IELTS Speaking Part 3: Two-Way Discussion

Abstract questions, deliberate disagreement, and the part of the test where a strong candidate finally gets to show what they can do.

1. What Part 3 Is

The examiner takes the Part 2 topic and moves it away from your own life towards society, trends and abstractions. It lasts four to five minutes and is a genuine two-way discussion.

2. Format and Timing

Feature	Detail
Time	4–5 minutes
Link to Part 2	Same broad topic, treated abstractly
Question style	Analytical — compare, speculate, evaluate
Preparation time	None

3. What Is Actually Tested

Explaining opinions, analysing, discussing and speculating. This is the part that distinguishes a 6.5 from an 8, because it demands the conditional, comparative and hedging language the earlier parts never force out of you.

The examiner may disagree with you deliberately. That is a prompt to defend or qualify your position, not a signal that you were wrong.

4. Strategies That Work

Answer about people in general, not about yourself. Part 3 has left your biography behind.
Give a position, a reason and a qualification: generally yes, although in rural areas it is different.
Use hedging — it tends to, in most cases, arguably. It signals control, not uncertainty.
Take a second to think. A short pause reads better than filler.
When challenged, concede the reasonable part and hold the rest.

5. Worked Example

Part 3 discussion questions

Topic: Living Conditions

Do you think it’s better to rent or to buy a place to live in?
How easy is it to find a place to live in your country?
Do you agree that there is a right age for young adults to stop living with their parents?
What options are available to young couples looking for accommodation in your country?

These are not questions about you. They are questions about people in general, and they want a position, a reason and a qualification — it depends on, although, in most cases.

6. Common Mistakes

Answering personally when the question is about society.
Abandoning a position as soon as the examiner pushes back.
Giving Part 1 length answers to Part 3 questions.
Filling every pause with you know instead of thinking.

7. Questions People Ask

What if I have no opinion on the topic?

Give a balanced answer — some people think X, others Y, and it depends on Z. A considered non-position is fully creditable.

Is Part 3 harder than Part 2?

Linguistically, usually yes. It demands abstract and conditional language that the cue card does not.

How long should my answers be?

Longer than Part 1 — roughly three to five sentences, developed with reasons.

Practise this task with real material on the IELTS Speaking samples page, or review how it is marked on the Speaking scoring page.

Written by Kirill O'Nayd

IELTS expert and educator at TestSucceed, with over a decade of experience preparing candidates for the Academic and General Training modules. Author of the Complete IELTS Preparation Course on Udemy ★★★★★★4.7