Duolingo English Practice Test with Answers
Ready to take a free and complete Duolingo English Practice Test®? All you need is one hour and an open mind. Are you ready? Check out the video here and the PDF version of the test here.
But wait!
Taking a practice test is only half the battle. You also need to learn about the structure of the test and how to study in a way that will help improve your score.
By the end of this short article, you will know how the Duolingo English Test is structured and how the question types will look. I will also share my top five tips for students studying on their own who need to improve their test score.
Let’s jump right in.
The Duolingo English Test Structure
The TOEFL iBT® and IELTS® exams are organized based on sections. In the TOEFL iBT®, for example, you begin with the Reading, and then move on to the Listening, Speaking, and Writing sections.
The Duolingo English Test® is a completely different experience.
The main organizing principle you must become familiar with is the question types and how frequently they show up on the exam. The first five question types show up between three to six times during the first half of the test.
Duolingo English Test Question Types |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Question Types | Frequency | Adaptive | Subscore |
| 01. Read and Complete | 4-6 | ◯ | Comprehension, Literacy |
| 02. Read and Select | 4-6 | ◯ | Comprehension, Literacy |
| 03. Listen and Type | 4-6 | ◯ | Conversation, Comprehension |
| 04. Read Aloud | 4-6 | ◯ | Conversation, Comprehension |
| 05. Write About the Photo | 3 | X | Literacy, Production |
Keep in mind, besides Write About the Photo, these question types are adaptive, so they will remain easy or become more difficult as you progress through the exam.
The next part of the exam will consist of Interactive Reading and Interactive Listening passages. These are the latest additions to the test. Expect two short reading passages between 100 to 200 words. You will have seven or eight minutes to answer six questions about each passage.
Image source: Test Readiness PDF
The Interactive Reading will be followed by the latest addition to the Duolingo English Test, Interactive Listening. This part will also consist of two passages. One passage will be a conversation between two students about something related to campus life, and the second passage will be between a student and a campus worker, usually a professor. You will participate in the conversation, answering five or six questions. After the given passage is finished, you will have 75 seconds to write a summary of the conversation.
Image source: Test Readiness PDF
Duolingo English Test Question Types |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Question Types | Frequency | Adaptive | Subscore |
| 01. Read and Complete | 4-6 | ◯ | Comprehension, Literacy |
| 02. Read and Select | 4-6 | ◯ | Comprehension, Literacy |
| 03. Listen and Type | 4-6 | ◯ | Conversation, Comprehension |
| 04. Read Aloud | 4-6 | ◯ | Conversation, Comprehension |
| 05. Write About the Photo | 3 | X | Literacy, Production |
| 06. Interactive Reading, 2 passages | 12 | X | Literacy, Comprehension |
| 07. Interactive Listening, 2 passages | 12-14 | X | Conversation, Comprehension, Literacy, Production |
The remaining question types involve extensive writing and speaking responses. These questions are not adaptive, and each shows up once, besides Listen, Then Speak, which may show up twice.
Duolingo English Test Question Types |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Question Types | Frequency | Adaptive | Subscore |
| 01. Read and Complete | 4-6 | ◯ | Comprehension, Literacy |
| 02. Read and Select | 4-6 | ◯ | Comprehension, Literacy |
| 03. Listen and Type | 4-6 | ◯ | Conversation, Comprehension |
| 04. Read Aloud | 4-6 | ◯ | Conversation, Comprehension |
| 05. Write About the Photo | 3 | X | Literacy, Production |
| 06. Interactive Reading, 2 passages | 12 | X | Literacy, Comprehension |
| 07. Interactive Listening, 2 passages | 12-14 | X | Conversation, Comprehension, Literacy, Production |
| 08. Read, Then Write | 1 | X | Literacy, Production |
| 09. Speak About the Photo | 1 | X | Conversation, Production |
| 10. Read, Then Speak | 1 | X | Conversation, Production |
| 11. Listen, Then Speak | 1-2 | X | Conversation, Production |
| 12. Speaking Sample | 1 | X | Conversation, Production |
| 13. Writing Sample | 1 | X | Literacy, Production |
You can find more information on these questions in Duolingo’s Test Readiness Guide.
