DUOLINGO EXAM

The Duolingo English Test is a one hour test conducted online. It is a creative and one-of-a-kind certified English language test.  It analyzes the English language proficiency of a candidate in all aspects, including Speaking, Listening, Reading, and Writing. The questions are designed in such a way that it also defines the critical thinking and adaptability abilities of the test taker. The test can be taken from any location at any time.
The Duolingo test differs from traditional accepted English language tests.  You can appear for the test online, there is no need to travel to any test center. The test can be taken from the comfort of your own home using a computer and a webcam. In this article, we will discuss everything you need to know about the Duolingo English test pattern to assist you in preparing better for the test. 
 

About Duolingo English Test

The test can be taken from home, and there is no need for a prior booking. It is administered via a computer-adaptive technology. This means the difficulty level of the questions increases with every correct answer and decreases if the answer is incorrect. When the answers are submitted, the test takers are also asked to appear forna video interview and record their responses to open-ended questions and a writing sample, which will be sent to an institution.
 

Duolingo Test Pattern

The Duolingo test lasts less than an hour. The test results are declared within 48 hours, which can be sent to several institutions abroad. It is planned and designed using Data Forensics and Artificial Intelligence technology to maintain the clarity of the test. The questions are written so that they assess the test taker's analytical thinking and versatility. 
  • The first 5 minutes of the Duolingo English test are an introductory section that gives you a quick walkthrough of the test setup. All the rules and requirements of the test are explained. 
  • The Duolingo English test pattern is divided into 2 sections: The graded Section which includes adaptive testing and the ungraded section which includes writing and speaking samples.
  • The time duration of the graded portion which included adaptive test is 45 minutes.
  • The remaining 10 minutes is for the video interview and writing sample.
The Duolingo exam pattern of each section is described below: 
 

Introduction and Onboarding

You will be offered 5 minutes at the start of the test where you will be asked to:
  • Check and ensure that your Laptop/Computer, camera, speakers, and microphone are in good operating condition.
  • You will then be asked to display or provide your government-issued ID card.
  • Finally, you will be asked to go through the guidelines and regulations outlined by Duolingo for the test.
 

Duolingo English Adaptive Test 

  • The Adaptive Test Section is a is a 45-minute graded section of the Duolingo English test.
  • You will have 45 minutes to complete this section.
  • This section examines your English reading, speaking, writing, and listening abilities. It the number of questions is not limited or defined.
  • The question types appear at random throughout the test.
  • The questions adapt to the answers that have been entered by the candidate. The difficulty level of the questions decreases with each incorrect answers and increases with every correct answer.
  • All the rules of the Duolingo English Test must be followed, or else you may be disqualified from the test.
  • Types Of Questions asked in this section are:
  1. Read and Complete: You will be given a passage, wherein, some words will have a few missing letters that they will have to fill in, using the context given in the passage.
  2. Read and Select: You will be asked to read the words that have been given and select those words that you think are actual English words.
  3. Listen and Select: You will be given options to choose from what you think are real English words, you will be listening to audio to determine the right answer.
  4. Listen and Type: You will have to listen to an audio that will speak a sentence in English. You will then be required to type out the sentence that you could comprehend through the audio.
  5. Read Aloud: You will be asked to read a sentence that will be displayed on the screen and you should speak it out loud into the microphone.
  6. Writing About the Photo: You have to describe the picture that has been given in the question, in one or more sentences.
  7. Speak About the Photo: You will be asked to speak about the image provided in the question. 
  8. Read and Write: You will be given a written prompt, to which you will have to answer in 50 words or more. 
  9. Read and Speak: You will read a written prompt and provide or speak your answer for at least 30 seconds. 
  10. Listen and Speak: You will have to listen to the spoken prompt and speak out your answer to the prompt. 
 

Writing and Speaking Sample

  • In the last 10 minutes of the Duolingo English Test, you will be asked to answer one of the 2 questions, selected randomly from a pool of hundreds of different questions.
  • You will be offered 30 seconds to choose between the 2 to answer in the next 10 minutes.
  • You may be asked to talk about any given situation or describe an image or be given the option of selecting a topic and speaking for a few minutes. 
  • You will be given 1-3 minutes to attempt the video-speaking sample. 3-5 minutes will be allotted for the writing sample.
  • You will be given time to review their video samples and write sample answers before submitting the same to the institutions.
In the Duolingo English Test, the only graded section is the Adaptive Test. The answers entered by the applicant in this section will be evaluated and scored. The Duolingo English Test is intended for admission to various abroad universities all over the world. It is currently accepted for admission at over 3,000 institutions worldwide