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About Duolingo

The Duolingo English Test (DET) is a modernized language assessment test which has come to the fore due to the current scenario. As with other language assessment tests like IELTS, TOEFL and PTE, the DET tests also checks all the four core language skills of the candidates: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. However, the DET is a computer-adaptive test: if you answer a question correctly, the next one gets harder. If you answer it wrong, the next one gets easier.

There are several clear benefits that stand in favor of the DET if compared with other tests.

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  1. It can be taken from home, anytime as per the comfort of the candidate.

  2. It costs merely Rs 3500 (approximately); whereas, other tests in this category cost more than Rs 12000 (approximately).

  3. It can be completed within a short duration of 1 hour as compared to other tests which consume 3 hours on an average.

  4. Results can be obtained within a very short span of 48 hours after completing the test.

 

Candidates can appear for the test as many times as they want, but not more than twice in a 30-day window.

Duolingo English Test Pattern

A variety of test questions on Duolingo are in formats that are entirely new to traditional test takers.
These are:

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  1. Listening to spoken words then selecting the real ones

  2.  Reviewing written words followed by selecting the real ones

  3. Completing the missing letters from a text

  4. Describing an image both in writing or aloud

  5. Recording yourself speaking a written sentence

  6. Verbally answering a spoken question

  7. Responding in writing to a question (Note that writing samples extend to a maximum of 500 words. They are usually much shorter than that)

  8. Typing out a statement after you hear it.

 

The last is a “video interview” section where you will speak for 1-3 minutes on a topic chosen from the two that they offer. Although this isn’t scored, it will be sent along with your test results to universities. This is a great way to give your application a human touch.

There are 3 main sections involved.

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Section-1:  Quick Setup (5 minutes)

Here, the candidates are required to check their computer and other equipment (like microphone, speakers, and webcam). After this, they need to ensure that they are in a well-lit and quiet room. They must take a photograph of themselves and of their government-issued ID card in order to start the test.

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Section-2:   The Test (30-45 minutes)

This is the time duration when the candidate is assessed on his/her language proficiency. As the test is computer-adaptive, if the candidates show a higher level of English, their test can end in about 30 minutes; otherwise, this section will take about 45 minutes. The questions are not arranged in any prescribed format/order and simply depend upon what the candidate has chosen as answer to the previous question. There are 12 question types involved in this rigorous testing environment which assess a candidate on his/her Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking skills.

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Section-3:   Video Interview (10 minutes)

This is an unscored section of the test. The replies in this section are sent to the institutes along with the candidate’s proficiency score. This section is divided in two parts.

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Part-1: Spoken Response (1-3 minutes)

The candidates are given a choice to speak about 1 of the 2 topics. They must make their choice in 20 seconds and then speak about the topic for a minimum of 1 minute and a maximum of 3 minutes.

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Part-2: Written Response (3-5 minutes)

The candidates are given a choice to write about 1 of the 2 topics. They must make their choice in 20 seconds and then write about the topic for a minimum duration of 3 minutes and a maximum duration of 5 minutes.

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