Duolingo English Test - Test Dates, Registration, Eligibility, Syllabus, Preparation

What is Duolingo?

The Duolingo English Test is a convenient and reasonably priced language certification exam recognized by thousands of organizations worldwide. Candidates can take this test online on their personal computers and demonstrate their ability of understanding and using the English language. In this language test, four language skills—Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking—are tested, much like in other English language proficiency exams such as the TOEFL, IELTS, and PTE.

The exam is an adaptive one in which the difficulty level rises with each correct response, while it decreases with each incorrect response on the following question. The duration of the test is one hour during which through its adaptive short questions and speaking and writing questions, it can test the candidate’s proficiency in a few questions.

No appointment is necessary to take the test; however it can be taken anywhere at any time by the candidates. In addition, they can also appear for the test from home. It also contains an updated component where applicants can record their responses to open-ended questions during a 10-minute video interview.

Duolingo Exam Pattern

The Duolingo English Test is taken at a location of the test-taker’s preference. A simple and quick test, it is recognized by more than 4000 organizations around the world. 

The total duration of the test is 60 minutes during which the candidate responds to various types of questions divided in two parts.  The first is a 45-minute adaptive test consisting of a series of questions to evaluate a candidate's proficiency in English and the difficulty level of the questions varies accordingly.

The test is a completely AI-driven test in which the time limit for the test is set but there is no predetermined number of questions. The test concludes only when the testing system is assured of presenting the score.  

The second part of the test is writing and speaking tests that go on for 10 minutes with open-ended prompts. Another element of the test is a 10-minute video-interview. The candidate has to:

Let's walk through the minimized explanation about the test pattern in the table mentioned below ;

Duolingo English Test Fee

The Duolingo English Test is a certified English test that includes the verbal test and the interview and costs $59 for a single test and $49 each for 2 tests*. The amount is inclusive of the test report shared 2 days after the test. 

How can you Prepare for the Duolingo Test?

For taking the Duolingo exam, it is essential to have enhanced reading and listening skills. Besides that, the candidate can practice their English speaking by conversing with a native English speaker, reading articles from authentic journals and newspapers, and listening to English podcasts. The test taker can also take a practice test to familiarize themselves with the different kinds of questions that are asked in the actual test.

Duolingo English Test Syllabus

The test consists of three sections - introduction, adaptive test and writing and speaking samples. 

The software ensures that the candidate knows the guidelines and their computer camera, microphone, and speakers function well in the introduction segment.

The adaptive test assesses English language skills through various questions administered at different difficulty levels as the candidate shows ability. The questions can be of varied types, including completing the words within sentences, completing sentences, completing passages with accurate sentences, choosing the correct spellings, listening and writing, writing and speaking about photos, interactive reading and listening and more. 

The last section prompts the test-taker to speak and write about the topics in a specified time. The speaking topics are mostly based on classroom situations where the candidate is a part of a conversation about higher education or any related given topic. The writing sample is mostly based on one’s choices, opinions and experiences. These samples can be reviewed upon test completion.