Duolingo Question Papers, Sample Papers PDF: Download Free

The Duolingo English Test can be practiced online from the DET website, free of cost. Taking the practice test will help you get acquainted with the content of the test and the types of questions which would appear. It’s a live simulation of what the test experience could be like, and students can take unlimited sample tests to keep practicing. The mock test takes 30 minutes, post this, the website provides the student with an unofficial score estimate, to assess where they stand.

Test takers should remember that the length of the practice test is much shorter than the real test and is not proctored. The test score that you obtain in the practice version is only estimated and not as precise as the actual exam.

The DET is a computer adaptive test, the sequence of questions and the level of difficulty adapt for every test taker, depending on their skill set and fluency.  What makes the DET different from other tests is that you won’t see the same types of questions grouped together, the test is intuitive and it is highly unlikely that you’ll see questions getting repeated.

The difficulty level also adapts in the test for it to test a student’s proficiency in a comprehensive manner. You may find some questions easy and some tough and that is completely normal! Additionally, the number of questions in the Duolingo English Test is not fixed. As soon as the grading engine develops confidence in your marks, the test will conclude.

Once you begin the test, you’ll be guided through three different sections:

Please Note: In the Adaptive Test, questions are administered randomly and difficulty level of questions will change on the basis of one’s performance. Also, all the questions are scored. This section measures your English skills through a series of different question types.

Duolingo English Test (DET) Question Types

For each question type in the DET, you will see a few different components. Different types of questions test different elements or subscores. There are four subscores: comprehension, conversation, literacy, and production. 

The table below displays all the types of questions which are asked in DET. You can also see the time allotted for all of these and the components which they measure. 

Question Types Explained

Read and Complete: In this question type, a text will be displayed on the screen and the test taker will have to type the missing letters in order to complete the text. The passage will contain unfinished words.

Read and Select: A list of words will appear on the screen and the test taker will have to select the real English words. One can read the words and conclude if they are correct or not.

Listen and Select: A list of words will appear on the screen and the test taker will have to select the real English words by listening and verifying if they are correct or not.

Listen and Type: You will hear a statement and then will transcribe the same.

Read Aloud: A statement or a sentence will be displayed on the screen and the test taker will have to read it aloud and record himself/herself using a microphone.

Write About the Photo: A picture will appear on the screen and the test taker will have to write its description for one minute.

Speak About the Photo: A picture will appear on the screen for 20 seconds along with instructions and the test taker will have to speak about it for 90 seconds. The recording will begin automatically as soon as the picture disappears. One will be able to click the ‘next’ tab manually as well.

Read, Then Write: A written prompt will appear on the screen and the test taker will have to read the same. He/she will then have to write about the topic for five minutes.

Read, Then Speak: A written prompt will appear on the screen and the test taker will have to speak about the same for 90 seconds. He/she will then have to write about the topic for five minutes.

Listen, Then Speak: A prompt will be played and the test taker will have to listen to it and speak about the same for 90 seconds. He/she will then have to write about the topic for five minutes.

Complete the Sentences: A passage with various blank spaces will appear on the screen and the test taker will have to select the best option for the missing words.

Complete the Passage: Two sections of a passage will be displayed on the screen with a missing sentence in the centre. One needs to select the best fitting sentence in the same.

Highlight the Answer: A question will appear on the screen along with a few options. One needs to click and drag the correct text to highlight the answer to the question.

Identify the Idea: Here, the test taker a passage will appear on the screen. Ideas will be provided along with it and he/she will have to choose the idea which he/she thinks the passage expresses.

Title the Passage: A passage will appear and you will have to select the best title for the same from a list of options.

Writing Sample: A written prompt will be provided and the test taker will have to write about it for five minutes. The instructions for the same will appear for 30 seconds during which one can read the prompt carefully.

Speaking Sample: A written prompt will be provided and the test taker will have to speak about it for three minutes as much as he/she can. The instructions for the same will appear for 30 seconds during which one can read the prompt carefully.

Duolingo English Test - Question Types

Ever since May 1, 2023, the Duolingo English Test has added Interactive Listening questions. Interactive Listening provides new, innovative ways to measure the proficiency skills that will be used at universities. There are two Interactive Listening scenarios on the test, each containing two components. One passage will be a peer-to-peer interaction and one will be a student-to-professor interaction. Both interactions will first have a listening component where you will participate in the conversation as a student by responding to your interlocutor. The second component will be a summarization of the previous interaction.

Students will have a time limit for both respective components of each scenario. For the listening portion, they will have 4 minutes. For the summarization they will have 75 seconds. These question types will contribute to the overall Duolingo English Test score.

The two ingredients which when blended together become a sure-shot recipe for success are practice and determination. The more you practice regularly, the more enhanced will your problem-solving abilities turn out to be. Similar is the case with Duolingo. Scoring well in the exam is proportional to getting acquainted with the paper pattern and syllabus well. Studying daily and not leaving anything for the last moment will surely help one score well in DET and getting his/her target institution.

Some of the test-taking strategies which one should keep in mind while attempting Duolingo English Test (DET) are as follows:

• Utilize the allotted time conveniently to reply to a question. Hurrying up and answering a question quickly won’t fetch you better marks.
• Try to give lengthy answers. For instance, exceed a limit of 50 words or speak more than 30 seconds. If your usage of English is good and your answer is related to the question framed, you can obtain a higher score by giving developed answers.
• Till the time you’ve not clicked the ‘Next’ button and submitted your answer, a penalty won’t be charged for wrong answers. It is therefore recommended to go through your responses carefully and make any rectifications, if required. After pressing ‘Next’ you won’t be able to go back to the previous question.
• Checking the time frequently will only break your concentration.
• Try to give responses before the given time so that you can verify the same before proceeding further.
• For the writing questions, make sure your grammar, punctuations, and spelling are correct. You can use both British and American English. Use as many varieties of words and sentence structure as you can. This can help you obtain better scores.
• For the ‘Read and Complete’ questions only American spellings are permitted.

While attempting the speaking questions, make sure you’re speaking clearly and loudly. If you make any error keep moving ahead as another chance to re-record your reply won’t be provided. Ensure that you submit your recording only finalizing your completed answer.