IELTS Speaking Part 3: Making decisions
7 Part 3 discussion questions on making decisions, with developed sample answers of the kind Part 3 expects.
Do you think children sometimes have to make important decisions?
Yes, I think children do face important decisions, even if they seem small compared with adult ones. From a fairly young age, they have to make choices about things like which hobbies to pursue, which friends to spend time with, and how to divide their time between studying and playing. As they grow older, these decisions become more significant, such as which subjects to focus on at school. While these may appear trivial to adults, they can have a real impact on a child's development and future. Allowing children to make some decisions themselves is actually beneficial, as it builds their confidence and sense of responsibility. Of course, they still need guidance for the bigger choices. So yes, decision-making is very much part of childhood.
What important decisions do young people need to make after the completion of high school?
After finishing high school, young people are suddenly confronted with some of the most consequential decisions of their lives. The most obvious is whether to continue on to university and, if so, which subject and institution to choose, since this can shape their entire career path. Alternatively, some must decide whether to enter the workforce directly, pursue vocational training, or perhaps take a gap year to travel and gain experience. Many also have to think about whether to move away from home, which raises questions of independence and finances. These choices are daunting precisely because they carry long-term implications and are often made with limited life experience. This is why guidance from parents, teachers and mentors is so valuable at this stage. Ultimately, it's a pivotal moment that sets the direction for adulthood.
Who can children turn to for help when making a decision?
Children have several sources of support they can rely on when facing a decision. Parents are usually the first port of call, as they know their children best and can offer both emotional support and practical advice based on experience. Teachers are another valuable resource, particularly for decisions related to education and future careers. Older siblings and other relatives can also provide guidance, sometimes feeling more approachable than parents. As children grow, friends increasingly become people they confide in, though peer advice isn't always the most reliable. In more serious cases, school counsellors or mentors can offer professional, impartial help. Ideally, children should learn to weigh advice from several trusted sources rather than depending on just one, as this helps them gradually develop their own judgement.
How do people make important decisions?
People approach important decisions in a variety of ways, though most involve some degree of careful thought. A common method is to weigh up the pros and cons, listing the potential benefits and drawbacks of each option to see which comes out ahead. Many also gather as much relevant information as they can and seek advice from people they trust before committing. Some rely heavily on logic and rational analysis, while others follow their gut instinct and emotions. Past experience plays a big role too, as people tend to learn from decisions they've made before. Time pressure and personal values inevitably shape the process as well. In the end, the soundest decisions usually come from combining rational analysis with a degree of intuition.
What are the advantages of advertising?
Advertising offers a number of genuine advantages for both businesses and consumers. For companies, it's an essential tool for raising awareness of their products and reaching a wide audience, which ultimately drives sales and supports economic growth. For consumers, advertising is informative, keeping people up to date on new products, services and special offers they might otherwise never hear about. It also allows people to compare different options and make more informed purchasing decisions. On a broader level, advertising funds a great deal of free content, from television programmes to online platforms and newspapers. It can even be used for positive social purposes, such as public-health or safety campaigns. So while it's often criticised, advertising does play a useful and sometimes beneficial role in society.
Do you think the influence of advertising is good?
That's a genuinely two-sided issue, and my honest view is that advertising's influence is a mixed blessing. On the positive side, it informs consumers, stimulates the economy and funds many free services we enjoy every day. However, it also has some clear downsides. Advertising frequently encourages excessive consumerism, persuading people to buy things they don't really need and fuelling materialism. It can also be misleading, exaggerating a product's benefits or creating unrealistic expectations, which is particularly worrying when children are the target. Furthermore, the constant bombardment of adverts can be intrusive and manipulative, playing on people's insecurities. So while advertising has its benefits, I believe its influence needs to be regulated to protect consumers from its more harmful effects.
Do you think advertisements can influence our decisions when shopping?
Yes, without a doubt, advertisements have a powerful influence on our shopping decisions, often more than we consciously realise. Clever advertising is specifically designed to shape our perceptions, creating desire and brand loyalty through appealing images, catchy slogans and emotional storytelling. Many people end up choosing a particular product simply because its advertising made it seem more attractive or trustworthy than its rivals. Celebrity endorsements and repeated exposure reinforce these effects, subtly steering our preferences. Even those who claim to be immune are frequently swayed on a subconscious level. That said, informed and budget-conscious shoppers can resist this influence by comparing options carefully and focusing on genuine need rather than hype. On the whole, though, advertising undeniably plays a significant role in what and how we buy.
Reading a model answer is not the same as saying one. The sample above shows what a strong Part 3 answer sounds like. What it cannot tell you is how yours sounds — whether you hesitate, repeat the question back, or run out of things to say at forty seconds.
You can record an answer to this exact question and get it marked on fluency and coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range and pronunciation — the same four criteria the examiner uses.
Common questions
How is Part 3 different from Part 1?
Part 1 is about you; Part 3 is about people in general. The questions move to society, causes and consequences, and the answers are expected to be longer and more developed — an opinion plus a reason plus an example.
What if I have no opinion on the question?
You are not marked on the opinion, so pick one and support it. Saying you have never thought about it and stopping there leaves the examiner nothing to assess.
How long does Part 3 last?
Four to five minutes. The topics develop out of your Part 2 card, so the discussion is usually connected to what you just described.
Model answers written and reviewed by The English All-in-One IELTS team. They are teaching models showing what each band looks like, not real candidate scripts.