Best Techniques to score more in Describe Image Task

Describe Image Task on the PTE Academic test is hard to ace for many aspirants. Instead of sitting and being worried about getting a low score on this task, it’s time to practice and follow the right techniques. In this task, you will get only a few seconds to prepare. At this time you need to understand the image as quickly as possible. You need to take note of every detail and describe it in the given time. This is a challenging task. 

We have put together the 7 best techniques that will help you to score more on the Describe image task.  

1. You should know the scoring process 

This task solely tests your speaking skills. Content, pronunciation and fluency are the three things that are tested. Your accent will not matter but the logical explanation will play an important role. You need to pronounce the words correctly and clearly. While we speak, we often tend to use fillers like umm, arr, etc. But using them while speaking will affect your PTE Academic test score. So make a conscious effort to avoid them while describing the image. 

Besides this, you should speak at a medium pace. Do not be in a hurry as that will indicate nervousness and anxiety. You will end up losing points for speaking too fast or too slow. You proper intonations. When you begin a sentence, there should be a rise in tone and end the sentence with a drop in tone. 

If you come across an image that has too many details then you should be smart enough to pick the important points and describe them quickly. 

2. Keep your eye on the timer 

You will get 25 seconds on the PTE Academic test to look at the image and make note of the details. When you hear a tone, you should start speaking your response. You will get 40 seconds to describe it. You should not begin to speak before the tone or your response will not get recorded. Keep an eye on the timer and when you see the microphone is unlocked, start speaking your response. You will see a progress bar. Finish speaking before the progress bar reaches the end. 

3. Answer in a proper structure

You should follow a structure to tackle this task. So whenever you come to this task, you should just follow that structure so you are able to speak your response in a better way. This will help you to get more points on the PTE Academic testFirst, introduce the topic then speak about the main points and then conclude it. Try to follow the same structure while practicing this task on the mock tests. 

4. You should know the types of images asked

There are many types of images asked on the PTE Academic test. They might combine two different types of images. You will have to answer questions that are related to both the images. Below is a list of types of images asked:

  • Bar Graph
  • Line Graph
  • Pie Chart
  • Demographic Graph
  • Organizational Graph
  • Venn diagram
  • Tables
  • Maps
  • Pictures
  • Flowcharts
  • Life Cycle

You should practice all of the types so when you see it on the PTE Academic test so you know how to answer it.

5. Know the different vocabulary used for different images

You will get at least one graph or chart from 6-7 images that are asked. Both of these usually show statistics. You should cover both the axis and describe it in words. You should describe the trend by using words like rise, go up, uplift, rocketed, climbed. dropped, decreased, stabilized, etc. 

For pie charts, you can make use of comparative and superlative vocabulary. This includes words like largest, smaller, least, etc. When it comes to tables, there is a comparison made between two or more entities. If the image is of a map then use directions and locations while describing it. If you get color maps then describe them using colors. For the process, describe the flow. 

6. Emphasize the important points

You should stress the words that describe trends. When you stress on the important words then it makes the listener understand that those are the important parts of the image. You should also stress on comparison words.

7. It is not necessary to use the same words that are given in the image

You will get more points in the content part only if you describe the main points using good and correct words. You do not need to use the same word that you see in the image. Make use of your own words while describing it. Your content, structure and fluency are the sub-skills that are tested. You do not require to speak in an accent because PTE Academic test does not evaluate your response based on your accent.