PTE التحدث guide
PTE Describe Image: Format, Scoring and a Simple Structure
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PTE Academic & PTE Core
Describe Image shows a graph, chart, map, diagram or picture. You have a short time to study it, then describe it in detail. A simple, repeatable structure helps you speak fluently whatever the image is.
How the task works
- Preparation
- 25 seconds to study the image
- Response
- Up to 40 seconds of recording, starting after a short tone
- Scored on
- Content, pronunciation and oral fluency
- Counts for
- التحدث
Strategies that help
- Use a four-step structure: what the image shows (title and type), the main feature, two or three details with numbers or labels, and a short conclusion.
- In the preparation time, find the highest, lowest and most obvious change — these give you your details.
- Use precise comparisons: “twice as high as”, “a steady fall”, “slightly more than”.
- Keep speaking until close to the end of the recording time, but stop cleanly with your conclusion.
Common mistakes
- Trying to describe every label and running out of time mid-sentence.
- Long pauses while searching for the perfect word.
- Reading numbers wrongly — check units (%, millions, years) before you speak.
Example
This bar chart compares the number of visitors to three museums in 2023. The science museum was clearly the most popular, with around 900,000 visitors, roughly twice as many as the art gallery. The history museum attracted the fewest, at about 300,000. Overall, the chart suggests that science exhibitions drew the largest audiences.
Introduction → main feature → details with numbers → conclusion. The same pattern works for line graphs, pie charts and maps.
Related guides
More on this skill: التدرّب على المحادثة في PTE · All question type guides
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