How long is the Duolingo English Test (DET)?
The Duolingo English Test lasts approximately 1 hour.
It consists of 4 sections:
- Introduction & Onboarding: ~5 minutes
- Comprehension questions: ~20 minutes
- Writing & speaking questions: ~25 minutes
- Writing Sample & Speaking Sample: ~10 minutes
Introduction & Onboarding
For the first 5 minutes of the test, you get set up. There are no test questions.
You will make sure that your computer, microphone, and camera are all working properly. You will then take a photo of your government-issued ID using your computer’s camera. Finally, you will review the rules for the test.
Comprehension questions
This section tests your comprehension, both listening and speaking. In this section, there are actually 3 subsections as explained this blog post.
The difficulty of the comprehension questions adjust to match your level. Basically, if you get a question correct, the next question will be harder. If you get a question wrong, the next question will be easier.
This is why the Duolingo English Test can only last an hour but still be an accurate measure of your English proficiency. You won’t waste time answering questions that are too difficult or too easy for you.
👉 All Question Types with Answers
Writing & speaking questions
In this section, you will answer most of the writing and speaking questions on the test. Doing well in this section is crucial to doing well on the Production subscore, which is the hardest part of the test.
Writing Sample & Speaking Sample
The test ends with these 2 questions. You will be given a prompt and asked to write/speak about it at length. (You will be given a different prompt for each one.) For the Speaking Sample, you will have up to 3 minutes. For the Writing Sample, you will have up to 5 minutes.
Your responses to these questions will be sent along with your scores, so that the recipients can evaluate your writing and speaking abilities for themselves.
👉 To learn more about the Duolingo English Test, check out our popular guide: Duolingo English Test Ultimate Guide
Conclusion
The short length of the Duolingo English Test is one of the reasons it is the best English proficiency test out there. It is also cheaper, and it takes less time to get your results.
👉 If you’re trying to decide between the DET, TOEFL, and IELTS, check out our articles: Duolingo v. TOEFL and Duolingo v. IELTS.
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