Now you know about the question types!
Still, if you’re anything like me, it’s tough to imagine how these questions will be presented on test day. Keep in mind that you will encounter one question at a time and can expect between 35-40 questions on test day, excluding the Interactive Reading and Listening. The Interactive Reading will consist of an additional 12 questions, and the Interactive Listening is usually 12 questions as well, adding up to a total sum of approximately 60 questions. Below is a question flow example of a typical Duolingo English Test.
Note that this is just an example, and do not expect to encounter the questions in the same order on test day. Here are three of the most important things to keep in mind when preparing for the exam structure:
- Speak About the Photo; Read, Then Speak; Read, Then Write; and Listen, Then Speak, Speaking Sample and Writing Sample usually appear at the end of the test.
- Write About the Photo questions appear during the first half of the test and usually consist of three consecutive questions.
- Read and Complete, Read and Select, Listen and Type, and Read Aloud questions will appear approximately six times and adapt in difficulty depending on your performance.
If you haven’t done so already, I recommend taking a practice test over at the Duolingo English Test website or check out our complete Duolingo English Test practice PDF for a better idea of how the test looks and feels.
Five Tips to Improve Your Duolingo English Test Score
Tip #1 – Speak and Write as Much as Possible
There are seven question types in the Duolingo English Test where you will have to produce your own speaking and writing responses:
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- Write About the Photo
- Speak About the Photo
- Read, Then Write
- Read, Then Speak
- Listen, Then Speak
- Speaking Sample
- Writing Sample
-
The directions for each of these questions will inform you of the least amount of words you have to write or the least amount of seconds you have to speak. No matter what the minimum requirement is, aim for the maximum.
For all three speaking questions, you are instructed to speak between 30-90 seconds; aim for 90 seconds.
For Write About the Photo questions, write as much as possible in the 60 seconds you are provided.
For Read, Then Write questions, write as much as possible in the 5 minutes you are provided.
Part of your grade is based on your grammatical and lexical complexity. The more you write and speak, the more opportunities you will have to show a wide range of grammar and vocabulary. If you hurry through these questions and follow the minimum requirements, it will be difficult to earn a score higher than 120.
Tip #2 – Plan Out Your Week
When you begin to prepare for the Duolingo English Test, you will find a ton of free and paid resources that you can use to prepare for the exam. All of these materials are extremely helpful, but overwhelming. It is confusing when you sit down at your desk and try to figure out where to start.
A quick fix is to take an hour out of your day on Sunday and plan out your week. People do this when they diet. They prepare their lunch for Monday to Friday on Sunday, store it in the fridge, and grab each day’s pre-prepared meal without thinking about it. Do the same for your studies.
Set the time, place, and materials you plan to use Monday through Friday so you know what to do each day of the week. And then take Saturday off; you’ve earned it.
Tip #3 – Challenge Yourself
Search any of the following question types on YouTube, and you will find examples to practice. Remember, the Duolingo English Test contains four adaptive questions that become more difficult if you perform well at the beginning of the test.
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- Read and Complete
- Read and Select
- Listen and Type
- Read Aloud
-
Do the harder questions. Seriously. Challenge yourself. When you practice with more complex problems at home, it will build your confidence and improve your performance on test day.
Tip #4 – Record Your Voice
Speaking and writing questions are the hardest to prepare for because they require feedback from someone, usually a teacher, which is why I recommend working with a Duolingo English Test instructor like this one.
However, many test-takers will prepare on their own, which is why it is critical that you record your voice when you practice speaking. After you record your voice, listen back to your response and identify one or two ways you can improve. After that, do the same response again.
Here is an example of the questions you should ask yourself after recording your own response.
Speak About the Photo Self-Grading Rubric |
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|---|---|
| Questions | Notes |
| 1. Did I speak for at least 45 seconds? | |
| 2. Did I start by describing the foreground? | |
| 3. Did I provide additional details or inferences to expand on the foreground? | |
| 4. Did I give a description of the background? | |
| 5. Did I make at least two inferences in my response? | |
| 6. Did I provide enough descriptive words and specific vocabulary? | |
| 7. Did I speak at a natural and conversational pace for the majority of my response? | |
| 8. Did I have less than five vocal fillers (uh, um)? | |
| 9. What can I do next time to improve my score? | |
You can download a PDF guide with all these self-grading rubrics for free here.
