Duolingo English Test Preparation Course

The Duolingo English Test is a computer-adaptive exam that usually takes about one hour and measures real-world English ability. The score ranges from 10 to 160, and universities use it with other application materials. The test includes Literacy tasks for reading and writing, Comprehension tasks for reading and listening, Conversation tasks for speaking and listening, and Production tasks for writing and speaking.

Because the test is adaptive, the difficulty changes with your answers. Answer each item carefully because you cannot return to it later. Typing matters: your written responses are sent to reviewers, so use correct spelling and punctuation. You must keep your face visible to the camera and cannot use notes or other devices.

• Read every instruction completely.
• Manage time with one practice test before exam day.
• Speak clearly and answer the whole prompt.
• Review your typed answers for basic errors.

Adaptive strategy: the test adjusts question difficulty based on your answers, so accuracy matters more than speed. Keep a steady pace, answer every question, and reserve energy for speaking and writing tasks at the end.

DET vocabulary tasks test words in context, not memorized definitions. Learn academic words such as significant, consistent, contradict and summarize, plus everyday words for work, travel, health and shopping. Pay attention to synonyms, collocations and word families: decide, decision, decisive and indecisive share a root but play different roles.

In interactive reading tasks you choose the word that fits a passage. Read the full sentence before choosing, and check grammar as well as meaning. A preposition can change the meaning: look for, look after and look into are different actions.

• Record five new words each day with example sentences.
• Study synonyms and opposites in pairs.
• Notice collocations like make a decision.
• Use new words in your speaking answers.

Context drill: learn academic words with their common collocations: significant change, consistent results, contradict the claim, summarize the findings. Review synonyms and word families so you can recognize paraphrases in reading and listening.

Strong grammar helps you answer quickly and reduces errors in writing. Master subject-verb agreement: She works, not She work. Use articles correctly: a before a consonant sound and an before a vowel sound. Choose tenses by time clues: yesterday needs the past, since 2020 often needs the present perfect, and tomorrow needs a future form.

Conditionals appear often: real conditions use If it rains, we will stay inside, while unreal past conditions use If I had known, I would have called. Word order also matters: adverbs usually come near the verb, and questions invert the subject and auxiliary.

• Learn one tense pattern per day with three examples.
• Check singular and plural agreement in every typed answer.
• Transform one sentence into four tenses.
• Proofread for missing articles and prepositions.

Error drill: check subject-verb agreement, articles, tense markers, and prepositions before submitting. For writing, keep sentences clear and use connectors such as however, because, and for example to show relationships.

Reading tasks ask for the main idea, specific details, inference and the purpose of a text. Look for signal words: however signals a contrast, for example gives an illustration, and as a result shows a consequence. Do not choose an answer only because it contains a word from the passage; check that the whole meaning matches.

Listening tasks use short conversations and announcements. Listen for speaker intent, tone and paraphrase. If a speaker says I'd rather take the train, the important information is the preference, not the word train alone. Use the time between items to predict the topic from the first words you hear.

• Read the question before looking for details.
• Choose the answer that restates the text, not one that repeats exact words.
• Notice polite phrases that soften requests.
• Do one timed reading and one listening task daily.

Signal word drill: however signals contrast, for example gives an illustration, as a result shows consequence, and in contrast compares ideas. In listening, note the speaker's intention and tone, and choose answers that match the paraphrase.

Build a four-week plan around your weakest skills. Week 1: take a diagnostic test and record section scores. Week 2: study vocabulary and grammar daily with short reading and listening tasks. Week 3: complete timed reading, listening, writing and speaking tasks. Week 4: take two full mock tests and review your error notebook.

A simple daily routine: 15 minutes of vocabulary, 15 minutes of grammar, one reading task, one listening task and one speaking response. Keep an error notebook with the question, your answer, the correct answer and the reason.

Review the notebook after one day, three days and one week. Before the test, take one more mock exam and compare the score with your Week 1 result. In the final two days, focus on sleep and review your most frequent mistakes.

• Week 1: diagnostic test and section analysis.
• Week 2: vocabulary and grammar drills.
• Week 3: timed skills practice.
• Week 4: two mock exams and error review.

Four-week plan: week 1 diagnostic test; week 2 vocabulary and grammar daily; week 3 timed tasks; week 4 two full mock tests. Review the error log and focus the final days on your lowest section.