What am I describing in Task 3?

A picture of an everyday scene with several people and actions. You describe it to someone who cannot see it, in 60 seconds after 30 seconds to prepare.

Do I need special vocabulary?

No. Everyday words for places, people, clothing, actions and positions such as 'in the foreground' or 'on the left' are enough.

Is the same picture used in Task 4?

Yes. Task 4 asks you to predict what happens next in the same scene, so notes you make here help there too.

Is Task 3 practice free?

The Test 1 image and prompt are free with a sample answer. A free account gives 3 AI feedback recordings a day. Tests 2 to 50 come with a plan.

CELPIP Speaking · Task 3 of 8

CELPIP Speaking Task 3: Describing a Scene

Task 3 shows a picture of an everyday scene: a park, a market, a train platform, an office. You describe it to someone who cannot see it, with 30 seconds to prepare and 60 seconds to speak. The listener should be able to picture the scene from your words alone.

Prepare

30 s

Speak

60 s

Recorded by

You, recorded through your microphone

Practice items

One picture of an everyday scene. Describe it to someone who cannot see it. 30 seconds to prepare, 60 seconds to speak.

What this task tests

Describing a Scene

A strong description moves through the picture in an order, such as foreground to background or left to right, names the people and what they are doing, and adds a detail or two about mood or weather. The task is scored on Content and Coherence, Vocabulary, Listenability, and Task Fulfillment.

Celpify's free Test 1 item for Task 3 includes the image, the timers, a sample answer with a four-trait commentary, and AI feedback on your recording scored the way the real test does.

The trap

Listing objects without location or action scores low on Coherence: 'There is a man. There is a dog. There is a tree.' Say where things are and what people are doing, and the same content becomes a description.

Try it free

The Test 1 task is open to everyone.

Test 1 · Free

Busy Office Scene

1 min · answers and explanations included

Start Test 1 free

All 50 Describing a Scene practice items

One item per test, from Test 1 to Test 50. Test 1 is free; the rest come with a plan.

Test 1Busy Office Scene1 minFree
Test 2Community Park Scene1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 3Busy Classroom Scene1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 4Fitness Center Scene1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 5Busy Airport Terminal1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 6Farmer's Market Scene1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 7Hospital Emergency Waiting Area1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 8Restaurant Kitchen During Rush1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 9University Library During Exams1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 10Active Construction Site1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 11Food Truck Festival1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 12Community Swimming Pool1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 13Independent Bookshop Author Reading1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 14Rush Hour Train Platform1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 15Neighborhood Block Party1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 16Veterinary Clinic Waiting Room1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 17Sunny Playground Scene1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 18Hotel Lobby Conference Check-In1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 19Early Morning Bakery1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 20Museum Gallery Visit1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 21Indoor Ice-Skating Rink1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 22Pottery Studio Class1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 23Crowded City Bus1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 24Bowling Alley1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 25Amusement Park Funfair1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 26Busy Post Office1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 27Fire Station Routine Day1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 28Cinema Lobby1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 29Community Garden Plots1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 30Busy Saturday Barbershop1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 31Busy Neighbourhood Café1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 32Busy Spring Garden Centre1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 33Busy Weekend Laundromat1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 34Recreation Centre Registration Day1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 35Saturday Hardware Store1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 36Busy Ferry Terminal Waiting Area1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 37Autumn Pumpkin Patch1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 38Busy Electronics Repair Shop1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 39Morning School Drop-Off1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 40Mall Food Court at Lunch1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 41Busy Off-Leash Dog Park1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 42Long-Weekend Campground1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 43Aquarium Hall at Feeding Time1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 44Busy Supermarket Checkout1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 45Busy Bank Branch Lobby1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 46Busy Car Dealership Showroom1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 47Winter Ski Hill Base Area1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 48Summer Day at the Lake1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 49Busy Weekend Thrift Store1 minIncluded in a plan
Test 50Apartment Moving Day1 minIncluded in a plan

How to score higher on Task 3

Start with one sentence about the whole scene: where it is and what is happening in general.
Choose an order and keep it. Left to right or front to back, but not both.
Use present continuous for actions: 'a woman is pushing a stroller'. It is the natural tense for a live description.
Keep talking until the timer ends. If you run out of people, describe the weather, the time of day or the mood.

Scored on four traits: Content and Coherence, Vocabulary, Listenability, Task Fulfillment. Celpify's AI feedback scores the same four traits the way the real test does.

Read the CELPIP Speaking guide for this task and the Speaking score chart.

Task 3 questions people ask

What am I describing in Task 3?: A picture of an everyday scene with several people and actions. You describe it to someone who cannot see it, in 60 seconds after 30 seconds to prepare.
Do I need special vocabulary?: No. Everyday words for places, people, clothing, actions and positions such as 'in the foreground' or 'on the left' are enough.
Is the same picture used in Task 4?: Yes. Task 4 asks you to predict what happens next in the same scene, so notes you make here help there too.
How is Task 3 scored?: On four traits: Content and Coherence, Vocabulary, Listenability, and Task Fulfillment.
Is Task 3 practice free?: The Test 1 image and prompt are free with a sample answer. A free account gives 3 AI feedback recordings a day. Tests 2 to 50 come with a plan.