Part Three questions and strategies are given later in this chapter.
3.2. Part Three and Score Adjustment It is quite obvious that Part Three is the most demanding section of the speaking test.
This is because the questions and topics are more complex than Part One and Part Two.
There is a specific reason for the increased difficulty in Part Three. An experienced
examiner can accurately award a speaking score midway through Part Two. At the end of
Part Two, if your examiner has decided that you are a speaking 6 he or she will then use
Part Three to push you to your language limit – eg, push you ―linguistically‖ to see if you
can actually get 7.
Part Three seems difficult because the examiner is pushing you to your ―linguistic
limit‖.
Generally speaking, most people’s score stay the same after Part Three. In other
words, the examiner decided that you were a 6 after Part Two, and your performance in Part
Three didn’t make him change his or her mind.
In some circumstances, the score may be reduced in Part Three. This usually happens
with candidates who have recited a lot of Part One and Part Two content, they usually find
that it is not possible to use recited content in Part Three.
More importantly, it is possible to use Part Three to increase your score. If you fully
understand the functions of Part Three questions, you can produce language that should
increase your score.
In this chapter we will focus on one particular strategy for dealing with Part Three
questions.
It is also important to remember that your actual opinion is not being marked in Part
Three.
Mat Clark – IELTS Speaking
169
Many people like to call Part Three a ―discussion‖. I would rather not use this word
because it gives us the idea that content is important. As with all parts of the speaking test,
you are being marked on your linguistic ability – NOT your ideas or content.
