Category: Part 3
IELTS Speaking Practice Test 3: Family
Part 1 (4-5 minutes)
How large or small is your family?
What you do together as a family?
Who are you closest to in your family?
Is yours a typical family?
Are there many different types of family in your country?
Part 2 (3-4 minutes)
You have 1 minute to read the instructions in the box and prepare an answer. You can make notes. After your preparation time has ended, please speak for 1 to 2 minutes on this topic.
Describe a famous family in your country
You should say:
Who the family members are
How you know about them
Whether they get on well together
And say if you would like to be a member of this family
Follow-up question: Does your family resemble this one?
Part 3 (4-5 minutes)
Family members
What characteristics do elder siblings often have?
Is it better to grow up in a small family or a large extended family?
What role do grandparents play in a family?
Family values
Which are more important: family or friends?
What do you think about single parent families?
Should people be more accepting of alternative family types?
Click here to download a PDF version of this IELTS Speaking practice test for classroom use.
IELTS Speaking Part 3: 50 Practice Questions by Topic
Role models
- Which type of people are respected most in your society?
- Do you agree with this situation?
- What happens when young people lack good role models?
- What standards of behaviour should teachers set?
- Do you agree that you should never meet your heroes?
Travel and transport
- How easy is it to travel around your country?
- Which method of travel do you consider safest?
- Has travel become safer in recent years?
- What are the pros and cons of low-cost air travel?
- How do you think people will travel in the future?
Universities
- Is higher education too expensive in your country?
- Should all students pay for their university education?
- What advantages do universities bring to society?
- Which is more important, research or teaching?
- How should students spend their summer vacations?
Sports and competition
- Why are some sports fans so passionate?
- Is there any violence at sporting events in your country?
- Should athletes be better role models?
- What benefits do international sporting events bring?
- Is it important for a country to win lots of medals?
Leadership and politics
- Do you think people are born to be leaders?
- Can leadership skills be taught?
- Why are elected politicians often so unpopular?
- What should a leader do to remain popular?
- Do you think unelected heads of state are a good idea?
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IELTS Speaking Part 1: Useful Language
In the interview part of the IELTS Speaking test, you’re simply asked questions about yourself and other familiar topics. The examiner will be listening for how well you express yourself in a few words or sentences.
Of course, you should try to do more than simply answer the question if you want to achieve a high score. The following useful language will give you ideas for expanding an answer by talking about the past, present and future. It will also help you speak more fluently and with an awareness of collocation and idiomatic speech. Some idiomatic expressions are explained in parentheses.
Asking for repetition
- Could you say that again?
- I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that.
- Did you say ( )?
Stalling for time
- Well, let me see.
- In my case, …
- Hmm, I’d have to say …
Saying something negative
- I’m sorry but …
- I’m afraid (to say that) …
- To be (perfectly) honest, …
Giving an example
- For example, …
- A good example is …
- Maybe you’ve heard of …
Describing frequency
- Every other day, … (= Frequently)
- Once in a while, … (= Occasionally)
- Once in a blue moon, … (= Rarely)
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IELTS Speaking Part 3: Useful Language
For most people, the discussion is the toughest part of the IELTS Speaking test. Remember though, you’re NOT required to demonstrate any special knowledge of the topics discussed. The examiner is listening for how well you connect your ideas, expand your answers and cope with difficulty when it arises. The following useful language will help you speak with more fluency and coherence, which together are worth 25% of your speaking score in IELTS.
Asking for help
- Could you say that in other words?
- I’m not sure what you mean exactly.
- Do you mean ( )?
Stalling for time
- That’s a(n) interesting/tough/difficult question.
- I don’t know much about this issue but …
- I’ve never really thought about it before but …
Giving an opinion
- Well, I think/suppose/would say …
- … for two/several reasons.
- I think most people would agree that …
Self-correcting
- Or rather …
- I mean …
- Or, should I say …
Rephrasing
- What I mean is …
- What I want to say is …
- What I’m trying to say is …
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IELTS Speaking: Emergency Language
In the Speaking module of IELTS, you may be asked a question you don’t understand. In such situations, you CAN ask for help from the examiner. The kind of help you will be given depends on the part of the test:
- In Part 1, the examiner can ONLY repeat the question.
- In Part 2, the examiner can answer your questions during the preparation time.
- In Part 3, the examiner can help you to understand the question.
