Duolingo English Test format and pattern

Understanding the exam format is crucial for anyone planning to take the Duolingo English Test, whether you're a student aiming to meet university admission requirements or a professional seeking visa application approval. Familiarising yourself with the test’s pattern will help you prepare effectively and ensure that this test aligns with your specific needs and goals.

In order to score well, you’ll need to first understand the exam’s format and test pattern.

The Duolingo English Test is designed to assess your English language proficiency through a variety of tasks. This exam features 5 sections, each focusing on different skills:

1. Initial Comprehension (~10 minutes)

2. Comprehension (~10 minutes)

3. Interactive Comprehension (~15 minutes)

4. Production (~20 minutes)

5. Shared (~10 minutes)

Explore detailed insights into each test section along with expert tips and strategies to help you ace the Duolingo English Test and achieve your desired score.

The Initial Comprehension section of the Duolingo English Test is designed to assess your basic understanding of English vocabulary. This section features 2 types of tasks, both aimed at testing your vocabulary knowledge:

Read and Select

In the Read and Select task, you’ll be presented with a list of 15 to 18 words. Your job is to determine whether each word is a real English word or not. You’ll have 5 seconds to decide for each word.

Tips and strategies:

• Beware of fake words: Duolingo often includes fake words that look and sound like real words. Pay close attention to spelling, as slight misspellings are a common trick used to confuse test-takers.

• Practice regularly: Familiarise yourself with common English words and their spellings to improve your speed and accuracy.

Fill in the blanks

In the Fill in the blanks task, you’ll be given a sentence with a missing word, where some letters of the word are provided. Your task is to complete the word within 20 seconds. 

Tips and strategies:

• Use contextual clues: Understand the rest of the sentence to determine the missing word. Contextual clues are essential in figuring out the correct answer.

• Attempt every question: Duolingo doesn’t penalise you more for incorrect answers than for leaving a question blank. Therefore, always attempt to answer each question, even if you’re unsure.

The Comprehension section of the Duolingo English Test is designed to evaluate your ability to understand and process written and spoken English. This section features 3 types of adaptive questions: Read and Complete, Read Aloud, and Listen and Type.

Read and Complete

In the Read and Complete task, you’ll be given a text with missing words. Your task is to type in the missing letters within 3 minutes.

Tips and strategies:

• Understand context: To determine the missing words, pay attention to what comes before and after the gaps in the text. Understanding the context will help you fill in the blanks accurately.

• Skip and return: If you can't figure out a missing word initially, skip it and move on. You can return to it later, and it might be easier to figure out after you complete other parts of the passage.

• Guess if unsure: Duolingo doesn’t penalise you more for a wrong answer than for leaving a blank. If you're unsure, make an educated guess.

Read Aloud

In the Read Aloud task, you will have 20 seconds to record yourself reading a provided sentence or two.

Tips and strategies:

• Ensure good quality recording: Make sure your recording is clear. Poor-quality recordings can negatively impact your score.

• Avoid headphones: Headphones aren’t allowed on the DET. You can use an external microphone, but it shouldn’t be part of a pair of headphones.

• Practise before recording: Read the sentence aloud once or twice before recording to identify tricky words and practise their pronunciation.

• One chance only: You can only record yourself once. If you make a mistake, continue and complete your response to the best of your ability.

Listen and Type

In the Listen and Type task, you’ll have 60 seconds to listen to a statement and type what you hear. You can listen to the statement up to 3 times.

Tips and strategies:

• Check volume: When you encounter a “Listen and Type” question, the audio will play automatically. Ensure the volume on your device is turned up so you can hear it clearly.

• Listen strategically: Listen to the statement twice, then write your response. Listen one final time to confirm your answer and make any necessary corrections.

The Interactive Comprehension section of the Duolingo English Test is designed to assess your ability to engage with and understand more dynamic and context-rich materials. This section features tasks that require both reading and listening skills, presented through interactive question sets.

Interactive Reading

In the Interactive Reading task, you’ll work with a passage containing multiple sentences. The goal is to demonstrate your understanding of how ideas within the passage connect and relate to each other. There are 2 sets of “Interactive Reading” questions on the test, featuring 5 types of questions:

1. Complete the Sentences

2. Complete the Passage

3. Highlight the Answer (appears 2 times)

4. Identify the Idea

5. Title the Passage

Tips and strategies:

• Manage your time: The interactive reading segments have 6 questions and last for 7 or 8 minutes. Aim to spend about 1 minute on each question to avoid running out of time.

