Part 3 of the IELTS speaking test is called the discussion. The examiner will ask you questions which are linked to the topic that you spoke about in part 2 (The Long Turn). These questions are however more in-depth than in part 1 and will often be about other people in society and not about you.
Read on and I’ll tell you about the main types of questions that the examiner often asks in IELTS speaking part 3.
These are the most common types of IELTS speaking part 3 questions, there are others but these do come up time and time again.
Solution Questions
These questions ask you for a solution to a problem. You need to suggest a solution, maybe give a reason or even an example or two.
How can children become more independent?(solution)
How can governments cut down traffic in
cities? (solution)
How can governments encourage people to do more exercise? (solution)
Opinion Questions
These are questions that are asking about your opinion, and what you think about something. It is a great idea to back your ideas up with examples, this can give you more to say, stop you repeating yourself and even make you more coherent.
Does hard work guarantee success? (opinion)
Why do some people like to watch talent shows? (Opinion)
Do young people spend too much time on the internet (Opinion)
Types of… questions
Some questions will ask you about different types of something. This is a great opportunity for you to show your vocabulary on a subject and also how well you can structure your answer.
What are the different news sources today? (Types of..)
What types of leisure activities are popular in your country? (types of…)
What types of people are famous in your country? (Types of…)
Prediction Questions
Sometimes they will ask you to make a prediction about the future. Obviously, you don’t know how things will change in the future, but give your best guess and don’t forget to give your reason why and even an example.
Do you think online shopping will ever totally replace shopping in stores? (Predicting)
Will people have more free time in the future? (predicting)
How will people get the news in the future? (predicting)
Compare And Contrast Questions
Some questions in part 3 will ask you to compare and contrast 2 things or to talk about the advantages or disadvantages of them. These could be two objects, technologies, groups of people or even things at certain times.
What are the differences between homes in the city and those in the suburbs?
(compare)
In what ways do young people see fashion differently than older people do?
(Compare)
What are the differences in the homes people live in nowadays compared to the past?
(Compare)
Advantages & Disadvantage Questions
Some questions will ask about the advantages and disadvantages of something, some will just ask about the advantages.
What are the advantages of being
famous? (advantages)
What are the disadvantages of living in a
big city?
(Disadvantage)
What are the advantages and disadvantages
of living in an apartment?
(Advantages & Disadvantage)
To find the latest IELTS speaking question follow this link.