What the Describe Image task asks you to do
Describe Image is a PTE Core Speaking task. An image appears on screen, you get a short preparation countdown, then you speak about what it shows. This tool uses the real timing: 25 seconds to prepare and 40 seconds to respond, both running on automatic countdowns when a question loads.
You are scored on Content, Pronunciation and Oral Fluency. Pearson scores all three with AI, and a human expert also reviews Content before your final score is confirmed.
The six kinds of image you will see
Every image in this tool is one of six types, and each rewards a different opening line.
| Image type | Open with | What to compare |
|---|---|---|
| Bar chart | "The bar chart shows [measure] by [category]." | The tallest and shortest bars, and the ranking. |
| Line graph | "The graph shows how [measure] changed over [period]." | The direction of each line, and any crossover. |
| Pie chart | "The pie chart shows the breakdown of [total] into [number] parts." | The largest and smallest slices. |
| Table | "The table compares [items] across [measures]." | The highest and lowest cells in each row or column. |
| Process diagram | "The diagram shows the stages of [process]." | The order of the steps, start and end. |
| Map | "The map shows [what] in [place]." | What sits in the north, south, east and west. |
A process diagram has no trend: use "first", "next" and "finally" rather than "increased". A map often has no numbers, so describe location and change. A photograph works with the same structure.
A fill-in-the-blanks structure for your 40 seconds
Speak to this frame; the blanks take the image-specific content.
1. Overview: "The [chart / graph / diagram / map] shows ______."
2. Main point: "Overall, the most noticeable feature is ______."
3. Key details: "The highest value is ______ at ______, while the lowest is ______ at ______."
4. Comparison: "Compared with ______, ______ is roughly ______."
5. Conclusion: "This suggests that ______."
Fill blanks 1 and 2 during your 25 seconds of preparation — a few words is enough. Blanks 3 and 4 should take most of your 40 seconds, because that is where Content marks are earned. Blank 5 is one sentence to close, and a conclusion always beats trailing off.
Worked example: a bar chart
Take the first image in this tool, a horizontal bar chart titled "Days Taken by Online Platforms to Reach 1 Million Users". From fastest to slowest the bars are ChatGPT at 5 days, Instagram at 75, Spotify at 150, Facebook at 310, Twitter at 780 and Netflix at 1,278 days.
A model answer for the 40 seconds:
"The bar chart shows how many days it took six online platforms to reach one million users. Overall, newer platforms grew much faster than older ones, and the range is extremely wide. ChatGPT was by far the fastest, reaching one million users in just five days, followed by Instagram at seventy-five days and Spotify at one hundred and fifty days. In the middle, Facebook took around three hundred and ten days. At the slow end, Twitter needed about seven hundred and eighty days, and Netflix was the slowest at roughly one thousand two hundred and seventy-eight days. Comparing the extremes, ChatGPT reached users far faster than Netflix. This suggests that recent platforms have scaled their user base much more quickly than earlier ones."
The overview comes first, then the extremes, then the middle values together, then a comparison and a conclusion. It never reads the chart out loud in bar order.
Vocabulary worth having ready
Direction: rose, increased, climbed, grew — fell, declined, dropped, halved — remained stable, levelled off — fluctuated, peaked.
Size of change: sharply, dramatically — gradually, steadily — slightly, marginally — roughly, approximately, just over, just under.
Comparison: twice as many as, half as many as, the highest of the group, in contrast to, compared with, whereas.
What is scored
| Trait | What it measures | Scale |
|---|---|---|
| Content | Whether you describe all the elements of the image, their relationships, and a possible conclusion | 0–5 |
| Pronunciation | Whether your vowels, consonants and word stress are easily understood | 0–5 |
| Oral Fluency | Whether your rhythm and phrasing are smooth, without long hesitations or false starts | 0–5 |
Content sits on a ladder: at the top you describe all the elements and their relationships and offer a conclusion; in the middle you cover most key elements; at the bottom you mention only disjointed elements.
One warning matters: Pearson states that a response which does not deal properly with the prompt "due to significant amounts of pre-prepared/memorized material" scores 0. Learn the structure, but fill it with what is on screen.
Three mistakes that cost the most marks
- Reading the numbers instead of describing them. Six figures with no trend or comparison keep Content low. Say what the numbers mean.
- Reciting a memorised template. Pearson penalises pre-prepared material that ignores the image. Every value must come from the screen.
- Stopping when you run out of ideas. A pause of a few seconds damages Oral Fluency. Add a comparison and keep speaking to the end.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I get to prepare and speak in Describe Image?
In this tool you get 25 seconds to prepare and 40 seconds to speak, both on countdowns that start automatically.
How many images does this practice tool use?
The tool loads 36 images drawn from six types: bar chart, line graph, pie chart, table, process diagram and map.
What are the three scoring traits for Describe Image?
Content, Pronunciation and Oral Fluency, each scored from 0 to 5. Content is also reviewed by a human expert.
Can I use a memorised template in Describe Image?
No. Pearson states that a response which does not deal properly with the prompt because of significant amounts of pre-prepared or memorized material scores 0 for Content.
Does Describe Image test my writing or listening?
No. Describe Image assesses speaking, pronunciation and oral fluency. Your reading skills are only used to read the instructions.
How should I structure a 40-second Describe Image answer?
Use five parts: an overview, the main point, the key details, a comparison and a short conclusion.
What to do next
- PTE Core Speaking overview — the whole speaking module.
- Read Aloud practice — where fluency and pronunciation carry your score.
- PTE Core Listening overview — including Summarize Spoken Text.
- PTE Core tips for all four modules — strategies for all four modules.
- PTE Core to CLB conversion — what each score is worth for Express Entry.
- Answer templates and structures — speaking and writing.