Content
Identify the central subjects and actions accurately, then add material details that are clearly visible.
Free 60-second practice
Write About
the Photo
Try the DET task without signing in. The photograph stays visible while you write, then Petra AI gives you a PrepEx score estimate and feedback on all four writing criteria.
60 secondsper response
3 tasksper current test
Nonadaptivetask format
PrepEx provides independent DET-style practice. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Duolingo. PrepEx results are practice estimates, not official DET scores.
Practice preview
1:00
Write a description of the image below for 1 minute.
Your response is ready for Petra AI feedback.
Get a PrepEx DET score estimate plus feedback on content, coherence, grammar, and vocabulary. Your response is graded without being saved to a learner profile.
2 free AI grades per IP in each 24-hour window · 5 timed attempts in this browser session
What the response can demonstrate
Describe a scene, not a list of objects.
The task gives you room to identify what is happening, connect visible details, and organize those details into a short description. The official writing rubric considers content, discourse coherence, vocabulary, and grammar.
Coherence
Connect the main scene to supporting details so the description reads as one developed response.
Vocabulary
Use precise, appropriate words for actions, objects, position, and setting without forcing rare language.
Grammar
Use complete, controlled sentences and vary structures when that helps you express relationships clearly.
One image, three levels of development
See what each revision adds.
These examples describe the practice photograph above. They illustrate response development; they are not official answers or score bands.
Accurate but limited
Three people are studying at a table.
What it shows
The sentence identifies the main scene, but it leaves most actions, relationships, and setting details unused.
Connected description
Three students are studying together at a table near a large window. One points to an open notebook while another works on a laptop.
What it adds
The response connects two visible actions and places the group in a clearer setting.
More precise detail
Three students are working together at a round table in a bright common area. The student on the left points to a diagram in an open notebook while the person beside him follows along with a pen. Across the table, another student uses a laptop, with books, a bottle, and a backpack nearby.
What it adds
The description organizes foreground details, spatial relationships, and simultaneous actions without inventing a story.
There is no published official word minimum or required sentence count for this task. A longer response only helps when the added language remains relevant, clear, and controlled.
Current format, checked August 2026
Task facts come from current DET sources.
PrepEx uses the public test format and writing construct as the reference point, then creates original practice photographs and prompts. We do not reproduce private items or claim to recreate Duolingo's scoring model.
The task uses one photograph, keeps it visible for 60 seconds, appears three times, and is nonadaptive. Read the official task page.
Official public rubrics describe content, discourse coherence, vocabulary, and grammar evidence. Read the official rubrics.
Write About the Photo informs Writing, Literacy, and Production. Read how DET items are scored.
Quick answers
Write About the Photo FAQ
How long do I have for Write About the Photo?
The current test gives you 60 seconds. The photograph remains visible while you write.
Is there an official minimum word count?
No official task-specific minimum is published. Use the time to write an accurate, connected, and detailed description rather than aiming for an invented number.
Which DET subscores does this task inform?
Write About the Photo informs the Writing individual subscore and the Literacy and Production integrated subscores.
Does this page give an official DET score?
No. Petra AI grades the practice response and provides an independent PrepEx estimate with response-specific feedback. It is not an official Duolingo English Test score.
Ready to practice with feedback?
Open only Write About the Photo items in the PrepEx writing catalog. Free accounts receive two graded DET practice sessions each day.