The Duolingo English Test is a paid English exam you take at home in the desktop app. This guide covers the current adaptive format (including Interactive Speaking), dual-camera rules, the 10 to 160 score scale, results timing, and a checklist before you spend a credit.
The certified sitting has three parts: introduction and onboarding, a scored adaptive test with mixed question types, and scored Writing and Speaking Samples that are also shared with institutions. Official length is about one hour. Item counts below follow the official frequency table.
Closed items · Reading, Literacy, and Comprehension
Each word appears alone for about 5 seconds. Click YES or NO: is it a real English word? Trust common vocabulary. Reject invented forms and common misspellings.
Illustrative · YES or NO · one word at a time
Step 1 of 4
although
Type letters to finish the unfinished word in a sentence (~20 sec). Use grammar and meaning. Do not guess from the first few letters alone.
Illustrative · type letters to finish the unfinished word
Step 1 of 3
The museum will be temp____ closed for renovations next week.
Type the missing letters for unfinished words in a short passage. Read the full text before you fill each stem.
Illustrative · type missing letters for each unfinished word
Q1Gap (1) avail____
Q2Gap (2) annot____
Q3Gap (3) recomm____
Linked set (~7:00 or 8:00): Complete the Sentences (select a word for each blank), Complete the Passage, Highlight the Answer (twice), Identify the Idea, Title the Passage. Keep the whole passage in mind.
Illustrative set · 6 linked tasks · Complete the Sentences uses word select
Step 1 of 6
Blank [3] — select the best word:
Check acceptance and setup first. A certified score only helps if your program accepts DET for your intake, and if you can meet the dual-camera rules on test day.
Acceptance is program-level. Official materials cite more than 6,500 programs. Verify on your school page or ask admissions in writing. University admissions and visa rules are separate questions.
DET reports an overall score from 10 to 160 plus individual and integrated subscores. Use the number your program publishes. Do not guess from a friend’s score alone.
One purchase is one credit. A discounted 2-test bundle gives two credits. You get up to three starts per credit to finish and upload. You may purchase up to three tests in any 30-day period, and must wait for a submitted test’s result before taking another.
The free practice test is unlimited, about 45 minutes, and shows an estimated score range only. It is not certified. Use the same kind of computer you will use for the real exam.
Most failed certifications come from setup and room rules, not from English alone. Rehearse the dual-camera layout before you spend a credit.
Purchase on englishtest.duolingo.com. Complete the certified test within 21 days. For a bundle, the second credit’s 21-day window starts after the first result.
Use the official Windows or macOS app. Do not plan around a browser-only sitting.
Follow the desktop app’s QR instructions. DET is gradually moving candidates from a mobile-browser flow to its mobile app, so use the path shown on your device. Frame the entire screen and keyboard, enable Do Not Disturb, and do not touch or cover the camera during the test.
Check camera, microphone, and speakers; complete phone-based face and ID verification; scan both ears; record a slow 360° room view; and scan the area behind the computer. Then mount the second camera and review the rules.
Reserve a full uninterrupted hour. Close other programs. Do not start if someone may enter the room.
Your overall score averages Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking, then rounds to the nearest 5. You also get integrated subscores: Literacy (Reading + Writing), Comprehension (Reading + Listening), Conversation (Speaking + Listening), and Production (Speaking + Writing). Closed items compare your answers to correct responses (partial credit possible). Open responses use a grading engine for content, coherence, vocabulary, grammar, fluency, and pronunciation as relevant. The final Writing and Speaking Samples are scored into their individual and integrated subscores and are also shared with recipients.
Move the slider in 5-point steps. Band labels are study-planning aids, not official Duolingo titles. Your institution’s published requirement is the only cutoff that matters.
| DET score | Planning focus | Practical next step |
|---|---|---|
| 145 to 160 | Very high overall · small gaps in Production or Conversation often decide the last points | Confirm your program’s exact minimum and send the certified score |
| 120 to 140 | Strong academic range for many competitive programs | Check any informal subscore expectations and sample quality |
| 105 to 115 | Solid mid-high range · common planning band for many undergraduate targets | Verify the published cutoff before you stop practicing |
| 90 to 100 | Mid range · enough for some programs, short of others | Use another free practice test before buying a retake credit |
| 75 to 85 | Developing academic English under timed adaptive pressure | Prioritize Interactive Speaking and production tasks daily |
| 60 to 70 | Intermediate foundation · certified score may still miss many university cutoffs | Build listening and speaking stamina before another paid attempt |
| 10 to 55 | Early range on the DET scale | Treat the free practice test as diagnosis, not a final attempt plan |
Plan your application calendar around review time, not only the adaptive hour.
Complete these on the same computer, phone, and network you will use for the certified test.
About one hour of uninterrupted free time for onboarding, the scored adaptive test, and the writing and speaking samples.
A single certified test is $70 USD. A discounted 2-test bundle is also available. The free practice test costs nothing.
From 1 July 2025, Interactive Speaking is live: one set of 6 to 8 spoken questions with 35 seconds per response. It replaced Listen, Then Speak. Read Aloud was removed. Read, Then Speak remains.
Yes. Besides your computer camera, a phone or tablet must record your entire screen and keyboard for the whole sitting. Weak phone framing is a frequent reason results are not certified.
Standard results usually arrive within two days. Faster Results targets 12 hours for an extra fee, uses the same review process, and does not guarantee certification.
The overall score averages Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking, then rounds to the nearest 5 on the 10 to 160 scale. Integrated subscores report Literacy, Comprehension, Conversation, and Production.
Help Center sharing lets you select up to 40 institutions, then add more later while under that cap. Above 40 needs support and is not guaranteed. There is no per-report fee.
Certified results are valid for two years. After expiry you cannot share or view the certificate, and institutions lose access to it.
Do not treat university acceptance as visa acceptance. Some destinations may allow DET for certain routes and many do not. Check the destination country’s current immigration rules first.
Yes. Linguistic Academy provides exam help for the Duolingo English Test. Contact us with your target score, deadline, and test location so we can confirm support for your sitting.
Official Duolingo English Test Help Center, blog, and research pages checked for this guide on 29 July 2026.
Keep researching the format, then contact Linguistic Academy when you want exam help for a real sitting.
Short overview of cost, timing, and who the DET suits.
Why Duolingo blocks a score and what to fix before a retake.
Focus piece on the July 2025 speaking update.
How Linguistic Academy supports candidates on the real test.
Another at-home admissions test format with setup checklist.
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