• Read the whole passage: Familiarise yourself with the entire passage. Even if you’ve proofread your responses in the “Complete the Sentences” and Complete the Passage” questions, read them again to ensure accuracy.

• Focus on context: Pay close attention to the sentences immediately before and after the missing part, as these are crucial for identifying the correct sentence.

• Consider all options: Duolingo often includes options that sound correct but aren't. Make sure to read all the options carefully before selecting your answer.

Interactive Listening

The Interactive Listening task aims to simulate real-time conversations. It consists of 2 types of questions:

1. Listen and respond: You’ll begin with a hypothetical scenario. After reading the scenario and clicking “Start,” you’ll answer approximately 5 “Listen and Respond” questions. You must choose the most appropriate response to continue the conversation, with the other person responding in turn.

2. Summarise the Conversation: After the “Listen and Respond” questions, you’ll have 75 seconds to summarise the conversation.

Tips and strategies:

• Understand the scenario: Read the scenario carefully to grasp the details needed to pick the correct answers.

• Be time-conscious: Don’t spend more than 30 seconds reading the scenario. Save the bulk of your time for answering the 5 or so "Listen and Respond" questions.

• Use the 5W strategy for summarisation: When summarising the conversation, apply the 5W strategy:

  • Who was involved in the conversation?

  • What was the conversation about?

  • Where did the conversation take place?

  • When did the conversation occur?

  • Why did the conversation happen?

The Production section of the Duolingo English Test focuses on assessing your writing and speaking abilities. This section features the majority of the writing and speaking tasks you'll encounter on the test, such as Write About the Photo; Interactive Writing; Listen, Then Speak; Speak About the Photo; Read, Then Speak.

Write About the Photo

In the Write About the Photo task, you are given 1 minute to describe an image.

Tips and strategies:

• Avoid simple labelling: In their official test guide, Duolingo recommends going beyond simple labelling and describing the image in detail. Simple labelling involves merely identifying objects in the picture. If you find yourself starting many sentences with “There is,” you’re likely just labelling.

• Use the 5W strategy: Apply the 5 W’s strategy to add depth to your description:

  • What is happening in this photo?

  • Who is doing what?

  • Where are they doing it?

  • When are they doing it?

  • Why are they doing it?

Speak About the Photo

In the Speak About the Photo task, you’re given 20 seconds to study an image and 90 seconds to describe it. Do note, you can only record yourself once.

Tips and strategies:

• Avoid simple labelling: As with writing, go beyond simple labelling and describe the image in detail.

• Use the 5W strategy: Utilise the 5 W’s strategy to structure your description:

  • What is happening in this photo?

  • Who is doing what?

  • Where are they doing it?

  • When are they doing it?

  • Why are they doing it?

  • Why are they doing it?

Interactive Writing

The Interactive Writing task consists of 2 parts. First, you’ll be given a prompt and have 5 minutes to respond. Then, you’ll receive a second related prompt and have 3 minutes to respond.

Tips and strategies:

• Stay on topic: Avoid rambling, which means jumping from one idea to another randomly. Staying focused on the prompt will help you maintain coherence and clarity.

• Organise your thoughts: Having a clear strategy for writing will help you stay on topic and generate relevant content.

Listen and Speak

In the Listen and Speak task, you’ll have 20 seconds to listen to a topic and prepare your response. Then, you’ll have 90 seconds to record your response. The topic will play automatically when you reach the question, and you can listen to it up to 3 times by clicking the big blue button.

Tips and strategies:

• Check your microphone: Ensure you use a good microphone for clear audio recording. Headphones or earbuds with a microphone aren’t allowed, but you can use an external microphone.

• Understand the topic: Make sure you fully understand the topic during the 20 seconds provided to prepare your response.

Read, Then Speak

In the Read, Then Speak task, you’ll have 20 seconds to read a topic and prepare your response. Then, you’ll have 90 seconds to speak about the topic. You’ll be able to see the topic while recording your response.

Tips and strategies:

• Check your microphone: Use a quality microphone to ensure your voice is clearly recorded. Avoid using headphones or earbuds with a microphone.

