Listen and Type Questions on the Duolingo English Test: Sample Questions and Super Tips
Author
Josh MacPherson
Head Instructor at TST Prep
Introduction
The Listen and Type questions on the Duolingo English Test look easy, but they are trickier than you think.
If you…
- Misspell a word
- Miss a contraction
- Forget proper punctuation
You will lose points on the test.
But don’t worry.
In this short article, you will learn tips on how to improve your score and avoid some common mistakes with this question type on test day.
But if you are just looking for some free practice, check out these questions right here.
Here’s what you will learn:
Listen and Type - Everything You Need to Know
Listen and Type questions start with a spoken statement and you are expected to type exactly what you hear. You will be able to replay the audio two times after the initial utterance.
This is how the question will look on test day:
Details:
Time
You have 60 seconds to write down what you hear.
Question Frequency
Expect 6 to 9 Listen and Type questions on each Duolingo English Test.
Replays Allowed
You can listen to the audio three times.
Adaptive Difficulty
This question gets more difficult as you continue to answer correctly. For example, the first question might be “This is a cat” and the 6th could be, “While there are positive and negative aspects of following proper citation rules, it is an overwhelmingly beneficial practice in academia.”
Grading Criteria
Make sure you have the proper spelling, capitalization, and punctuation of the sentence you are expected to transcribe.
Listen and Type - Quick Tips
- Listen Three Times: Use all of your replays, even if you are certain after listening just once. You may be surprised to find a simple typo.
- Proofread. Proofread. Proofread: I can’t say this enough: triple-check your spelling, triple-check your capitalization, and triple-check your punctuation. Don’t lose easy points.
- No Additions or Omissions: Transcribe exactly what you hear, without adding or omitting any words.
- Read Aloud for Comparison: Read what you wrote aloud, compare it with the audio, and make sure it sounds the same.
Listen and Type - The Three-Pass System
Follow this simple three-step system every time you encounter a Listen and Type question. It will help you avoid common mistakes and answer correctly.
1st → First Time Listening (Write it All): Listen and type as many words as possible on the first listen. Don’t worry about spelling. The idea here is that you want to use your second and third past to edit and clean up your writing.
2nd → Second Time Listening (Tweak and Edit): During the second listen, focus on filling in missing words, correcting errors, and making sure your punctuation is correct.
3rd → Third Time Listening (Final Check): On the final listen, double-check everything: accuracy, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.
Listen and Type - Common Mistakes
Read carefully.
These are the five most common ways I see students lose points on Listen and Type questions.
- Forgetting Final Letters: For example, writing “talk” instead of “talks.” Dopping the final “s” in verb conjugations and plural nouns happens often. Don’t do it.
- Replacing Words (Habit): Avoid substituting words with similar-sounding ones that you use habitually. For example, “He is on the field,” and you write “He is in the field.” Stick to the words in the audio.
- Dropping/Replacing Function Words: The short and little words are the most difficult to hear and include. Pay careful attention to your articles (a, an, the), prepositions, and conjunctions.
- Adding Unheard Words: Resist the urge to insert words that you didn’t actually hear, even if you feel they make sense in the context.
- Delayed Typing: Start writing as soon as you hear the audio. Do not wait for the sentence to end to start to type. It will be harder to remember. Instead, type as you listen, especially on the first playing.
Listen and Type - How to Practice and Improve
Besides TST Prep, here are some additional resources to help you improve your performance on Listen and Type questions for the Duolingo English Test.
-
- DET Practice Resources: Try free practice questions from the Duolingo English Test website and YouTube. There are some sites you have to pay for as well, llike DET Ready.
- Identify Repeating Errors: After completing practice questions, check your mistakes and look for patterns. Some common mistakes include missing punctuation, omitting function words (e.g. prepositions), and simple typos.
- YouTube Practice: Practice transcribing segments from short YouTube videos, ideally one minute or less. Of course, use videos WITHOUT subtitles.
- Challenge Yourself: Try more difficult listening materials (e.g., lectures) to push your listening abilities and improve your English.
- Extensive Listening: Take a break from test prep and watch movies or listen to podcasts in English instead. It’s a great way to immerse in English without all the stress.
- Intensive Listening: Practice with specific goals in mind, using resources like Lingq or TED Ed.
Listen and Type - Free Practice with TST Prep
On the TST Prep platform, the Listen and Type question is designed to mimic the Duolingo English Test format. Use the play button to listen to the audio, and type the sentence you hear in the response box. You have a limited number of replays, so listen carefully before typing your answer.
After typing your response, the TST Prep system provides instant feedback by highlighting errors. Mistakes are underlined, with corrections displayed to help you improve your accuracy. This feature ensures you learn from your errors and are better prepared for the listening requirements of the test.
Over 100 Free DET Practice Questions
Conclusion
The Listen and Type questions LOOK easy, which makes them tricky to answer correctly. Just take your time, use your two replays, and carefully edit your writing to make sure you do not get any points off for typos or missing pronunciation marks.
Remember, do not add words that were not uttered or skip function words like articles and prepositions.
Practice with spellcheck turned off so you get better at self-correcting your writing.
Did that help?
Do you have any more tips for this question type?
Share in the comments below and help us all improve.
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