The following useful language will enable you to get the help you need.
When you don’t hear the question
- I’m sorry, could you repeat that please?
- I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that.
- Would you mind saying that again?
When you don’t understand a particular word
- What does ( ) mean?
- Does ( ) mean ( )?
- Sorry, I’m not sure what ( ) means.
When you don’t understand the question
- I’m sorry, what do you mean exactly?
- Could you say that in other words?
- I’m afraid I’m not quite sure what you mean.
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IELTS Speaking Practice Test 2: Work
Part 1 (4-5 minutes)
Do you have a job right now?
What kind of work would you like to do in the future?
What qualifications are required for this job?
How many hours would you like to work each week?
Do you consider it important to have a career?
Part 2 (3-4 minutes)
You have 1 minute to read the instructions below and prepare an answer. You can make notes. After your preparation time has ended, please speak for 1 to 2 minutes on this topic.
Describe a job that you consider highly important
You should say:
what the job is
what the job involves
why it is important
and explain if people who do this job are appreciated enough by society
Follow-up question: Would you consider doing this job yourself?
Part 3 (4-5 minutes)
Jobs in your country
What jobs are most popular among young people these days?
Are there enough jobs for people who want to do this kind of work?
Is it easier to change jobs now than in the past?
Careers
Do people usually choose the right career?
Is it a good idea to leave a secure job in order to pursue a dream?
What career advice should be given to young people?
Click here to download a PDF version of this IELTS Speaking practice test for classroom use.
IELTS Speaking Practice Test 1: Childhood
PART 1 (4-5 minutes)
Where did you grow up?
Was that a good place to grow up?
What do you remember most about growing up?
What kind of child were you?
Did you ever get into trouble at home or school?
Do you miss anything about your childhood?
PART 2 (3-4 minutes)
You have 1 minute to read the instructions below and prepare an answer. You can make notes. After your preparation time has ended, please speak for 1 to 2 minutes on this topic.
Describe your best friend during childhood.
You should say:
who the person was
why you became friends
what you used to do together
and explain if you keep in touch with your friend now.
PART 3 (4-5 minutes)
Childhood friends
Do children find it easy to make friends?
Why do some people grow apart from their childhood friends?
Is it better for children to have a few close friends, or many?
Childhood changes
Has the image of childhood changed in your country?
At what age do children become adults?
Do you think children should be treated the same as adults?
Click here to download a PDF version of this IELTS Speaking practice test for classroom use.
IELTS Speaking: 10 Common Mistakes to Avoid
1. Silence
Different cultures have different attitudes to silence, but for English speakers the attitude is one of near-zero tolerance. It’s fine to hesitate for a few seconds before speaking or between ideas, but silences of longer than five seconds will go down badly. Happily, there’s a solution to this problem and that’s to learn some filler expressions such as That’s a tough question and Let me see.
2. Memorised answers
The examiner is very likely to notice if you try to recite an answer from memory, and there is a penalty for this. The telltale signs of a memorised answer include speaking in a ‘written’ style of English, unnatural intonation, and the candidate attempting to ‘rephrase’ the question to the one they want to answer. Any questions you try to memorise answers to are very unlikely to be asked, so it is much more effective to practice speaking about a wide range of topics before you take the test.
3. Overuse of transition signals
It’s helpful to use a few signposting words like first, for example or on the other hand. But if you overload your speech with these you could actually damage your score. Sounding natural, not like a signposting robot, should be your goal in IELTS Speaking. There are also many words characteristic of formal writing such as furthermore, moreover and in addition that are hardly ever used in speech and could actually make you sound less natural if you say them.
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IELTS Speaking, Part 3: Practice Questions with Sample Answers
Today we will look at six example questions from Part 3 of the Speaking module of IELTS. The questions cover the three topics introduced in our Part 2 practice, and include a variety of question types: Indicate a preference; Yes/No; Agree/Disagree; Open-ended. Try answering these questions yourself first and then compare the sample answers below with your own. Remember to expand your answers as much as possible.
Questions 1 & 2
Is it better to make important life decisions on your own or is it better to consult other people?
Do you think good decision-making can be taught?
Questions 3 & 4
Is watching TV a good way of forgetting about work or study?
Should coworkers also spend their leisure time together?
Questions 5 & 6
Do you agree that English should be the main language of international exchange?
What are the difficulties in creating a universal language?
See below for sample answers and analysis
