Duolingo English Test
The Duolingo English Test (DET) is an online English proficiency exam accepted by thousands of universities worldwide. It is taken at home on a computer.
Total score | 160 (weighted average of 4 section scores, each out of 160) |
Total testing time | ~60 minutes |
Adaptive? | Yes — difficulty changes throughout the exam |
Calculator | N/A |
Skills tested
Section | Questions & time | Content covered |
|---|---|---|
Reading | Adaptive (each question type appears at least once) | Read and Complete, Read and Select, Read then Write, Complete the Sentence/Passage, Highlight the Answer, Identify the Idea, Title the Passage |
Writing | Adaptive | Write about the Photo, Summarize the Conversation, Writing Sample |
Speaking | Adaptive | Read Aloud, Speak about the Photo, Read then Speak, Speaking Sample |
Listening | Adaptive | Listen and Type, Listen then Speak, Listen and Respond |
Exam structure
The test has two main parts:
Main exam (~45 min): All standard question types, including conversation practice questions. Adaptive throughout.
Writing and speaking sample (~10 min): Students produce a writing and speaking sample on a given topic. These are sent to colleges but are not scored.
Scoring
Composite score is out of 160, in 5-point intervals (minimum 10).
Each of the four skills (Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening) also receives a score out of 160 — these four subscores are averaged to produce the composite score.
Both the composite and section scores are sent to schools, along with the ungraded writing and speaking samples.
No points lost for incorrect answers.
FAQs
How often can a student take the test?
Up to 3 tests in any 30-day period. No stated lifetime limit.
How long does it take to get scores back?
2 business days. Can be expedited to as fast as 12 hours for an extra fee.
For how long are scores valid?
Two years from the exam date.