it, to work in extremely cold or hot weather?
- How do extremely cold or hot weathers help people?
- Do children enjoy extremely cold weather?
Scoring Criteria for IELTS Speaking Part 3 Discussion Explained
In IELTS Speaking Part 3, you're graded using four official criteria — the same ones used across all speaking parts. However, in Part 3, the expectation is higher because the questions are more complex and demand deeper thinking.
Here’s how each scoring criterion works:
| Band Descriptor | What It Means in Part 3 | How to Score High |
|---|---|---|
| Fluency & Coherence | Ability to speak smoothly, logically, and without long pauses. | ✔️ Avoid fillers (like "umm", "you know") ✔️ Use linking words ("however", "for instance") |
| Lexical Resource | Range and accuracy of vocabulary used — including topic-specific words and expressions. | ✔️ Use precise, varied vocabulary ✔️ Avoid repeating basic words like "good", "bad" |
| Grammatical Range & Accuracy | Use of a variety of sentence structures with minimal errors. | ✔️ Mix simple, compound, and complex sentences ✔️ Use correct tenses consistently |
| Pronunciation | Clarity, stress, and intonation — how well you're understood. | ✔️ Speak clearly and naturally ✔️ Use proper sentence rhythm and stress patterns |
💡 Note: IELTS Speaking Part 3 is where examiners really expect to see academic-level communication. Use this chance to show that you can think, speak, and argue like a Band 8–9 candidate.
Band 9 Sample Answer for IELTS Speaking Part 3 Discussion with Scoring Breakdown
Statement of Purpose
Letter of Recommendation
Student Visa Application
Admission Essay Writing
Student Curriculum Vitae
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