Duolingo English Test Pattern 2025: Types of Questions, Time limit

There are three parts of the exam.  

1.  In the first section you’ll get an introduction to the exam, its platform and technical checks.
2. Your English proficiency in reading, writing, listening, and speaking will be assessed in the adaptive test section. The duration of this section is 45 minutes.
3. In the writing and speaking section, you'll get a prompt (image or text form). You will be asked to write and speak about it. Duration of this section is 10 minutes.

As of 2025, no changes have been announced for the Duolingo English Test (DET) format. The test duration and its adaptive nature are same like before. DET Test takers will have 55 minutes to complete the exam, along with 5 minutes at the beginning for the introduction and onboarding process.

However, the Duolingo English Test is now using AI technology to assess a candidate's language proficiency more effectively and delivering results in less than 48 hours. Also, the DET exam conducting body has introduced a secondary camera requirement to enhance test security and raise the credibility of test.

Those who wish to appear for Duolingo English Test should make it a habit to make use of correct grammar, punctuation, right spelling, and capitalization. Both British and American spellings are accepted for the test. But in the Read and Complete question type, only American spelling can be used. Test takers should use different word choice and sentence structure as much as they can. If you want to score better, utilizing assorted and polished vocabulary and grammar may help you with the puspose.

Duolingo English Test is an adaptive test due to the fact that the questions asked in it adapt to the answers that the test taker gives. Therefore, the difficulty level of the questions is set accordingly. The questions are generated by a grading system implemented by Duolingo as the test is AI-driven. So, questions are chosen by the system from a large pool of questions and no question appears twice. In order to get an in-depth idea about the DET structure, you are suggested to go through the video walkthrough on the official website.

Utilize your time conveniently to answer the asked questions. Don't expect that you'll score better by providing responses quickly. Try to give lengthier answers than required if you can. No penalty will be charged for errors until or unless the test taker presses the 'Next' button for submitting the response. So make all the corrections you want before moving on to the next question. Once you have clicked on 'next' you won't be able to go back to the previous question. Also, do not look at the times frequently as doing so may divert your mind from answering effectively.

In the 'Read Aloud' part, the test takers will have to record themselves reading a written sentence or a statement which appears on the screen. They will then have to speak it loud and clear into the microphone. As soon as the timer starts, you will get to read the instructions for this question. Carefully look at the pauses or punctuations in the given statement so that you can halt at the commas. Only 20 seconds will be provided for the same and you can record your statement only once.  

DET (Duolingo English Test) is an adaptive test that assesses multiple language skills, including reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Here we have mentioned some question types of Duolingo English Test, so you can practice accordingly.

1. Read and Complete.
2. Read and Select.
3. Listen and Type.
4. Write About the Photo.
5. Speak About the Photo.
6. Read, Then Write.
7. Read, Then Speak.
8. Listen, Then Speak.
9. Speaking Sample.
10. Writing Sample.
11. Summarize the Conversation.

In this a picture will appear on the test taker's screen. He/she will then have to speak about the same for a minimum of 30 seconds. The instructions along with the picture will be displayed for 20 seconds on the screen after which it will switch to the record screen. If recorded earlier, you may press 'next' in order to advance further yourself. This exercise is best answered when one describes the picture as if explaining it to a person who cannot see the image.  

 In this, a question will appear on the test taker's screen to which he/she will have to respond in minimum 50 words. So one has to first read the question and then write about it. Once the timer begins, instructions for this question will be displayed. Take your time and make sure you give the best possible reply to what is asked. How many words have you used will appear below the text box. Also, the test taker won't be able to press 'next' until they have written a total of 50 words atleast.

A section in DET test, the video interview is a 10-minute test. In this section, you are recorded speaking your answers to open-ended questions about a given situation, image, or topic. Duolingo has made it mandatory for the test takers to have a front-facing camera, a microphone, working speakers, and a reliable internet connection. In this section, a candidate needs to describe an image, talk about a given situation, and on a top for a few minutes.

In this section, open-ended prompts will be there which will be shared with institutions with the score you obtain. It is a 10-minute section which contains two prompts out of which the candidate has to answer one. In the Speaking sample, the length of the response has to be between 1-3 minutes, whereas in the Writing Sample, it has to be between 3-5 minutes. Once the test is completed, the test takers will be able to review their answers to these samples.

Once you obtain your Duolingo English Test score, the same will remain valid for a period of two years. This is standard, most high stakes tests have a two year validity period. Your expired result will still be visible on your homepage after two years but you won't be able to share it or see its certificate. Please note that the test score's validity may also depend on the specific requirements which a university would have set. It may be possible that a few institutions accept old scores, whereas some may need you to be holding current scores.

Make sure that you watch the 5-minute introduction as it will help you get acquainted wit the rules and requirements of the Duolingo English Test.

Here are the reasons why you should not avoid this introduction:

1. Understanding the Test Format
2. Technical Requirements and Setup
3. Test-Taking Strategies
4. Familiarizing Yourself with the Interface.

All these activities will be done in just five minutes of introduction. Make sure that you follow the rules and guidelines strictly or else your test may get cancelled or Duolingo may also invalidate your score.

The Duolingo English Test has two parts. The first one is a 45-minute adaptive test in which series of questions appear that evaluate one's English skills. The other part consists of a 10-minute Writing and Speaking test that has open-ended prompts. These along with one's scores are shared with institutions. The first 5 minutes is an introduction in which the test takers are made familiar with the test rules and requirements. DET is conducted online and is an English proficiency test which analyses one's abilities in the four language skills: reading, writing, listening, and speaking.

Here are few changes announced for Duolingo English Test 2025:

1. Fee Increased: Duolingo Fee for Indians is USD 70 (INR 6,000). Earlier, it was USD 55.
2. Dual Camera Requirement: You need to set up another camera which will record you and your computer screen.
3. AI Use: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is now being used to enhance the assessment of a candidate's language proficiency more comprehensively.

There is no fixed syllabus for the Duolingo English Test. It checks your skills in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. It includes short questions like filling in missing words, describing pictures, reading aloud, and answering questions in your own words. The test is adaptive, meaning it gets easier or harder based on your answers, and takes about 1 hour to complete.

Vocabulary is tested through tasks like "Read and Select" (identifying real English words) and "Listen and Select," as well as in reading comprehension and writing tasks where you need to understand and use a wide range of words. Other than this, there are other tasks which help them to assess student's proficiency.

No, there is not any specific list of topics for Duolingo English Test. Questions of this exam can cover a wide range of current affairs topics. The objective of DET is to assess candidate's English language ability and not your knowledge of a particular field. It is adviseble to focus on improving your language proficiency only for getting better score.

No, to take the Duolingo English Test, you must have a desktop or laptop computer with Windows 7 or greater, or macOS 10.13 or greater. the DET test will not work on a Chromebook, iPad, tablet or any other device. Also, operating systems like ChromeOS or Linux are not suitable for DET test.

There is no any specific syllabus for Duolingo English Exam. It is an adaptive test which assesses your listening, writing, speaking and reading skills. The amount of time needed to prepare for the Duolingo English Test varies depending on your current English proficiency level. To prepare from beginining you need at least 2 months.