Duolingo English Test: Sections, Pattern & Preparation

Duolingo is a language-learning app launched in 2011. The Duolingo app is free (it also offers premium paid services) and is designed to feel like a game to make language learning fun and the whole process more interactive. It has over 83 million overall active users as of 2026, making it the largest language-learning app in the market.

What is the Duolingo full form?

Duolingo does not actually have a full form — it’s not an acronym.

The Duolingo English Test is a standardized English test that is internet-based and not paper-based. It is adaptive, which means that it uses an algorithm to adapt to the test taker's level of expertise in the language. The question difficulty changes based on your performance. The Duolingo English test is worth 160 marks. There is no set number of questions in this test either, and you are not likely to get the same question twice, as it draws from a large pool of questions. The test can last up to approximately 1 hour.

In this section, you will learn about the duolingo exam pattern/structure and the types of questions asked in the Duolingo English Test. 

Structure of the Duolingo English Test

• The onboarding process, where you are explained all the precautions you have to take and the rules you have to follow, lasts up to 5 minutes. 
• Then an adaptive test is conducted where the algorithm measures your English skills and adapts to them to provide you with questions. This test can go on for up to 45 minutes. 
• Then you will be asked to give a speaking sample and a writing sample:
  
  • You will be given 1-3 minutes for the speaking sample.
  • You will be given 3-5 minutes for the writing sample.

From April 2nd, 2024, Duolingo is introducing new changes to the test pattern. It has introduced two new sections (Fill in the Blanks and Interactive Writing) to the existing pattern for the spring 2024 test. We will discuss it in the section below, so keep reading. 

1. Read and Complete: You will be asked to type the missing words to complete an incomplete text 
2. Read and Select: You will be given a bunch of English words, which will contain both real and fake English words. You will have to select the real English words. 
3. Listen and Type: An audio clip will be played, and you will be asked to type what you hear.
4. Read aloud: You will be given a statement and asked to repeat it out loud.
5. Write about the photo: You will be shown a picture, and you will have to describe the image in one minute 
6. Speak about the photo: You will be shown a picture and you will have to speak about it for 90 seconds 
7. Read, then Write: You will be given a prompt, and you will have to first read it, understand it, and then write about it for 5 minutes. You need to write a minimum of 50 words.
8. Read, then Speak: You will be shown a paragraph that you will have to read first and then talk about it for 90 seconds. 
9. Listen, then Speak: You will be given an audio clip to listen to, and then you will be given 90 seconds to speak about what you just heard.
10. Complete the sentences: You will be given a paragraph with missing sentences, and you will have to choose the correct options to fill in those blanks.
11. Complete the passage: You will be shown a passage with a gap, and you will be asked to fill in the gap with the most appropriate option. 
12. Highlight the option: You will be shown a passage and asked a question related to it. You will have to highlight the appropriate answer to the question.
13. Identify the Idea: You will be shown a passage and asked to select the idea that is expressed in that passage. 
14. Title the Passage: You will be given a paragraph and asked to give it an appropriate title. 
15. Listen and respond: It is a conversational test where you will have to listen to the characters in front of you and respond to them correctly. 
16. Summarize the conversation: It is a continuation of the previous section. Here, you will have to summarize the previous conversation you had with the character within 75 seconds.
17. Writing Sample: You will be asked a question and have to write about it for 5 minutes, within 50 words. 
18. Speaking Sample: You will be shown a paragraph, and you will be asked to speak about it for 3 minutes.
19. Fill in the Blanks: In this section, you will be asked 6-9 questions where you will have to choose an appropriate answer to fill in the blank.
20. Interactive Writing: Read a prompt and write about it for 5 minutes. You will then be given a follow-up prompt, which you will have to answer in 3 minutes. 

The Duolingo English Test Sections and Syllabus includes 4 subscores (a combination of skills), unlike the general syllabus of the remaining standardised tests, which include reading, writing, listening, and speaking. 

• Literacy: Tests your ability to read and write. 
• Comprehension: Tests your ability to read and listen. 
• Conversation: Tests your ability to listen and speak.
• Production: Tests your ability to write and speak.

