PTE Describe Image Practice

This bar chart shows the number of library visits at Northgate University between 2021 and 2025, in thousands. In 2021, visits were at their lowest, at forty-two thousand. They rose steadily to fifty-five thousand in 2022 and sixty-one thousand in 2023, before dipping slightly to fifty-eight thousand in 2024. The highest figure came in 2025, at seventy thousand visits. Overall, library use increased considerably over the period, despite the small decline in 2024.

The line graph compares average monthly temperatures in Riverton in 2015 and 2025. Both years follow the same seasonal pattern: temperatures are lowest in January, rise through spring, peak in July and fall again towards November. However, 2025 was warmer in every month shown. In January it averaged six degrees compared with four, and the largest difference appears in July, when 2025 reached twenty-six degrees, four degrees higher than in 2015. Overall, 2025 was consistently warmer than 2015.

This pie chart illustrates how students travel to Lakeside College. The most popular option by far is the bus, used by thirty-eight percent of students. Cycling comes second at twenty-two percent, followed by car at eighteen percent and walking at fifteen percent. The train is the least common choice, accounting for only seven percent. Taken together, bus and bicycle account for sixty percent of journeys, making them the two dominant choices.

The diagram shows the six stages of paper recycling. The process begins with collection, followed by sorting. Next comes pulping, and after that the pulp goes through cleaning and de-inking. The fifth stage is rolling and drying, and the final stage produces new paper products. Overall, the process moves from collected waste paper to finished new products.

The bar chart compares weekly hours spent in lectures and on independent study across four years at Eastfield University. In Year 1, students spend fourteen hours in lectures and ten on independent study. From Year 2 onwards the pattern reverses: lecture time falls steadily to just six hours in Year 4, while independent study rises sharply to twenty-four hours. Independent study overtakes lectures in Year 2, at fourteen hours against twelve. Overall, the balance shifts from lectures to independent study as the years go on.

The line graph shows smartphone ownership in Hillcrest among people under thirty and over sixty from 2010 to 2025. Ownership among the under-thirties rose rapidly from thirty-five percent in 2010 to ninety percent in 2019, then levelled off, reaching ninety-six percent in 2025. Older people started much lower, at only five percent, but their ownership grew steadily throughout the period, reaching seventy percent in 2025. The gap between the two groups widened from thirty points in 2010 to fifty-seven points in 2016, before narrowing to twenty-six points in 2025.

The pie chart breaks down the monthly budget of a typical student in Maple City. Rent is by far the largest expense, taking up forty-five percent, almost half of the total. Food is the second biggest cost at twenty percent, followed by leisure at seventeen percent. Transport accounts for ten percent, while study materials make up the smallest share at just eight percent. Overall, rent takes the biggest share of the budget and study materials the smallest.

This flowchart outlines six stages in an example student visa application. First, the student receives an offer letter. They then pay a deposit and get confirmation. Next, they submit the visa form, followed by the biometrics stage. The final stage is the visa decision. Overall, the process runs from the offer letter to the visa decision.

This bar graph shows the percentage of seabed covered by kelp canopy at five reef sites. Site D has the densest cover at 71 per cent, followed by Site A with 62 per cent. Site E is the lowest at only 19 per cent, which is 52 points below Site D. Sites B and C fall in between at 48 and 35 per cent. Overall, kelp cover varies widely between reefs, so local conditions clearly matter.

This line graph compares snow depth at a village and at the summit above it over six months of the year, in centimetres. The summit always had deeper snow. Both locations peaked in January, at 140 centimetres on the summit and 55 in the village, and both were lowest in July, when the village had none and the summit just 15. The gap was widest in January, at 85 centimetres, and narrowest in July. Overall, snow follows a seasonal cycle, with the summit holding snow far longer.

This pie chart shows how land is used on Greenmead farm. Cereals take the largest share, at 42 per cent, followed by pasture at 28 per cent, so together they cover 70 per cent of the farm. Vegetables account for 12 per cent. Orchards and woodland are the smallest uses, each making up 9 per cent. Overall, the farm is dominated by cereal growing and grazing, with a small area given to other uses.

This table summarises the weather in four towns in 2025. Brightmoor was the wettest town, with 1,120 millimetres of rain, and it also had the fewest sunny days, at 120, and the most frost days, at 62. In contrast, Dunholt was the driest, with 520 millimetres, and the sunniest, with 210 sunny days. Castlebay had by far the fewest frost days, only 12. Overall, Brightmoor is wet and frosty, whereas Dunholt is dry and sunny.

