Memorised templates are now a liability. Pearson detects rehearsed openers such as “The image clearly depicts…”. If the template carries the response and there is little real content, Content scores 0 — and Content 0 zeroes the task. Say what is actually in front of you.
Strategy
- Lead with the relationship, not the label. “Sales in Europe rose sharply through 2020” beats “This is a chart about sales.”
- Use comparison language: higher than, fell, doubled, compared with, the largest. This is what the Content score is looking for.
- Do not run out of things to say at 20 seconds. Two trends plus one comparison plus one number will fill 40 seconds honestly.
Frequently asked questions
How is PTE Describe Image scored?
On Content, Oral Fluency and Pronunciation across a 40-second response. Describe relationships and trends, not just labels — and skip memorised openers, which the AI now penalises.
Do templates work for Describe Image?
No. Pearson detects rehearsed openers like “The image clearly depicts…” and scores Content 0 when the template carries the response. Describe what is actually shown, using comparison language.
Practice this task
Every describe image question is live in the app, played and marked instantly against the official Score Guide — with the trait-by-trait breakdown, not a single black-box number.