Duolingo Test Preparation Course

The Duolingo English Test (DET) has become one of the most preferred English proficiency exams for students planning to study abroad. Compared to traditional tests like IELTS or TOEFL, it is affordable, quick, and can be taken from the comfort of your home. However, scoring well still requires the right preparation and strategy — and that’s where a Duolingo Test Preparation Course comes in.

In this section, we are going to list some general tips and tricks to follow when preparing to take the Duolingo English Test. These 10 tips range from the technical aspects of the test to tips related to the subject. 

• Tip 1: Use the complete time given to answer each question.
• Tip 2: Try to give longer responses than the given minimum limit which is 50 words and 30 secs when it comes to time. 
• Tip 3: Recheck your answer before going to the next answer and always leave time to recheck your answers before submitting them.
• Tip 4: Try to have a more diverse vocabulary while answering and change your sentence structuring as much as possible.
• Tip 5: Always check for proper spelling, grammar, punctuation, and capitalization in your answers.
• Tip 6: Speak Loudly and clearly while answering the questions that require you to say things out loud.  
• Tip 7: Do not be in a hurry to click on “Next” as you won’t be given another chance to answer the question once you click on next. 
• Tip 8: Become familiar with the interface by exploring your account more and doing thorough research about the test. 
• Tip 9: Practice for the test using the free practice test you can find on the website a lot of times before giving the actual exam. 
• Tip 10: Wait till your test has been completely uploaded before closing the tab. Wait till you receive a notification on the screen that says that your results have been submitted.

Requirements

To take the Duolingo English Test, you will need a computer with:

• Functioning microphone 
• Speakers 
• Camera (It must be at the top-centre of your monitor/ screen)

Rules

Here are the 12 rules you need to follow while taking the Duolingo English Test. If you are found to have broken any of these rules, your test results will not be released to you and you will not be refunded for the test. If the violation is found to be serious, you will be permanently banned from taking the Duolingo English Test. 

• Rule 1: You should not use another person’s name or ID to take the test. 
• Rule 2: You should be in a quiet and well-lit room. 
• Rule 3: Your ears must be visible and uncovered.
• Rule 4: You should not use headphones or earphones.
• Rule 5: You need to keep your microphone and camera-enabled
• Rule 6: Your face must be completely visible.
• Rule 7: No mobiles, notes, or textbooks are allowed.
• Rule 8: Note-taking is not allowed.
• Rule 9: A second monitor is not allowed.
• Rule 10: Your eyes need to be focused on the screen.
• Rule 11: Any kind of predicative text method is not allowed.
• Rule 12: You cannot navigate away from your screen for any reason.

Below are the steps to register for the Duolingo English Test 

Step 1: Visit the official Duolingo English Test website. 

Step 2: Click on 'Purchase a Test' and proceed to buy a test.

Step 3: Finish the payment and fill in all your required details. 

Step 4: The registration process is finished, and you will be given a 21-day window to take the test.

Duolingo English Test Price:

One Duolingo English test is $59, which is approximately equal to 4917 INR. You can purchase 2 Duolingo English Tests for $49 each, at approximately $98, equal to 8167 INR. An extra $40 or 3,333 INR fee is charged for fast delivery speed.

You will receive your DET result within 12 hours when you select the fast-track option. Otherwise, your results will be delivered within 2 days of taking the exam.

To check your Duolingo English Test results, you need to follow the given steps.

Step 1: Visit the official Duolingo English Test website.

Step 2: Log in to your account by entering the same details you used to register.

Step 3: You will find your 'Scorecard' in your dashboard after logging into your account.

Step 4: Click on your scorecard and take a printout of your report.

Step 5: You can also save the report in a softcopy format as a PDF.

Here is the list of the top 10 universities in the USA that accept the Duolingo English Test.

Here is the list of the top 10 universities in the UK that accept the Duolingo English Test

Here is the list of the top 10 universities in Canada that accept the Duolingo English Test.

In this section, we are going to look at the comparison between all the different standardized English tests.  

Duolingo English Test Vs IELTS Vs TOEFL

Attempting and scoring good marks in a standardized English test is not the last step of your study abroad process. After getting your scores, you will need to find a university where you want to pursue your higher education, apply for admission, and apply for a scholarship to fund your education.

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