Tip #5 – Set Up Your Testing Environment
“Your test score could not be validated.”
You do NOT want to see this message on your score report. Unfortunately, this happens to a ton of students. Since the Duolingo English Test is a completely automated testing experience, there is extensive technology in place that tracks your eye movement, mouse movement, computer behavior, and room environment to ensure that you do not cheat when you take the exam.
Here are a few key points to keep in mind when you are setting you your testing environment for the Duolingo English test:
- Keep your eyes on the computer. If you look away for too long, it will invalidate your score.
- Do not have any other browser window open. If you try to navigate away from the test, it will invalidate your score.
- Take the test in a well-lit room. If you are ever in the dark, it will invalidate your score.
- Be sure you are alone in a quiet room. If there is too much background noise, it will invalidate your score.
- Check your microphone and Internet connection. If at any point your Internet connection drops off or your microphone does not work, it will invalidate your score.
- You are not allowed to use headphones during the test. Be sure your computer speakers work.
If you have made it this far, you are ready to take the practice exam for the Duolingo English Test. Take it here right now.
But what do you think? Are there any tips I missed that you believe would be helpful for students studying for the Duolingo English Test? Be sure to leave it in the comments below. I respond to all of them.
Good luck and see you in the next one. Don’t forget to claim your free practice test.
93 Comments
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Hi Josh. Does it have to be built-in speakers for the laptop or computer we must use? Are no earphones or Bluetooth acceptable?
Hi Asad, I understand that any device that goes into your ears is unacceptable, but please confirm this with Duolingo as they continue to revise the exam.
Hi Josh, I took the Duolingo test 3 times, And 3rd time I got a 90 score.
Literacy: 90
Comprehension: 100
Conversation: 80
Production: 75
I want a 120 score or above. Can you give me any suggestions?
Thank you for your question. It is impossible to give specific advice without meeting a student, but generally, a 75 production score indicates your need to focus more on speaking and writing. The production scores are heavily tied to Speak About the Photo, Read and Speak, Speaking Sample, Write About the Photo, and Writing sample. In essence, you need to be able to produce, i.e., say or write enough words during the allotted time. If this is hard for you, it might be worth considering some private classes, but understand the type of score increase you are asking about will take a lot of time and practice.
Hi Josh, can you tell me the predicted score in the real test? I scored 100/140 on the practice test.
Hi Tanzu, unfortunately, knowing your predicted score based on that range is impossible. Your final score will be based both on the number of words you produce and grammar but also on how good the ideas are. Do you logically present your opinion? Do you repeat the same idea too many times? Answers to these types of questions will determine your final score. The only way to know this is to meet with a teacher or by actually taking the test.
Hi Josh, my native language is Persian (Farsi). I want to take the English test Duolingo for university entrance, I was learning the German language beforehand, and now when I want to play in Duolingo App to improve my English, as Farsi is not on the list of Duolingo, it evaluates my level of English in the situation I choose the German language as my first language, do you have any advice for me to have better English practicing in Duolingo app?
Thanks in advance
Are you speaking about the regular Duolingo app? The famous one for general language learning? If so, please understand that the Duolingo app is very different from the test. They are both made by the same company but basically, that is it. If you want to get better at the questions that will be on the test, you should find practice test questions. Please read more about the test here and then let us know if you have any questions.
https://tstprep.com/articles/det/duolingo-english-practice-test-with-answers/
https://tstprep.com/articles/det/your-beginners-guide-to-the-duolingo-english-test/
Hello Josh, do you have any videos on the Duolingo test? If yes, please share the link.
Hi Samy, if you go to this link on Youtube, you can find some free videos I have made available publicly, the rest are in the paid courses. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrSJW79A-yX3Sbo1J9q1KTA
Hello Josh!
