IELTS Speaking Part 3: Making plans
7 Part 3 discussion questions on making plans, with developed sample answers of the kind Part 3 expects.
What activities do we need to plan ahead?
Activities that involve multiple people, significant resources, or time-sensitive logistics absolutely require advance planning. Weddings, international travel, moving houses, or launching a business project all demand careful coordination to avoid chaos. Even seemingly simple events like a family reunion with relatives coming from different cities can fall apart without a clear schedule and budget. On a personal level, long-term goals like saving for a house or completing a degree need a structured plan to turn vague ambitions into actionable steps. Conversely, spontaneous activities like grabbing coffee or watching a movie can remain unplanned without negative consequences. The key distinction is the cost of failure – the higher the stakes, the more essential planning becomes.
Is making study plans popular among young people?
It has become increasingly popular, especially with the rise of digital tools like Notion, Trello, and study-tuber influencers who glorify colour-coded schedules. Many young people recognise that competitive exam environments and university applications reward consistent, organised effort rather than last-minute cramming. However, there is also a tendency to over-plan – spending hours designing the perfect timetable instead of actually studying, which can become a form of procrastination. Among my peers, I’ve noticed two extremes: the hyper-planners who schedule every 15-minute block, and the proudly disorganised who claim that routine kills creativity. The most effective students seem to fall in the middle: they plan at a weekly level but leave room for flexibility. Overall, planning is respected, but not everyone has the discipline to follow through.
Do you think choosing a college major is closely related to a person’s future career?
It depends heavily on the field – for professions like medicine, law, or engineering, the connection is direct and often legally required. But for many others, a college major is just one of many factors that shape a career trajectory. I know successful writers who studied biology and entrepreneurs who majored in philosophy; their degrees taught them how to think, not what to do. That said, a relevant major can open doors more quickly, providing internship networks and foundational knowledge that self-taught competitors lack. Increasingly, employers value skills and portfolios over degree titles, especially in tech and creative industries. So while a major is not destiny, it is a powerful signal – but it rarely locks you into a single path forever.
Do you think children should plan their future careers?
Not in a rigid, detailed sense – children’s interests and the job market itself are far too changeable for that. However, introducing the idea of setting goals and exploring different professions is very beneficial. A child who says “I want to be a doctor” can be encouraged to shadow a doctor, read about biology, and develop related habits like empathy and perseverance. The problem arises when parents or schools force a narrow plan onto a child, closing off other possibilities. Career planning for children should be about building a toolkit – curiosity, resilience, basic financial literacy – rather than fixing a destination. Let children dream big, but also let them change their minds without shame.
Should children ask their teachers or parents for advice when making plans?
Absolutely – both sources offer different but valuable perspectives. Parents know the child’s temperament, strengths, and family context, and they can provide emotional support and practical resources. Teachers, especially those who have seen thousands of students, can give objective feedback on academic potential and suggest pathways the parent might not have considered. That said, the final decision should increasingly belong to the child as they grow older. A healthy dynamic is for adults to act as consultants, not commanders – offering information and gentle guidance but respecting the child’s emerging autonomy. The worst outcome is a child who plans only to please others and never learns to trust their own judgment.
In general, do you think planning is important?
Yes, but with a crucial caveat: planning is a tool, not a goal in itself. Good planning reduces anxiety, allocates resources wisely, and turns vague hopes into concrete steps. Without any plan, even the most talented person can drift aimlessly, reacting to events rather than shaping them. However, over-planning can be paralysing, creating an illusion of control that breaks when reality inevitably interferes. The most resilient people plan in a flexible way – they have a direction and key milestones, but they adapt as new information arrives. So planning is important, but so is the wisdom to know when to abandon the plan and improvise.
Do you think everyone in your country makes everyday plans?
No, far from it – daily planning is very unevenly distributed across age groups, professions, and personalities. Retired people or those with repetitive manual jobs may have little need for detailed daily plans, while project managers or students live by their calendars. In my country, younger urban professionals have embraced digital planning with enthusiasm, often sharing their “daily schedules” on social media. Meanwhile, in rural areas, life tends to follow seasonal and habitual rhythms rather than written plans. Cultural factors also play a role: some cultures value spontaneity and “going with the flow” as a sign of adaptability. So while planning tools are widely available, the practice of making everyday plans is far from universal.
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.