CELPIP Speaking · Task 3 of 8
CELPIP Speaking Task 3 Practice Questions: Describing a Scene
Practice CELPIP Speaking Task 3 with 50 original picture prompts.
50 sets
Original practice sets
Set 1
Free to try
30s prep
Per set
60s speak
Per set
50 CELPIP Speaking Task 3 practice questions
Showing 50 of 50
- 1
Toronto secondary-school science laboratory during a chemistry…
Schools & Learning - 2
Toronto neighbourhood park on the first warm Saturday of spring
Neighbourhood & Community - 3
Covered concourse of a Vancouver SkyTrain station during the…
Transit & Travel - 4
Vancouver seawall beside English Bay on a busy summer afternoon
Tourism & Sightseeing - 5
Children’s section of a Montreal public library during a bilingual…
Schools & Learning - 6
Calgary bus stop during heavy morning snow
Transit & Travel - 7
Calgary community-centre kitchen during a multicultural fundraiser
Neighbourhood & Community - 8
Ottawa riverside lawn during preparations for a Canada Day…
Festivals & Celebrations - 9
Ottawa walk-in clinic waiting room on a snowy morning
Health & Public Services - 10
Open-air produce lane at Montreal’s Jean-Talon Market
Shopping & Dining - 11
Interior waiting hall of the Halifax ferry terminal before a…
Transit & Travel - 12
Halifax waterfront boardwalk beside the harbour on a breezy…
Tourism & Sightseeing - 13
Winnipeg supermarket checkout area during a pre-storm shopping rush
Shopping & Dining - 14
Winnipeg river skating trail on a sunny winter weekend
Sports & Outdoor Recreation - 15
Edmonton open-plan office during a hybrid project meeting
Workplaces & Industry - 16
Edmonton downtown construction site beside an operating sidewalk
Workplaces & Industry - 17
Toronto condominium lobby during the evening delivery rush
Neighbourhood & Community - 18
Niagara Falls viewing promenade during a crowded summer afternoon
Tourism & Sightseeing - 19
Quebec City café during a winter lunch service
Shopping & Dining - 20
Banff National Park trailhead before a morning hike
Sports & Outdoor Recreation - 21
Saskatoon university lecture hall just before a guest presentation
Schools & Learning - 22
Saskatchewan grain farm during the autumn harvest
Workplaces & Industry - 23
Regina bank branch on a busy pension-payment morning
Health & Public Services - 24
Newfoundland fishing wharf as small boats return in the morning
Workplaces & Industry - 25
St
Tourism & Sightseeing - 26
Prince Edward Island beach during a family picnic and sandcastle…
Tourism & Sightseeing - 27
Whitehorse recreation centre beside an indoor ice rink during…
Sports & Outdoor Recreation - 28
Yukon territorial campground beside a forested lake at dusk
Sports & Outdoor Recreation - 29
Baggage-claim hall of Iqaluit Airport after a weather-delayed flight
Transit & Travel - 30
Iqaluit shoreline during the annual sealift supply unloading
Workplaces & Industry - 31
Mississauga newcomer settlement agency during an orientation…
Health & Public Services - 32
Toronto streetcar stop during a sudden autumn rainstorm
Transit & Travel - 33
Brampton banquet hall during preparations for a community Diwali…
Festivals & Celebrations - 34
Vancouver Chinatown street during a Lunar New Year community…
Festivals & Celebrations - 35
Richmond dim sum restaurant during a crowded weekend brunch
Shopping & Dining - 36
Calgary Stampede grounds before an afternoon family programme
Festivals & Celebrations - 37
Surrey pharmacy during an evening flu-clinic rush
Health & Public Services - 38
Rideau Canal Skateway in Ottawa during Winterlude
Festivals & Celebrations - 39
Hamilton automotive repair garage during a winter-tire change rush
Workplaces & Industry - 40
Residential Montreal street during an overnight snow-removal…
Neighbourhood & Community - 41
Waterloo technology coworking space during a student start-up…
Workplaces & Industry - 42
Nova Scotia coastal ferry dock as vehicles and pedestrians prepare…
Transit & Travel - 43
Windsor art-gallery education room during a family painting workshop
Schools & Learning - 44
Yard of a Quebec maple-sugar shack during an early-spring festival
Festivals & Celebrations - 45
Kingston provincial-service centre with several public counters
Health & Public Services - 46
This lively outdoor scene takes place at powwow grounds in Manitoba…
Festivals & Celebrations - 47
Covered hall of the Charlottetown farmers market on a Saturday…
Shopping & Dining - 48
Toronto Caribbean Carnival parade route before the next band enters
Festivals & Celebrations - 49
Thunder Bay fire station during a public safety open house
Health & Public Services - 50
Brampton park during a community cricket match
Sports & Outdoor Recreation
The task
What is CELPIP Speaking Task 3: Describing a Scene?
