What is the Duolingo English Test? Complete Guide

An English proficiency test is a mandate for getting admission into a foreign university. The Duolingo English Test is a well-structured proficiency test for international students and is widely accepted by over 3000 institutions all over the world. Duolingo is slowly gaining popularity worldwide as it is convenient and can be taken from the comfort of your home.  

​The test can be finished within an hour, and the results can be accessed in two days. The Duolingo English test is cost-effective, costing only $49, unlike the other popular tests like the IELTS or TOEFL. Additionally, the user interface for the Duolingo English test is friendly and interactive, making the test easy for all users. For instance, you can send the test results to the university for free and send them to as many universities as you like. Along with the duolingo test results, you can also send across writing samples and a video interview sample for assessment.

Some popular study destinations that accept Duolingo scores are:

• USA
• United Kingdom
• Canada
• Ireland

One of the highlights of the Duolingo English test is that it can be taken from the comfort of your home. However, the test needs to be taken under specific conditions or it will be considered invalid. The following are some of the rules to be followed while taking up the test:

• The candidate should use their own name as per the government ID to take up the test.
• Ensure sitting in a quiet room with proper lighting.
• Ensure that the face and ears are clear.
• Do not look away from the screen or leave the window while taking the test.
• Ensure to use an inbuilt webcam and not a third party webcam.
• Refrain from using mobile phones during the test
• Usage of external speakers as headsets or microphones are not allowed.
• Refrain from bringing any paper or workbook materials with you during the test.

• A valid passport or a driving licence
• A valid government id
• A stable internet connection
• A computer with a front camera, microphone and speakers.

The Duolingo English test takes an hour to finish and can be taken from anywhere. The Duolingo English test has three stages in which it needs to be taken. They are:

• Setup
• Adaptive test
• Video interview

SET UP - A candidate will be offered five minutes before the test. This time is set aside before a test to set up and check the system requirements.

• Firstly, the candidate ensures that the system is working well as per requirements and the camera, speakers, microphones are working well and have no technical glitches.
• Next, the candidate would be required to display the government identification clearly without any haze or disturbance.
• Lastly, the candidate is asked to read and understand all the test guidelines before proceeding further with the test. 

ADAPTIVE TEST - The introduction is followed by an adaptive test. The adaptive test lasts for a period of 45 minutes and assesses reading, writing, speaking and listening skills.

• There is no particular order in which the test is conducted. The questions are posed in random order.
• The levels of difficulty change as they proceed with easier questions. The complexity increases as the test proceed further.

TYPES OF QUESTIONS

• Reading: The candidate is expected to read a certain line and select the words they think are English. As the test progresses, they are given passages in which there could be missing words that they need to complete. These are timed, and the candidate is supposed to follow the same, else the screen moves on.
• Listening: The candidates are expected to listen to sentences and pick out the English words from them. Then, it moves on to sentences that are spoken in English. The candidate has to listen to them and type it out in English
• Writing: The candidate is provided with a photo and would be expected to see and write about the photo in one or two sentences.
• Speaking: The candidates would be asked to listen to an audio recording and speak out their answers at the prompt. They would be given an extra 20 seconds to replay and then record the answers. There is also a part where the candidate will have to look at a picture for 20 seconds and then speak about it. 

VIDEO INTERVIEW

The last part of the test is a video interview. This section consists of ten minutes. This part is ungraded and the candidate has to answer open-ended questions.

1. The candidate must ensure clear audio.
2. The candidate must sit in a way that they are in the centre of the camera frame.
3. The candidate must be confident and clear.

The Duolingo costs $49 USD which amounts to around 6000 Nepalese rupees.

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