PTE speaking practice: a free Describe Image timer and a template for every task
PTE Academic has eight speaking tasks, and the same few habits help in all of them: speak smoothly, say words clearly, and cover the content. Here is a free Describe Image practice with the real timing and a recording, how each task is timed and scored, and a speaking template you can use for each one.
By The YoFluent teamUpdated 11 min read
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Practise now: a free Describe Image timer
You have 25 seconds to study the image and 40 seconds to describe it, as in the real task. Allow the microphone and it records you so you can listen back. Press “New image” for another chart.
Describe this image (1 of 3)
Adults who exercise at least once a week, by age group
Practice data, made up for this exercise. Unit: percent of adults.
Runs in your browser. Your recording stays on your device and is never uploaded. This is practice, not a scored test.
The 8 PTE Academic speaking tasks
| Task | Time | What you do | How it’s scored |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal introduction | 25 s to prepare, 30 s to record | Introduce yourself. | Not scored |
| Read aloud | 30–40 s to prepare, then speak | Read a text of up to 60 words. | Content, pronunciation, oral fluency |
| Repeat sentence | 15 s in total | Listen to a 3–9 second sentence and repeat it. | Content, pronunciation, oral fluency |
| Describe image | 25 s to prepare, 40 s to speak | Describe a chart, graph, map or picture. | Content, pronunciation, oral fluency |
| Retell lecture | 10 s to prepare, 40 s to speak | Listen to a lecture of up to 90 seconds and retell it. | Content, pronunciation, oral fluency |
| Answer short question | 10 s in total | Answer a very short question with one or a few words. | Correct or incorrect |
| Summarise group discussion | 10 s to prepare, 2 min to speak | Listen to a discussion of up to 3 minutes and summarise it. | Content, pronunciation, oral fluency |
| Respond to a situation | 10 s to prepare, 40 s to speak | Read and hear a situation (up to 60 words) and respond. | Content, pronunciation, oral fluency |
Timings and scoring factors from Pearson’s PTE Academic Speaking & Writing page, checked 6 October 2026. The Speaking & Writing section has 9 question types and takes 76–84 minutes.
Pearson describes the three speaking scores like this: content is whether you give the required information accurately; pronunciation is whether your speech is easily understood by most regular speakers (regional accents are accepted if they are clear); and oral fluency is a smooth, natural rate of speech with suitable phrasing and rhythm. That means a clear, steady accent is better than a “perfect” fast one.
Describe Image: a template and a model answer
You can describe any chart with the same four parts, in 40 seconds:
| Part | Time | Say | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Introduce | 5 s | What the image shows. | “The bar chart shows the percentage of adults who exercise weekly, by age group.” |
| 2. Main feature | 10 s | The highest, the lowest, or the main trend. | “The highest figure is 62 percent for 18 to 24 year olds, and the lowest is 36 percent for people over 55.” |
| 3. Details | 15 s | Two or three more numbers, with a comparison. | “The figure falls steadily, from 55 percent at 25 to 34 to 41 percent at 45 to 54.” |
| 4. Conclude | 5 s | One sentence about the overall pattern. | “Overall, the older the group, the less likely people are to exercise.” |
Model answer for the first chart: “The bar chart shows the percentage of adults who exercise at least once a week, by age group. The highest figure is 62 percent for 18 to 24 year olds, while the lowest is 36 percent for people aged 55 and over. In between, the figure falls steadily, from 55 percent for 25 to 34 year olds to 48 percent for 35 to 44, and 41 percent for 45 to 54. Overall, the older the group, the less likely people are to exercise.”
Words that help
- Trend (lines): rise, increase, climb · fall, decrease, drop · remain stable · peak at · reach a low of.
- Comparison (bars): the highest / the lowest · twice as high as · slightly higher than · by far the largest.
- Closing: “Overall…”, “In general…”, “The main pattern is that…”.
