Speaking task
PTE Describe Image practice
Describe Image gives you a chart, graph, map, table or diagram and 40 seconds to describe it. It rewards a calm, structured answer that names the real features, and it punishes the memorised template that ignores the actual image.
Study
25 sec
Speak
40 sec
Scored
Speaking
Per test
5 to 6 items
Based on the current PTE Academic format (updated 7 August 2025). Last reviewed 13 July 2026.
The basics
What is PTE Describe Image?
You are shown an image, usually a bar chart, line graph, pie chart, map, table or process diagram. You get 25 seconds to study it, then a tone plays and you have 40 seconds to describe it aloud. A test typically has 5 to 6 Describe Image items.
It contributes to your Speaking score, and Content is reviewed by both the AI and a human examiner. That makes Describe Image one of the tasks where saying something true about the actual image, not just reciting a template, genuinely matters.
Scoring
How Describe Image is scored
- Content: whether you describe the key features accurately. Content is scored by the AI and confirmed by a human examiner.
- Oral Fluency: a smooth, continuous 40-second response with no long pauses or restarts.
- Pronunciation: clear, intelligible delivery of the words and numbers you say.
- If your Content scores 0, for example a fully memorised template that ignores the image, the whole item can score 0 with no further scoring.
Key insight: A light structure is fine, but fill it with this image's real data. A fluent answer that names the actual trend and two real features beats a polished template that could describe any chart.
Definition
What is Describe Image in PTE Academic?
Describe Image is a Speaking task in Part 1 (Speaking & Writing) of PTE Academic. You are shown one image (a bar chart, line graph, pie chart, table, map or process diagram), you get 25 seconds to study it, then a short tone plays and you have 40 seconds to record a spoken description. A typical test contains 5 to 6 Describe Image items, and every item contributes only to your Speaking score.
What separates a high band from a low one is not template polish, it is content that the AI and the human examiner can both verify against the actual image. Pearson's July 2025 Score Guide is explicit: if your Content trait scores 0, for example a fully memorised template with no real image detail, the whole item scores 0 with no further scoring.
Based on Pearson's PTE Academic Test Taker Score Guide (July 2025), the current post-7-August-2025 format.
Worked example
A Describe Image response, scored
The image (a bar chart): "Renewable energy capacity, in gigawatts, for Australia, Germany, China and the United States in 2020 and 2024." Australia: 30 to 55. Germany: 130 to 165. China: 940 to 1420. United States: 290 to 380.
Model 40-second answer (about 110 words):
"This bar chart compares renewable energy capacity in gigawatts for four countries in 2020 and 2024. Australia had around 30 gigawatts in 2020, rising to about 55 in 2024, roughly an 80 percent increase. Germany moved from 130 to 165, a steady climb. China stands out with by far the largest jump, from 940 to over 1400 gigawatts. The United States rose modestly from 290 to 380. Overall, renewable capacity grew in every country between 2020 and 2024, with China accounting for the largest absolute increase."
Why it scores well:
- Content (strong): names the image type, states four real data points, cites a specific comparison (China vs the rest), and closes on the overall trend.
- Oral Fluency (strong): continuous 40 seconds, no restarts, natural pauses only at commas and full stops.
- Pronunciation (solid): numbers and place names delivered cleanly, no swallowed word endings. Numbers are the usual leak on this task, so practise "gigawatts", "1400" and "80 percent" out loud.
Template
PTE Describe Image template that actually works
A light structure keeps you fluent, but a memorised template with no real image detail can zero-gate the item on Content. Use this four-line skeleton and fill each line with the image in front of you:
- Opening line — image type + topic. "This [bar chart / line graph / pie chart / map / process diagram] shows [topic]."
- Two feature lines — real numbers. The highest and lowest points, or two named comparisons, using labels and numbers from the image.
- Comparison or trend line. One contrast, one ranking, or a movement over time.
- Closing line — the overall message. "Overall, [the main pattern]."
Warning: If your response could describe any image (for example a generic "the graph shows a lot of information about various topics"), the engine will treat it as memorised and Content can score 0. That zeroes the whole item under Pearson's scoring rules.
