Duolingo is the latest addition to the list of English language tests. This exam gained popularity during the corona pandemic because students do not have to go anywhere to take this exam. Students can even take this exam from their homes.
In starting, this exam was acceptable in the USA and the UK, but now other nations like Canada, Australia, Germany, and New Zealand also accept this test.
So nowadays, more and more students are taking the Duolingo English test, and to score high in the Duolingo exam, students must know everything about the Duolingo English test pattern.
In this blog, we will explain everything about the Duoling exam pattern to help students get good scores in Duolingo. But before that let’s understand more about the Duolingo exam.
Read our other blog to learn about Duolingo VS IELTS Which is Better option for you.
What Is Duolingo English Test?
What is Duolingo English test? This is the first question that pop-ups in most students’ minds when they first hear about the Duolingo English test.
Duolingo English test is a computer-based English language test. This test was developed by Education Technology Company Duolingo in 2016. This test measures students’ English language proficiency in Listening, reading, speaking, and writing.
As we mentioned above, to take this test, students do not have to visit any test center. Students only required the following things to take the test:
- A valid passport (as identity proof)
- A well-lit and quiet room
- Fast internet connection
- A laptop or PC with speakers (headphones are not allowed during the test)
- A webcam
Students can easily book this test by visiting the official website (https://englishtest.duolingo.com/applicants). The charge to book this test is $49.
Now let’s shift to the Duolingo English test pattern to learn everything about the exam.
Duolingo English Test Pattern
The pattern of the Duolingo English language test is quite different from the other language tests like IELTS and PTE.
This test is said to measure the most accurate English language level of the candidate because this test is designed in a way that if a student answers correctly to a question then the next question level increases and if you answer a question incorrectly the next question level decreases.
Here we are going to provide the details about the Duolingo English test pattern because to prepare for the exam properly students must know everything about the exam.
The Duolingo English test is a one-hour test and the first 5 minutes are for the introduction. The next 45 minutes are for the adaptive test (on the basis of which you will be get scored), last 10 minutes are for the non-graded section.
In this non-graded section, you will be asked to give a writing and speaking sample for the universities.
S. No | Question Type | Subscores | Duration | No. of Questions |
1 | Read and complete (fill in the blank) | Literacy, Comprehension | 3 minutes | 5 – 6 |
2 | Read and select (select correct spellings) | Literacy, Comprehension | 1 minute | 5 – 6 |
3 | Listen and select (select correctly pronounced words) | Comprehension, Conversation | 1 minute 30 seconds | 5 – 6 |
4 | Listen and types (Listen and type the sentence) | Comprehension, Conversation | 1 minute | 5 – 6 |
5 | Read aloud | Comprehension, Conversation | 20 seconds | 5 – 6 |
6 | Write about photo | Production, Literacy | 1 minute | 2 – 3 |
7 | Speak about photo | Production, Conversation | 30 seconds to 1 minute 30 seconds | 1 |
8 | Read and write (answer the question) | Conversation, Production | 5 minutes | 1 |
9 | Listen and speak (answer the question) | Conversation, Production | 30 seconds to 1 minute 30 seconds | 2 |
10 | Read and speak (answer the question) | Conversation, Production | 30 seconds to 1 minute 30 seconds | 1 |
11 | Writing Sample | Unscored | 3 minutes to 5 minutes | 1 |
12 | Speaking Sample | Unscored | 1 minute to 3 minutes | 1 |
To learn about the Duolingo-Accepted Universities In UK read our other blog.
Let’s understand about all the question types one by one:
Read And Complete
In this question type, student will be asked to complete the missing words in a paragraph. For example, do you know owls are a learning symbol? Libraries and books_ _ _ _ _ sometimes use pict_ _ _ _ of owls to repr_ _ _ _ _ reading or wis_ _ _.
Here you must complete the words by typing the missing characters. This question may be repeated 5 to 6 times during the exam.
Read And Select
In this type of question, you will see a list of words and will have to select the correctly spelled words in that list.
This question is repeated 5 to 6 times during the exam.
Listen And Select
In this question, students will have 9 recordings and after listening to those recordings you must select the words that are correctly pronounced.
This question is repeated 5 to 6 times during the exam.
Listen And Types
In this question, the students will listen to a sentence and they have to write the sentence as they hear. They can listen to the recording 3 times.
This question is repeated 5 to 6 times during the exam.
Read Aloud
In this question type, students are asked to read the sentence shown on their computer screen. Students will have only 20 seconds to record themselves.
This question is also repeated 5 to 6 times during the exam.
Write About Photo
In this question, there will be a photo on the screen and students will be asked to write the details about the image.
This question may be repeated 2 to 3 times during the exam.
Speak About Photo
In this question type students must speak about the image they can see on their computer screen.
This question type comes only 1 time during the exam.
Read And Write
In this question, there will be a statement on the computer screen and you will be asked to write about that statement.
You will have a total of 5 minutes to write about the given statement.
Listen And Speak
In this question, there will be a recording that students will hear and they will be asked to speak about the topic given on that recording.
This question appears 1 or 2 times during the exam.
Read And Speak
In this, students will be given a question or topic on their computer screen and asked to speak about that topic for at least 30 seconds and, at most 90 seconds.
This question appears only 1 time during the exam.
Writing Sample
You will not get any score for this section of the Duolingo exam. This question type is for a sample of the universities or colleges you will apply to.
You will be given a topic, and you will have to write about the topic for at least 3 to 5 minutes.
You will have 30 seconds to read the question and prepare for the topic.
Speaking Sample
This is also an unscored question of the Duolingo exam. This is a video sample of the universities or colleges you will apply to.
In this question, you will have 30 seconds to prepare a question. You have to speak about the topic given for at least 1 minute and at most 3 minutes.
To learn about Duolingo Accepted Universities In USA read our other blog.
Tips To Prepare For Duolingo English Test
After knowing about the Duolingo English test pattern here are some essential tips students can follow to get a good score.
- Learn everything about the exam
- Take as many practice tests as you can (these are available on the Duolingo English test official website without any cost)
- Practice every type of question you can face during the exam
- Get to know about Computer Adaptive Testing (CAT)
- Learn all essential test day rules for the Duolingo English test
Note: You will be disqualified to take the test if the examiner has found any type of disturbance during the test. Your video will be recorded throughout the test that the examiner will check.
Conclusion
In this blog, we have explained the Duolingo English test pattern. It is important to learn about the test pattern of any exam to get a good score on the exam.
The knowledge of the Duolingo exam pattern will help you get a good score on the exam and fulfill your dream of studying abroad. If you have any difficulty preparing for the Duolingo exam, here are some tips for you to follow and achieve your dreams.
You must contact our experts or let us know through comments if you still have any queries or questions related to the topic.
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FAQs
Is 75 a good score in Duolingo English Test?
No, you can not say that 75 is a good score on the Duolingo test. You won’t be able to get admitted to any top or reputed universities with this score. 75 in Duolingo is equivalent to 4.5 in the IELTS exam.
Is Duolingo harder than IELTS?
The answer to this question may vary from student to student. But as the IELTS exam is much lengthier than the Duolingo exam so many students may find it difficult.