Read Aloud: chunk the text
Use the preparation time to read the text silently and mark chunks of 3–5 words. Pause briefly between chunks, and make your voice go down at full stops.
Cities around the world / are changing quickly. / Many people now / use bicycles and trains / instead of cars, / which makes the air cleaner / and the streets quieter. / However, / building new cycle lanes / takes time and money.
- Read for meaning. Stress the important words (cities, quickly, cleaner, quieter) and let small words (of, the, and) be short and weak.
- Don’t stop to fix a mistake. Keep a steady pace: smooth speech matters for fluency.
- Check hard words in the preparation time and say them in your head. To describe any photo in everyday speech, see how to describe a picture in English. See word stress for how to place stress in long words.
Templates for the other tasks
| Task | Plan | Useful words |
|---|---|---|
| Repeat sentence | Listen for the meaning, not word by word. Say it at once in one smooth line, with the same rhythm. If you miss a word, keep going and say what you remember. | — |
| Retell lecture | Note 4–6 keywords while you listen. Say: topic → two or three main points → a conclusion, in your own words. | “The lecture was about…”, “The speaker explained that…”, “One example was…”, “In conclusion, the speaker suggested…” |
| Summarise group discussion | Note who says what. Give each speaker’s main point, then what the group agreed or disagreed on. | “One speaker said…”, “Another speaker disagreed and argued…”, “In the end, they agreed that…” |
| Respond to a situation | Read the situation, say who you are speaking to, then give your answer with a reason. Use polite, natural language. | “I understand… so what I’d suggest is…”, “Would it be possible to…?”, “I’m sorry about…, I’d like to…” |
| Answer short question | Give one or two words. No sentence needed. Answer fast. | — |
Common mistakes
- Stopping before the time ends in Describe Image. Use all 40 seconds with more detail.
- Speaking too fast. Fluency is smooth and natural, not rushed. Make each word clear.
- Long silences while you search for a word. Use a simpler word and keep going.
- Flat rhythm. Stress the important words, and group words into phrases.
- Practising only by reading tips. Record yourself and listen back.
A simple practice plan
- Week 1: Read Aloud and Repeat Sentence, 10 minutes a day. Focus on chunking and rhythm.
- Week 2: Describe Image with the timer above: three images a day. Always record, always conclude.
- Week 3: Retell Lecture and Summarise Group Discussion. Practise note-taking and the template.
- Final week: mixed practice with the real timings, and one conversation a day to build natural fluency. An AI tutor can help: see how an AI tutor call works, and how to speak English fluently.
Frequently asked questions
How do I practise PTE speaking at home?
Practise each task with its real timing and record yourself. For Describe Image, use 25 seconds to study and 40 seconds to speak, and follow the four parts: introduce, main feature, details, conclusion. Listen to the recording for pauses, unclear words and flat rhythm.
How is PTE speaking scored?
Most speaking tasks are scored on content, pronunciation and oral fluency. Content is whether you give the right information, pronunciation is whether most regular speakers can easily understand you, and oral fluency is a smooth, natural rate of speech with suitable phrasing and rhythm.
How long do I have for Describe Image in PTE?
You have 25 seconds to prepare and 40 seconds to speak. Use all of it: introduce the image, give two or three details with numbers, and finish with a short conclusion.
What should I do if I make a mistake in Read Aloud?
Keep going. Smooth, steady speech matters, and stopping to correct a word breaks your rhythm. Use the preparation time to check difficult words before you start.
Does my accent matter in PTE?
Pearson says pronunciation is about being easily understood by most regular speakers, and that regional varieties are accepted if the speech is intelligible. A clear, steady accent is more important than sounding like a particular native accent.
Is there a free PTE speaking practice test?
The Describe Image timer on this page is free and needs no sign-up. It uses made-up charts and records you on your device. It is practice for timing and habits, not an official or scored test.
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- PTE Academic: Speaking & Writing test format, Pearson PTE (pearsonpte.com)