IELTS Listening Part 3 – Discussion Between Students (MCQ)

In Part 3, you usually hear two or more students discussing a research project or academic topic.
The test checks if you can follow opinions, suggestions, agreements, and decisions in a natural conversation.

In this recording, Rosie and Adam are preparing a presentation on obesity — specifically how people’s eating habits, menu design, and levels of physical activity influence obesity rates.

Your task is to identify what they agree on, suggest, or decide to do next.

AUDIO

🧩 Questions 25–30

Choose the correct letter: A, B, or C.

Question 25

Adam suggests that restaurants could reduce obesity if their menus
A. offered fewer options.
B. had more low-calorie foods.
C. were organised in a particular way.

Explanation:
Adam points out that restaurant menus can nudge people’s choices without removing options or forcing them to eat healthily.
He suggests that the layout or organisation of the menu — for example, placing healthier dishes at the top or highlighting them visually — can encourage customers to pick those options.

This is an example of behavioural design, where small environmental changes influence decisions.

Key Idea: It’s not about adding or removing foods, but about arranging them strategically.

Question 26

The students agree that food manufacturers deliberately
A. make calorie counts hard to understand.
B. fail to provide accurate calorie counts.
C. use ineffective methods to reduce calories.

Explanation:
Both students agree that food companies often confuse consumers with the way they display calorie information.
For example, they may list calories “per portion” when the package contains several portions — so people misinterpret how many calories they’re consuming.

They don’t say the numbers are inaccurate, but they agree the presentation is deliberately unclear.

Key Vocabulary:

• Deliberately = intentionally
• Misleading labels = confusing information that hides the truth

Question 27

What does Rosie say about levels of exercise in England?
A. The amount recommended is much too low.
B. Most people overestimate how much they do.
C. Women now exercise more than they used to.

Explanation:
Rosie comments on public attitudes towards exercise. She says many people believe they do more exercise than they actually do.
For example, they might think that walking a few minutes or taking stairs occasionally equals “regular exercise,” but it doesn’t meet health guidelines.

Key Idea: People’s self-perception doesn’t match reality. They overestimate their physical activity levels.

Question 28

Adam refers to the location and width of stairs in a train station to illustrate
A. practical changes that can influence people’s behaviour.
B. methods of helping people who have mobility problems.
C. ways of preventing accidents by controlling crowd movement.

Explanation:
Adam gives an example of how designing environments can affect how people behave.
If stairs in a public place are wide, visible, and easy to access, people are more likely to use them instead of elevators or escalators.

He uses this to support the idea that simple design choices can promote healthier habits — a practical, low-cost solution to encourage more physical activity.

Concept: Environmental nudging — designing surroundings to make healthy choices easier.

Question 29

What do the students agree about including reference to exercise in their presentation?
A. They should probably leave it out.
B. They need to do more research on it.
C. They should discuss this with their tutor.

Explanation:
ROSIE:      Right. And it might not be a big change, but if it happens every day, it all adds up.

ADAM:     Yes. But actually, I’m not sure if we should be talking about exercise in our presentation.

ROSIE:      Well, we’ve done quite a bit of reading about it.

Listening Strategy:
Whenever you hear both speakers agreeing with phrases like “Yeah, I think you’re right” or “Yes, we need to look into that”, it usually signals the correct answer.

Question 30

What are the students going to do next for their presentation?
A. prepare some slides for it.
B. find out how long they have for it.
C. decide on its content and organisation.

Explanation:
At the end of the conversation, the students agree on their next step.
They don’t start preparing slides or checking the timing yet. Instead, they say they’ll plan what to include and how to structure the presentation.

This means their immediate focus is on deciding the content and organisation before working on visuals or timing.

🧠 FAHIM SIR’S CLASSROOM INSIGHTS

1️⃣ Understand What “Part 3” Tests

Part 3 focuses on:

• Understanding academic discussion
• Recognising agreement/disagreement
• Following reasoning and examples
• Identifying decisions or next steps

You’re not just listening for facts — you’re listening for attitudes, opinions, and actions.

2️⃣ Look for Agreement Signals

These phrases often indicate the correct answer:

• “Yeah, that’s true.”
• “Exactly.”
• “Good point.”
• “I agree with that.”
• “So let’s do that then.”

When both speakers confirm something, that’s your clue.

3️⃣ Pay Attention to Examples

Examples (like the stairs in the train station) often explain a general idea from the question.
Ask yourself: “What is this example showing?” — that’s usually the test focus.

4️⃣ Manage Time and Focus

• Read the six questions (25–30) before the audio begins.
• Underline keywords like reduce obesity, calorie counts, exercise, stairs, next step.
• Remember: the answers always appear in order in the recording.

IELTS Listening MCQ Part 2: Oniton Hall

IELTS Listening: Matching Questions in Part 2 & 3