Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS General Training Speaking Test 3 (Online Test)

Part 1 · Question 2

Do you like things to stay the same?

Aim for 40–60 words, roughly 20–30 seconds.

Answer the question directly in the first sentence, add the reason behind it, then finish on one concrete detail from your own life. Do not stop after three words, and do not turn it into a speech.

• What springs to mind is …
• …, and that is fairly typical where I am from.
• If I had to pick one, it would be …

Part 1 · Question 3

How well do you deal with unexpected change?

Aim for 40–60 words, roughly 20–30 seconds.

Answer the question directly in the first sentence, add the reason behind it, then finish on one concrete detail from your own life. Do not stop after three words, and do not turn it into a speech.

Pick up and paraphrase: unexpected, change

• It depends, but generally …
• …, whereas ten years ago it was quite different.
• A good example of that would be …

Part 1 · Question 4

Has your city changed much since you were a child?

Aim for 40–60 words, roughly 20–30 seconds.

Answer the question directly in the first sentence, add the reason behind it, then finish on one concrete detail from your own life. Do not stop after three words, and do not turn it into a speech.

Pick up and paraphrase: changed, since, child

• I would say so, yes, mainly because …
• …, at least that has been my experience.
• On the other hand, some people would argue …

Part 1 · Question 5

Would you move to another country for work?

Aim for 40–60 words, roughly 20–30 seconds.

Answer the question directly in the first sentence, add the reason behind it, then finish on one concrete detail from your own life. Do not stop after three words, and do not turn it into a speech.

Pick up and paraphrase: country

• Not particularly, no — the thing is …
• …, which makes a real difference day to day.
• That said, I can see why others might …

Part 1 · Question 6

Is change usually good for people?

Aim for 40–60 words, roughly 20–30 seconds.

Answer the question directly in the first sentence, add the reason behind it, then finish on one concrete detail from your own life. Do not stop after three words, and do not turn it into a speech.

Pick up and paraphrase: change, usually

• To be honest, …
• …, which is something I have always found useful.
• The main reason for that is …

Part 1 · Question 7

What are your plans for this weekend?

Aim for 40–60 words, roughly 20–30 seconds.

Answer the question directly in the first sentence, add the reason behind it, then finish on one concrete detail from your own life. Do not stop after three words, and do not turn it into a speech.

Pick up and paraphrase: plans, weekend

• What springs to mind is …
• …, and that is fairly typical where I am from.
• If I had to pick one, it would be …

Part 1 · Question 8

Do you plan your trips a long time ahead?

Aim for 40–60 words, roughly 20–30 seconds.

Answer the question directly in the first sentence, add the reason behind it, then finish on one concrete detail from your own life. Do not stop after three words, and do not turn it into a speech.

Pick up and paraphrase: trips, ahead

• It depends, but generally …
• …, whereas ten years ago it was quite different.
• A good example of that would be …

Part 1 · Question 9

Who do you make plans with most often?

Aim for 40–60 words, roughly 20–30 seconds.

Answer the question directly in the first sentence, add the reason behind it, then finish on one concrete detail from your own life. Do not stop after three words, and do not turn it into a speech.

Pick up and paraphrase: plans

• I would say so, yes, mainly because …
• …, at least that has been my experience.
• On the other hand, some people would argue …

Part 1 · Question 10

How do you feel when plans are cancelled?

Aim for 40–60 words, roughly 20–30 seconds.

Answer the question directly in the first sentence, add the reason behind it, then finish on one concrete detail from your own life. Do not stop after three words, and do not turn it into a speech.

Pick up and paraphrase: plans, cancelled

• Not particularly, no — the thing is …
• …, which makes a real difference day to day.
• That said, I can see why others might …

Part 1 · Question 11

Would you rather plan everything or leave things open?

Aim for 40–60 words, roughly 20–30 seconds.

Answer the question directly in the first sentence, add the reason behind it, then finish on one concrete detail from your own life. Do not stop after three words, and do not turn it into a speech.

Pick up and paraphrase: rather, everything, leave

• To be honest, …
• …, which is something I have always found useful.
• The main reason for that is …

Part 1 · Question 12

Do plans usually work out the way people expect?

Aim for 40–60 words, roughly 20–30 seconds.