Recently Duolingo made some changes to their question types, such as interactive listening, speaking samples will be graded…etc. Could you give me some information about their subscore and grading, please?
Hi Joy,
Duolingo does not release the secret sauce, as it were. Thus we can’t tell you exactly one point for X and two points for Y. But as you said, there have been changes. The speaking and writing samples are graded, and the bulk of what you answer in these sections will link to your production score. Basically, the more you can speak and write correctly, the higher your production score will be. Grammar mistakes and misspellings count, but we don’t know how much for each mistake. However, here is a link that may help answer some of your questions 🙂
https://tstprep.com/articles/det/duolingo-english-practice-test-with-answers/
Hi, can I put on the headset while taking the Duolingo exam?
Good question! No, you can not.
Hi Josh, I have a question. I got a 65-125 score on the Duolingo practice test. Can you tell me what score I can get on the real test?
Hi Noza and thank you for your question. This is quite a huge score range. I would just go in the middle of that and predict your score on the actual test is around 90. Let me know how the test goes, I’m curious to see how the ranges align with reality.
Hello, I tried twice Duolingo test and got the same grade 95 and I need 110, can you help me, please?
Overall: 95
Literacy: 100
Comprehension: 105
Conversation: 85
Production: 75
A good place to start is on the videos on the Youtube channel about improving your production score for speaking. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrSJW79A-yX3Sbo1J9q1KTA
Hi, Josh I have a question. I am practicing on Duolingo’s official website and I got an 85-130 score can you tell me what score I can get on the real test?
Hi Shawan and thank you for your question. My guess would be somewhere between those two scores, around 110. However, they give you that wide-score estimate for a reason. It is hard to predict how you will actually perform on test day since one practice test is a small sample size.
Hi, I scored two times 100 with subscores of
Attempt 1:
literacy:100
comprehension:110
conversation:95
production:80
Attempt 2:
literacy:95
comprehension:105
conversation:105
production:95
My target score is 120 so would someone help me get this score?
Hi there and thank you for your question. As a piece of general advice, working with a teacher will help improve your production score (and a bit of your conversation score). This is based on what you write and what you speak, in other words, what you produce. What you produce is in your control. When you work with a teacher, you are able to improve your speaking and writing through practice and feedback.
Your literacy and comprehension score are based more on your lexical and grammatical knowledge. This is improved through continued immersion in English through reading and listening. This takes more time, but you can do it on your own in a way you enjoy (through video games, movies, books, etc.).
Since you have taken the test twice, I assume you know the tips, tricks, and strategies for the test. After you learn about these skills, and you still don’t get the score you want, the next step is to improve your overall fluency. An overall 20-point score boost will require working with a teacher to practice your speaking and writing along with increased exposure to reading and listening to English materials for at least two hours a day for three months or more.
I hope that answers your question.
Can I use Duolingo for a professional license?
You should ask the license board. Requirements are different depending on the industry.
Hi Josh, I have taken this test 3-4 times and am still gaining the same scores (90-95). What should I do?
Hi Joy and thank you for your question, I just made a video about this issue for the speaking that you can check out here – https://youtu.be/qjeQACvdpKM (production/conversation score). If you are struggling with all four sections of the test, then you need to build up your fluency, instead of focusing only on test prep. Refold has a great guide to help language learners at this link – https://refold.la/onboarding/?redirectURL=%2Fquickstart.
Hi Josh… I have appeared two times for the Duolingo exam, but at both times, I scored 105. Please give some suggestions for that.
My scores are
Literacy: 105
Comprehension: 115
Conversation: 105
Production: 95
Hi there and thank you for your question. At this point, since you have taken the test twice, I assume you have heard a bunch of tips and tricks and have done a bunch of practice. If, after that, you still haven’t improved your score, you should work with a teacher to improve your speaking and writing (production and conversation scores). You can also work with a friend or tutor, but the point is that you need to speak and write and get feedback on your speaking and writing and work on your weaknesses through practice, feedback, and repetition.
Your literacy and comprehension scores have more to do with your general knowledge of English and vocabulary level. This will improve through increased exposure to English through extensive reading, extensive listening with targeted practice on specific vocabulary, and continued immersion in English.