Score bands
Describe Image score bands, 10 to 90
Score bands are approximate, as Pearson's Global Scale of English cut points carry measurement-error disclaimers. Use them as a rehearsal target, not a promise.
| Band | What that answer looks like |
|---|---|
| 85 to 90 · Expert | Names image, states 4+ real features, cites a specific comparison, closes on overall trend. Native-like fluency, clear numbers, uses the full 40 seconds. |
| 76 to 84 · Superior | Strong content, 2 to 3 real features, minor pronunciation slips only, smooth fluency, no restarts. |
| 59 to 75 · Proficient | On-topic with 1 to 2 real features, some hesitations, generally clear delivery, may not close on an overall trend. |
| 43 to 58 · Competent | Template-heavy with limited real detail, several pauses, some pronunciation issues, incomplete coverage. |
| Below 43 | Irrelevant, largely silent, or a memorised template with no image-specific content. High risk that Content = 0 and the whole item scores 0. |
Hear it, don't just read it
Model Describe Image — spoken
Speaking is delivery, not text. Play the model to hear the pace, chunking and stress your response should match.
Model — Line graph delivery (Band 79, ~40 seconds)
The line graph illustrates global renewable energy capacity from 2018 to 2024, measured in gigawatts. Overall, capacity rose steadily across the entire period, more than doubling by the end. Starting at around 1,150 gigawatts in 2018, capacity climbed to roughly 1,530 by 2020. From 2021 onwards the pace accelerated markedly, reaching 2,720 in 2023 and 3,180 in 2024. The steepest year-on-year growth occurred between 2022 and 2023, when capacity added nearly 500 gigawatts.
Frame: overview → key data → key data → comparison → wrap. 95 words, delivered in 38–40 seconds.
Model — Bar chart delivery (Band 79, ~40 seconds)
The bar chart compares annual coffee consumption per person in five countries in 2024. Overall, Finland leads by a wide margin, while the emerging markets remain far behind. Finland tops the list at about 12 kilograms per person, followed by Norway at 10 and Sweden at 8. The United States and Japan sit near the middle at 4 and 3 kilograms respectively. India is the lowest of the five, at under 100 grams per person.
Same five-part frame. Units are spoken in full ('kilograms', 'grams') for pronunciation clarity.
The method
How to do well in Describe Image
A repeatable approach you can apply to every item of this type.
- 1
Read the image in 25 seconds
Identify the type (bar, line, pie, map, process), the title or axis labels, the highest and lowest points, and the overall trend or message. Pick two or three features you will actually mention.
- 2
Open with what it shows
Start immediately on the tone with one sentence naming the image and its topic, for example 'This bar chart compares X across Y.' This gives the engine clear, on-topic content from the first second.
- 3
Describe two or three real features
State specific, true details: the highest and lowest values, a notable comparison, or a clear trend. Use the actual labels and numbers rather than vague filler.
- 4
End with the overall trend
Close with a one-line conclusion about the main message, for example 'Overall, X rose steadily while Y stayed flat.' A clear ending shows comprehension and rounds out your content.
- 5
Keep speaking for the full 40 seconds
Maintain a steady pace and keep going. A confident, continuous answer scores far better on fluency than a detailed one full of pauses, and silence over a few seconds can cut you off early.
Avoid these
Common Describe Image mistakes
- Reciting a memorised template that ignores the image, which can score the item 0 on content.
- Trying to describe every detail and running out of time before the conclusion.
- Long silent pauses while hunting for the right word.
- Giving no overall trend or message, so the answer sounds like a list with no point.
- Misreading the numbers or axis labels and stating something the image does not show.
Practice Describe Image with instant scoring.
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FAQ
PTE Describe Image, answered
On Content (describing the key features accurately), Oral Fluency (a smooth 40-second response) and Pronunciation. Content is scored by the AI and confirmed by a human examiner, and a content score of 0 can zero the whole item.
25 seconds to study the image, then a tone, then 40 seconds to describe it aloud. There are usually 5 to 6 Describe Image items in a test.
A light structure (introduction, two or three features, conclusion) helps you stay fluent, but it must be filled with the real data from this image. A fully memorised template that ignores the picture can score 0 on content.
Bar charts, line graphs, pie charts, tables, maps and process diagrams are the most common. Each one always shows real data or a process you can describe with specific features.
Describe what you can see with confidence: the type of image, the highest and lowest points, and any obvious trend. A fluent answer covering a few accurate features beats a hesitant attempt at full detail.
No. Two or three accurate, specific features plus an overall trend is enough. Trying to cover everything usually means you run out of time and lose fluency to rushing.
No. It contributes to your Speaking score. The Content trait is human-reviewed, which is why describing the real image accurately matters more here than on some other tasks.
Usually because you are deciding what to say while speaking. Spend the 25-second study time choosing your two or three features and your conclusion, so the 40 seconds is delivery, not decision-making.
Use our free Describe Image drill: you describe a real image aloud, get an AI score on fluency and pronunciation, and can compare your answer with a model response. Quick sign-in needed.
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