PTE Describe Image
In PTE Describe Image you are shown a graph, chart, map, diagram or photograph and must describe it aloud in 40 seconds. It is scored on content, oral fluency and pronunciation. You are not being marked on analysis or opinion — you are being marked on whether you can speak continuously and intelligibly about what is in front of you, which is why a rehearsed structure works so well here.
- Timing
- About 25 seconds to study the image, then 40 seconds to speak.
- Contributes to
- Speaking score
How PTE Describe Image is scored
- Content
- Oral fluency
- Pronunciation
How to score higher in Describe Image
- 1
Use a fixed template so you never have to invent structure under pressure: what the image shows, the axes or categories, the highest and lowest values, the overall trend, and a one-line conclusion.
- 2
Read the title and the axis labels first — they hand you the vocabulary the scorer wants to hear.
- 3
Name two or three specific data points. Concrete detail scores; vague description does not.
- 4
Keep talking for the full 40 seconds. Stopping at 20 seconds caps your fluency score no matter how accurate you were.
- 5
If you run out of things to say, describe the trend again in different words rather than falling silent.
PTE Describe Image template
A reliable Describe Image structure keeps you fluent for the full 40 seconds without pausing to plan — fill each line with what the specific image actually shows.
Open
State what it is: “This [graph / bar chart / map / process] shows [topic].”
Overview
Give the single most striking feature — the overall trend, the largest category, or the main stages.
Details
Add two or three concrete points: the highest and lowest values, a clear comparison, or the key steps.
Close
End with a one-line takeaway: “Overall, [the main message the image conveys].”
Describe what is really in front of you — a fluent, relevant description scores far better than a memorised opening recited over the wrong image.
Common mistakes in Describe Image
- Spending the whole 40 seconds on the introduction and never reaching the data.
- Trailing into silence early, which the scorer reads as a fluency failure.
- Trying to interpret why the trend happened instead of describing what is shown.
Describe Image — frequently asked questions
How long do you speak in PTE Describe Image?
You get around 25 seconds to study the image and then 40 seconds to speak. You should aim to use the full 40 seconds, because stopping early limits your oral fluency score.
Do you need to analyse the image in Describe Image?
No. Describe Image rewards fluent, intelligible description rather than analysis or opinion. Name what the image shows, quote a few specific values, state the overall trend and close with a one-sentence conclusion.
Can I use a template for Describe Image?
Yes, and you should. A rehearsed structure removes the need to invent an approach under time pressure and keeps you speaking for the full 40 seconds, which protects your fluency score. Just make sure the specific data you quote genuinely comes from the image in front of you.
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