IELTS Speaking Part 3 – Techniques and Samples

IELTS Speaking Part 3 lasts about 4 – 5 minutes, and you will be asked 4 – 8 questions. The IELTS examiner asks questions related to the topic in part 2, and you have to give detailed answers.

Unlike IELTS Speaking Part 1, you will need to provide a long and details answers.

Don’ts in the IELTS Speaking Part 3

Don’t think to tell something which will match with the IELTS examiner’s ideas. You can talk about your views, even if you feel like the IELTS examiner won’t like them. There is no criterion to mark your opinions during the speaking test.
Giving memorised answers is not a good idea. You should not provide answers that you have prepared beforehand. The examiner will figure it out from the speed at which you talk, your words and also your pronunciation. This way, you might even end up giving irrelevant answers which will result in a low score. That is why you should not prepare any answers at all! It is better to work on your speaking skills. So, talk and listen to native speakers and improve your vocabulary.
Don’t give short answers like in part 1. You should provide long and explained answers with 3 or 4 sentences. Try to give some reasons that will define your specific point of view. You can also conclude your speech with your last sentence.
Don’t try to overdo it! If you want to use a fancy word, make sure that you know the exact meaning of it; otherwise, that might reduce your score. If you use a word, you are not very familiar with; you will more likely use it in the wrong context. It will be out of place, and the examiner will reduce your score. Thus, it is better to talk in the words you are comfortable with and use in your everyday life.

Do’s in the IELTS Speaking Part 3

Speak and explain your ideas with confidence. Even if you are not sure whether your notions are good enough or not, you can still get a band 9. The examiner pays more attention to your fluency and pronunciation. Moreover, they focus on your usage of a wide range of appropriate vocabulary. Your ability to produce error-free sentences is important as well.
If you do not understand the question, ask the examiner to repeat it. In this case, you might say: “Could you please repeat the question?” It is better to understand what exactly you are asked from the very beginning than shy away from it and end up giving an irrelevant answer. Do ask if something is unclear: we are all human!
You may need some time to think before answering the question. It is okay to ask for a couple of seconds to collect your thoughts. During this time, you can think of an answer. Try to figure out how to connect your ideas and get ready to give a confident speech.

Techniques to Answer IELTS Speaking Part 3 Questions

There are various types of questions in the IELTS Speaking Part 3. Yet, you can use an effective technique to answer any type of question from part 3. Keep in mind that receiving a good score requires you to give your ideas.

Give a direct answer to the question.
Define the reason behind your specific point of view.
Give an example to support your point. It’s also okay to discuss your life experiences.
Conclude with a sentence by connecting your ideas and examples to the matter of the question.

The method described above is a truly effective way of answering the questions from the IELTS Speaking Part 3.

Using The Technique – Example

The question below is taken from Cambridge 10 for IELTS, Test 1.

What abilities do people most want to have today?

For instance, you could answer this using the above technique:

I guess nowadays people want to have skills in technology because it helps them have an exciting job and get a competitive salary. For example, a friend of mine wants to study different programming languages. He believes that he could have a decent job with a high wage.

In this example, we use the first sentence to answer the question and clarify our opinion. The second sentence is used to give an example. And the last sentence concludes the example with the given view.

How to study further?

Try to speak as much as you can. Ask your native speaker friend to talk to you. If you don’t have a native-speaker friend, you could hire a private tutor. It works best if you find a tutor who can hold classes through Skype or other online platforms. This way, you can ask a question whenever you have one and get a response in an instant.
Listen to broadcast channels such as BBC and CNN. You will learn many new words and listen to the proper pronunciation of those as well. You will also get used to English speech. The more you listen to an English speaker, the better you will be able to talk.
Improve your vocabulary and grammar, each of which makes up 25% of the total score of the speaking test. One of the best ways to advance your grammar and enrich your vocabulary is reading. So, read as many books and articles in English as you can.
Make sure to practice with the sample tests from official Cambridge books. It is crucial to get familiar with questions from the official sources. You should practice a lot and take as many sample tests as possible. It will help you get used to the format of the test and be more confident during the real exam.

IELTS Speaking Part 3 – How are you assessed?

Your answers will be assessed, according to the four criteria, which are the following:

Fluency and coherence

This criterion refers to the speed at which you talk, and how you connect your ideas on your feet. Make sure to give relevant answers to the questions.

Lexical resource

The examiners will pay attention to the range of your vocabulary and how well you use it. You should be able to have enough vocabulary to speak in a free and confident tone without awkward pauses and errors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

It is important to know many grammatical structures and be able to use them appropriately. You should be able to connect your sentences and ideas correctly and coherently.

Pronunciation

It would be best if you talked in a tone, pitch, and pace that is clear to everyone. Please note, your accent does not matter, and there is no assessment criterion for it. You don’t need to talk in British or Australian accent to achieve a high band. What you need is to pronounce the words clearly and be rhetorically effective.

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