This advice changes depending on the student and I get more specific with test-takers who we work with 1-1 but this is the general advice I can give based on your experience.
Hi, I scored two times 110 with subscores of
literacy:120
comprehension:115
production:95
conversation:95
My target score is 120 so would someone help me get this score?
Hi Amine and thank you for your question. It sounds like you need some help with the speaking, particularly Read, Then Speak, Listen, Then Speak, and Speak About the Photo questions. You might want to meet with a teacher and get some feedback on your speaking. I also just recently released a series of videos on one of my Youtube channels that helps address this issue. You might find this one helpful – https://youtu.be/qjeQACvdpKM – Still, working with a teacher is the fastest way to get customized support based on your specific needs, here is a link to a trial lesson – https://tstprep.com/store/toefl-trial-lesson/ (it says TOEFL but it also works for the Duolingo English Test)
Hello,
Please, can I get the same questions for the Duolingo practice test in the Duolingo real exam?
Regards
Hi Joel and thank you for your question. If you make a free account you will have access to about 100 free questions here at TST Prep. You can also take free practice tests at the Duolingo English Test official site. I would also recommend Luke’s DET Ready site, it’s pretty cheap and has a ton of practice. https://www.detready.com/
Hi. I have no laptop or computer; I have just a cell phone. I can’t do practice and can’t take exams. Do you know any application or website where I could practice on mobile?
Hi there Misbah and I am sorry to hear about your issue. I believe you can use the website DET Ready. It’s a web app and should work on mobile. You just need an Internet connection. I hope that helps!
Hi there. I have been wondering if complaints are accepted once one is not content with his DET scores. Thank you
Hi there and thank you for your question. I’m not sure what type of complaint you mean. I will link out to the Duolingo English Test help desk, which deals with customer service, but if you have something else in mind just let me know. https://testcenter.zendesk.com/hc/en-us
Hey, I have a question related to listen and then type. If I would make one mistake in typing then is it considered fully wrong or not?
Good question Hina. Unfortunately, Duolingo does not release information about how the questions are scored, but I imagine there is a reduction for misspellings but I don’t think you would score a zero. This is just a guess though.
Hi Josh! I’m a teacher of English, and I’m helping my student to get ready for the DET. He is having a hard time typing fast. So even if he knows what to say, he doesn’t have enough time to type it within the time limits.
What would you recommend?
Hi Mary and always great to hear from a fellow English teacher. I have worked with students in a similar situation before and in this case, they need less help with test prep and more help with typing speed. I would recommend a site that is designed to help improve typing speed (words per minute). There are plenty of free sites but when I often recommend is Key Hero. I will leave a link here for it. https://www.keyhero.com/
Hi,
I took the test two times, but my score was the same both times. I need a 120 score, but I got a 100 score both times, so please help me increase my score on the test. Thank you
Hi there and thank you for your question. Which parts are you scoring lower on? How long did you study? How do you study? If you can send me an email at [email protected] with more details I can give you some more specific help.
Very informative
Hi Josh! I’m a teacher of English and I’m helping my student to get ready for the DET. He is having a hard time typing fast. So even if he knows what to say, he doesn’t have enough time to type it within the time limits.
What would you recomend?
Sir, the speaking section is very difficult for me. What should I do?
Hi Muhammad and thank you for your question. Well, there are a lot of things you could do depending on your current situation, speaking level, and financial resources. I think a good place to start is a Production Score Evaluation (https://tstprep.com/store/det-production-score-evaluation/) where you will meet with a teacher and get feedback on your speaking and writing.
It is very informative
What about the information needed for the test? Should I improve my knowledge about any information around the world? Or is the test just focused only on the skills like the TOEFL?
Good question. Just focus on the skills. It’s an English proficiency test, not a knowledge test so just focus on your English 🙂
Hi Josh, I have a question as a suggestion. Please give the answers for each question on practice tests, like the writing and reading sections.
Hi there and thank you for your suggestion. Just to let you know when you download the practice tests or take them on our site they include an answer key to each question. If there is one missing somewhere, please provide a link and let me know.