What Task 3 asks you to do
Task 3 shows a picture of a busy scene, such as a park, a kitchen or a street fair. You describe it to someone who can't see it. You get 30 seconds to prepare and 60 seconds to speak. The same picture comes back in Task 4, where you predict what happens next.
Example prompt: Describe a picture of a community park on a sunny afternoon: a family having a picnic, children on a slide, a man walking two dogs, and an ice cream truck by the gate.
A structure for 60 seconds
- Overview (about 10 seconds). Where it is and the general mood: "This is a busy park on a sunny afternoon."
- Most important area (about 20 seconds). Usually the centre or the biggest group of people.
- Second and third areas (about 25 seconds). Move in one direction: left to right, or front to back.
- A closing detail (about 5 seconds). The weather, the atmosphere, or something small and interesting.
In 30 seconds, choose your route through the picture and note one detail per area. Describe what people are doing, using the present continuous: "is sitting", "are playing".
Sample answer
This picture shows a busy community park on a sunny afternoon, and everyone looks relaxed and happy.
In the middle, there's a family of four having a picnic on a red-and-white blanket. The mother is pouring lemonade, and the father is cutting sandwiches, while their two kids are reaching for the chips.
On the left, a few children are lining up to go down a bright yellow slide. One little boy is waving at his parents from the top. Just behind the playground, a man in a grey hoodie is walking two dogs, and one of them is pulling hard on its leash, probably because it wants to chase a squirrel.
On the right, near the gate, there's an ice cream truck with a short line of people in front of it. It looks like a perfect day to be outside.
Why this answer scores well
- It follows a clear route (middle, left, right), so the listener can build the picture in their head.
- Location phrases ("in the middle", "on the left", "just behind") are exactly what raters listen for in this task.
- Present continuous verbs describe actions naturally.
- Small details (colours, the boy waving, the dog pulling) show a wide vocabulary.
Useful phrases
- "In the foreground / background…"
- "On the left-hand side, there's…"
- "Right next to…, I can see…"
- "It looks like…"
- "Overall, the atmosphere is…"
Common mistakes
- Listing objects ("a tree, a bench, a dog") instead of describing what people are doing.
- Jumping around the picture with no order.
- Spending all 60 seconds on one area.
- Guessing about the future; save that for Task 4.
Practise Task 3 with real timing in the free speaking drill, then see all 8 speaking tasks.
Want your Task 3 answer scored?
Record your answer in a session and get feedback on all four scoring areas.
Questions
How long is CELPIP Speaking Task 3?
You get 30 seconds to prepare and 60 seconds to speak.
Is the Task 3 picture used again?
Yes. Task 4 uses the same scene and asks what will probably happen next.