An illustrated scene with several people mid-action: a park on a weekend, an airport departure hall, a kitchen during a family dinner. You describe it to someone who cannot see it, in enough detail that they could picture it.
How a practice set runs
- Study the picture during the 30-second preparation countdown; it stays on screen while you speak.
- Record your description during the 60-second speaking window.
- Submit for transcription and evaluation; the transcript and feedback appear below the picture.
What you answer
A spoken description of up to 60 seconds: the setting first, then who is where and what each person is doing, moving through the picture in a fixed order. The evaluation reports an estimated level, a transcript and feedback on vocabulary range, fluency, organization and how much of the scene you covered.
Example
Sample prompt: Describe the scene in the picture in as much detail as you can. Imagine you are speaking to someone who cannot see it.
Skills and pitfalls
What CELPIP Speaking Task 3 tests
Task 3 checks whether you can describe what you see in organized, specific language: where things are, who is doing what, and what the overall situation is.
It rewards range. Position words, action verbs in the present continuous and a few precise nouns matter more than opinions about the picture.
How practicing these sets helps
Fifty scenes across everyday settings give you repeated practice at the one thing this task needs: a system. Open with the setting, sweep the picture in a fixed order, and describe an action per area. The transcript shows how much of the picture you actually covered.
What you will see
- A single illustration of a place such as a park, an airport, a kitchen or a street market, with several people mid-action.
- A 30-second preparation countdown to study the picture, then a 60-second recording window.
- A transcript and evaluation of your description after recording.
Skills you need
- Using position language: in the foreground, on the left, next to, behind
- Describing actions with the present continuous
- Moving through the picture in a logical order
- Naming objects and roles precisely
Common mistakes
- Jumping around the picture so the listener cannot follow
- Saying there are people instead of describing what they are doing
- Stopping after two sentences because nothing else seems important
- Guessing at feelings and motives instead of describing what is visible
Strategy
How to improve in CELPIP Speaking Task 3
Improve Speaking Task 3 by practising the 5 habits below on timed sets and reviewing every explanation afterwards.
Open with the big picture
One sentence on where the scene is and what is generally happening gives your listener a frame before the details.
Sweep in a fixed order
Left to right, or foreground to background. Choose one order and keep it, so you never wonder what to say next.
Person plus action plus detail
For each area, name who is there, what they are doing, and one detail: a man in a red jacket is paying for coffee while checking his phone.
Use the preparation time to count
Count the areas you will describe and pick a verb for each. That is a full plan in 30 seconds.
Describe, do not interpret
Say what is visible. If you want to add a guess, mark it: she looks like she is waiting for someone.
FAQ
What do candidates ask about CELPIP Speaking Task 3?
Short answers to what candidates ask about Describing a Scene and about practicing it here.
What is CELPIP Speaking Task 3?
Task 3, Describing a Scene, shows you a picture and asks you to describe it in detail to someone who cannot see it.
How long is Task 3?
In these practice sets you have 30 seconds to look at the picture and 60 seconds to describe it.
What should I describe first?
The setting and the general situation, in one sentence. Then move through the picture in a fixed order, describing who is doing what in each area.
Do I need to describe everything in the picture?
No. Cover the main areas and actions clearly. Detail and organization score better than a rushed attempt to mention everything.
How is my recording evaluated?
After you record, an AI evaluation reviews the answer for content, vocabulary, fluency and how well it handles the task, and gives an estimated level with a transcript. It is a practice estimate, not an official CELPIP score.
Are the Task 3 picture prompts free?
The first prompt is free, including recording, the evaluation and the transcript. The remaining prompts are part of the Pro plan.
Are these official CELPIP speaking questions?
No. Every prompt is original practice material written to match the task format. This site is independent and not affiliated with CELPIP or Paragon Testing Enterprises.
Keep going
Related CELPIP practice
Move to the next Speaking task, or switch skills. Every page below lists its own 50 practice sets.
Other Speaking tasks
- Speaking Task 1: Giving AdviceSomeone you know has a problem; give them practical advice in 90 seconds.
- Speaking Task 2: Personal ExperienceTell a short story from your life with a beginning, a middle and a point.
- Speaking Task 4: Making PredictionsLook at a scene and predict what the people in it will do next, with reasons.
- Speaking Task 5: Comparing and PersuadingChoose between options, then persuade someone who prefers a different one.
- Speaking Task 6: Difficult SituationAn awkward situation with two people involved; choose one and speak to them directly.
- Speaking Task 7: Expressing OpinionsGive and defend your opinion on a public issue in a 90-second answer.
- Speaking Task 8: Unusual SituationDescribe a strange object or scene to someone who cannot see it, using everyday words.
Ready to practice CELPIP Speaking Task 3?
Set 1 is free. Every answer comes with an explanation.