• Understand the topic: Ensure you fully grasp the topic during the 20 seconds of preparation time before you start speaking.

The Shared section of the Duolingo English Test consists of the Writing Sample and Speaking Sample. This section is called "Shared" because your responses to these 2 questions will be sent along with your scores, allowing the recipients to personally evaluate your English proficiency.

Writing Sample

For the Writing Sample, you’ll have 5 minutes to write about a given topic. You must write at least 50 words and for a minimum of 3 minutes.

Tips and strategies:

• Use the I LAST strategy:

  • Identify: Identify the topic clearly and understand what it requires.

  • List: List out the specific tasks or points Duolingo wants you to cover in your response.

  • Answer: Provide a direct answer to the question or clearly state your viewpoint.

  • Support: Support your answer with relevant details and arguments.

  • Three: Provide three examples to illustrate your points and strengthen your argument.

Speaking Sample

In the Speaking Sample task, you’ll be given a prompt. You’ll have 30 seconds to read and prepare your answer, and then 3 minutes to respond. This task allows you to showcase your spoken English skills in a structured manner.

Tips and strategies:

• Maximise speaking time: Although you only need to speak for 1 minute, try to use the full 3 minutes to provide a detailed response. Speaking for a longer duration demonstrates your ability to sustain a conversation and discuss a topic in depth, which can help you achieve a higher score.

• Organise your response: Structure your response by stating your main idea, providing supporting details, and concluding your thoughts. This will make your answer clear and easy to follow.

• Practice fluency: Practise speaking fluently and confidently about various topics to improve your delivery. Avoid long pauses and filler words to maintain a smooth flow.

Preparing for the Duolingo English Test from home can be effective with the right strategies and resources. Here are some tips to help you get ready:

• Utilise the official Duolingo practice test: The official Duolingo website and app offer a free practice test that provides a sample of the question format and scoring system. This practice test is an excellent tool for self-evaluation and familiarising yourself with the types of questions you will encounter on the actual exam.

• Consume English media: Regularly consuming English media can significantly improve your vocabulary and comprehension skills. Read news articles, novels, and blogs to enhance your reading skills. Watch English movies and TV shows, and listen to podcasts and audiobooks to improve your listening and understanding of spoken English.

• Practise writing regularly: Writing is a crucial part of the test. Start a journal to write about your daily experiences, or create short stories to practise your creative writing. Regular writing practice will help you become more comfortable with expressing your thoughts in English.

• Attempt mock tests: Take mock tests to simulate the test environment and practise under timed conditions. This will help you manage your time effectively during the actual test.

• Practise speaking under pressure: Communicate with friends or language partners to practise speaking English. Try to engage in conversations on various topics to build your confidence and fluency. Practising speaking under pressure will prepare you for the speaking tasks in the test.

By incorporating these tips into your preparation routine, you can enhance your English proficiency and increase your chances of achieving a high score on the Duolingo English Test.

When deciding between the Duolingo English Test and the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), consider their key differences and benefits. The IELTS offers five specific categories: IELTS Academic, IELTS General Training, IELTS for UKVI (Academic), IELTS for UKVI (General Training), and IELTS Life Skills. These categories cater to different needs, providing tailored assessments that help test takers meet specific academic, professional, or immigration requirements.

Conducted in professional settings, the IELTS provides a thorough assessment of all four language skills—listening, reading, writing, and speaking. Even in the IELTS online test, its speaking section requires face-to-face interaction with a trained examiner, ensuring a comprehensive and reliable evaluation. In contrast, the Duolingo English Test, taken entirely online from home with adaptive questioning, offers flexibility and convenience but lacks the in-person interaction that some institutions prefer for a more accurate speaking assessment. Moreover, due to its adaptive exam format, the Duolingo test offers a more personalised experience that may not accurately reflect real-life conversations.

Convenience is another consideration. Test takers are required to make an IELTS exam booking, ensuring standardised conditions recognised by institutions worldwide. While less convenient, it guarantees test integrity. The Duolingo English Test can be taken anytime, anywhere, with an internet connection, making it more accessible.

For more information about the Duolingo English Test or IELTS, be it Duolingo English Test fees or Duolingo vs. IELTS score charts feel free to contact us. Our experts can help you choose the test that best suits your needs and guide you through the preparation process.