DET
DET speaking task guide

DET Speak About the Photo practice

Use the preparation time to choose a visual route. A clear overview plus connected details is easier to follow than an object-by-object list.

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Current format

What happens in Speak About the Photo

Describe a photo aloud with relevant detail, structure, and clear delivery.

The task is also described as Picture Description in DET research and learning materials. PrepEx keeps the current on-screen task name as the canonical label.

Frequency1 promptCurrent official test structure.
Time20-second preparation; up to 90 secondsPractise with the real constraint.
ScoringSpeaking criteriaPrepEx reports practice evidence only.
A repeatable method

Use one job for each part of the timer

  • Identify the setting and main action during preparation.
  • Move through the image in a deliberate order and connect related details.
  • Finish with the overall scene rather than searching for one last object.
Practise the format, then review the decision

After each PrepEx attempt, identify the first point where your response went off track. A specific correction is more useful than simply repeating the same item.

Open Speak About the Photo practice.

Common mistakes

What to catch during review

  • Listing visible objects without describing relationships
  • Inventing a story that the image does not support
  • Using preparation time to script a sentence word for word
  • Rushing delivery to mention every minor detail
Scoring boundary

PrepEx feedback is practice evidence

Speak About the Photo contributes evidence under the official DET scoring system. PrepEx can help you check task execution and track practice performance, but it does not reproduce Duolingo's live adaptive selector, operational item bank, proctoring, or scoring model.

Any number shown after a PrepEx attempt is a practice estimate, not an official DET score.

Official source

Confirm the live task rules before test day

Read the official Speak About the Photo Help Center page and the current DET Test Structure. Duolingo's live Help Center is the final authority if a task count, timer, or rule changes.

Format facts rechecked September 1, 2026. PrepEx examples and practice content are original and independent.

DET Speaking practiceCompare every current speaking task family. All DET task typesCheck the timing and scoring approach for all 13 families. DET formatSee where the task fits into the current test flow. DET scoringSeparate official reporting from PrepEx practice estimates.
PrepEx provides independent DET preparation. PrepEx practice estimates are not official Duolingo English Test scores or results.