Answer the question directly in the first sentence, add the reason behind it, then finish on one concrete detail from your own life. Do not stop after three words, and do not turn it into a speech.

Pick up and paraphrase: plans, usually, expect

• What springs to mind is …
• …, and that is fairly typical where I am from.
• If I had to pick one, it would be …

Part 1 · Question 13

What would you like to achieve in the next five years?

Aim for 40–60 words, roughly 20–30 seconds.

Answer the question directly in the first sentence, add the reason behind it, then finish on one concrete detail from your own life. Do not stop after three words, and do not turn it into a speech.

Pick up and paraphrase: achieve, years

• It depends, but generally …
• …, whereas ten years ago it was quite different.
• A good example of that would be …

Part 1 · Question 14

Did you have a clear ambition as a child?

Aim for 40–60 words, roughly 20–30 seconds.

Answer the question directly in the first sentence, add the reason behind it, then finish on one concrete detail from your own life. Do not stop after three words, and do not turn it into a speech.

Pick up and paraphrase: clear, ambition, child

• I would say so, yes, mainly because …
• …, at least that has been my experience.
• On the other hand, some people would argue …

Part 2 · Question 15

Describe a wild animal that you have seen in its natural surroundings.

Aim for 180–220 words — the full two-minute long turn.

Use the one minute of preparation to jot a word per bullet. Take the bullets in the order they are printed, spend the most time on the last one, and close by answering the final line of the card. Keep talking until the examiner stops you.

Pick up and paraphrase: animal, natural, surroundings

• Not particularly, no — the thing is …
• …, which makes a real difference day to day.
• That said, I can see why others might …

Part 3 · Question 16

Why has wildlife disappeared so quickly from farmed landscapes?

Aim for 80–110 words, roughly 40–60 seconds.

Give your position, justify it, illustrate it with a general example rather than a personal story, then acknowledge the other side. Part 3 rewards discussion, not autobiography.

Pick up and paraphrase: wildlife, disappeared, quickly

• To be honest, …
• …, which is something I have always found useful.
• The main reason for that is …

Part 3 · Question 17

What can an ordinary household do to help local wildlife?

Aim for 80–110 words, roughly 40–60 seconds.

Give your position, justify it, illustrate it with a general example rather than a personal story, then acknowledge the other side. Part 3 rewards discussion, not autobiography.

Pick up and paraphrase: ordinary, household, local

• What springs to mind is …
• …, and that is fairly typical where I am from.
• If I had to pick one, it would be …

Part 3 · Question 18

Are zoos still justifiable in the twenty-first century?

Aim for 80–110 words, roughly 40–60 seconds.

Give your position, justify it, illustrate it with a general example rather than a personal story, then acknowledge the other side. Part 3 rewards discussion, not autobiography.

Pick up and paraphrase: still, justifiable, twenty-first

• It depends, but generally …
• …, whereas ten years ago it was quite different.
• A good example of that would be …

Part 3 · Question 19

How should a country decide which species to spend money protecting?

Aim for 80–110 words, roughly 40–60 seconds.

Give your position, justify it, illustrate it with a general example rather than a personal story, then acknowledge the other side. Part 3 rewards discussion, not autobiography.

Pick up and paraphrase: country, decide, species

• I would say so, yes, mainly because …
• …, at least that has been my experience.
• On the other hand, some people would argue …

Part 3 · Question 20

What is the value of wildlife documentaries in changing public attitudes?

Aim for 80–110 words, roughly 40–60 seconds.

Give your position, justify it, illustrate it with a general example rather than a personal story, then acknowledge the other side. Part 3 rewards discussion, not autobiography.

Pick up and paraphrase: value, wildlife, documentaries

• Not particularly, no — the thing is …
• …, which makes a real difference day to day.
• That said, I can see why others might …

Part 3 · Question 21

Can humans and large wild animals really share the same territory?

Aim for 80–110 words, roughly 40–60 seconds.

Give your position, justify it, illustrate it with a general example rather than a personal story, then acknowledge the other side. Part 3 rewards discussion, not autobiography.

Pick up and paraphrase: humans, large, animals

• To be honest, …
• …, which is something I have always found useful.
• The main reason for that is …