This diagram shows six stages in turning wheat into flour. First, the wheat is harvested with a combine harvester. The grain is then dried and stored, and after that it is cleaned to remove stones and dust. In the fourth stage, water is added to condition the grain. Next, it is ground between rollers, and finally the flour is sifted and packed. Overall, the process moves from the harvested crop to packaged flour.

These maps show an archaeological site before and after it was opened to visitors. The farm, the track and the river are in the same places on both maps. The main change is the large field, which has been replaced by a visitor hall in the top left, an excavation area in the middle and a car park below the hall. Overall, the site has changed from open farmland to a managed attraction, while its surroundings remain the same.

This bar graph compares average commute times in five districts of a city in 2015 and 2025, in minutes. Mill Lane had the longest commute in both years, although it fell from 45 to 39 minutes. Centre also improved, from 24 to 21, making it the quickest. In contrast, Harbour and Hillside became slower, rising by 4 minutes each, while Parkside stayed at 27. Overall, the changes were small and mixed.

This line graph compares average reaction times, in milliseconds, of volunteers who slept fully and those who slept for four hours, measured up to 22 hours after waking. Both lines rise as the day goes on, meaning people react more slowly. The rested group went from 240 to 320 milliseconds, an increase of 80. The sleep-restricted group started higher at 260 and climbed much faster, reaching 470, a rise of 210. The gap therefore widened from 20 to 150 milliseconds. Overall, short sleep is linked with slower reactions, especially late in the day.

This pie chart shows how a school district spends its budget. Teacher salaries make up the largest share, at 58 per cent, which is more than half. Buildings come second at 14 per cent, followed by support staff at 12 per cent, and salaries and support staff together account for 70 per cent. Learning resources take 9 per cent. Administration is the smallest share, at only 7 per cent. Overall, most of the money goes on people rather than premises or materials.

This table compares four freight corridors by distance, journey time and cost per tonne. The Southern corridor is the longest, at 680 kilometres, and it also takes the most time, at 11 hours, and costs the most, at 52 dollars per tonne. The Western corridor is the shortest, at 250 kilometres, taking only 3 hours and costing 24 dollars. The Northern and Eastern corridors fall in between. Overall, longer corridors take more time and cost more, with the ranking identical on all three measures.

This diagram shows how rain forms in six stages. First, the sun heats the sea, and water vapour rises. As it climbs, the vapour cools and condenses into tiny droplets, and these gather to form clouds. The droplets then grow heavy, and finally rain falls to the ground. Overall, the process is a cycle powered by heat from the sun.

These maps show a canal-side area before and after redevelopment. The canal and the towpath have not changed. On the north side, the warehouse has been converted into apartments and the yard has become a public square. On the south side, the garages have been demolished and replaced with a café and a small garden. Overall, an industrial area has been turned into a mixed residential and leisure district.

This bar graph shows the share of small businesses in five sectors that accept card payments only, in 2020 and 2025. Every sector increased. Cafes saw the biggest rise, from 18 to 64 per cent, an increase of 46 points, and ended highest. Salons followed at 58 per cent. Markets remained the lowest, at just 19 per cent in 2025, up from 5. Overall, card-only trading is spreading, although unevenly.

This line graph compares the hours of darkness per night at two observing sites in four months. The lines mirror each other. In March and September both sites have 12 hours, so the lines meet. In June the north site has only 7 hours of darkness, its lowest, while the south site has 17, its highest. In December the pattern reverses. Overall, the seasons are opposite at the two sites, which is why the largest gap is 10 hours.

This pie chart shows the main material used in new buildings completed in Orchard City. Concrete is the most common, at 38 per cent, followed by timber at 24 per cent and steel at 20 per cent. Concrete and steel together account for 58 per cent. Brick makes up 12 per cent, half the share of timber, and other materials are the smallest group at 6 per cent. Overall, concrete dominates, but timber is clearly more popular than steel or brick.

This table presents the results of a sample sleep survey across four age groups. Teenagers sleep the longest, at 8.6 hours on average, while older adults sleep the least, at 6.5 hours. Older adults also take the longest to fall asleep, at 26 minutes, and wake the most often, three times a night. Young adults fall asleep fastest, in 15 minutes. Overall, sleep becomes shorter and more broken with age, though middle-aged adults take slightly longer than young adults to fall asleep.