Duolingo Exam Pattern 2025 (Section Wise): Test Format, Duration, Mode

Duolingo Exam Pattern 2025 (Section Wise): Test Format, Duration, Mode

Edited By Prabhjyot Kaur | Updated on Jun 17, 2025 05:24 PM IST | #DET

Duolingo test pattern 2025: There are 4 primary components of the Duolingo exam syllabus and pattern: listening, reading, writing and speaking for the academic year 2025. Duolingo test pattern is structured in 2 sections. The first section is an adaptive test with different questions to be completed in 45 minutes. The second section of the Duolingo test pattern 2025 is a 10-minute writing and speaking test with open-ended prompts. Also, before the start of the Duolingo test 2025, the first 5 minutes provide an overview of the test rules and requirements. The complete Duolingo test duration is around 1 hour and the results after the test date are available within 48 hours. The total number of questions varies between 45-60. To ace the exam, students must be familiar with the Duolingo English Test Pattern and syllabus. Students can check their English proficiency required to study abroad with the help of the Duolingo exam pattern 2025. Duolingo is the most convenient, affordable, and quick exam as it is conducted online, allowing candidates to take it from any location with a computer, microphone, and camera. There are different Duolingo pattern PDF-based mock tests available online for aspirants to prepare for the exam. The Duolingo test marking scheme 2025 involves statistical algorithms to avoid human errors in scoring. Duolingo 2025 is widely accepted in more than 5,400 institutions around the world as it is one of the most credible and reliable tests for English proficiency. Read the article to know more about the Duolingo exam pattern 2025, and how it is different from other English language proficiency tests.

This Story also Contains
  1. Duolingo Pattern 2025: Overview
  2. Section Wise Duolingo Test Pattern 2025
  3. Duolingo Syllabus 2025
  4. Duolingo Test Scores and Validity
  5. How to Prepare for Duolingo English Test?
  6. Duolingo Test Pattern vs Other English Proficiency Exams
Duolingo Exam Pattern 2025 (Section Wise): Test Format, Duration, Mode
Duolingo Exam Pattern 2025 (Section Wise): Test Format, Duration, Mode

Duolingo Pattern 2025: Overview

Particulars

Details

Test name

Duolingo English Test

Test mode

Online from any location

Duolingo Test Validity

2 years from the date of the exam

Number of sections

2

Duolingo syllabus

Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking

Type of questions

Objective and Descriptive

Duolingo duration

60 minutes

Acceptable

This English test is acceptable in more than 5,400 universities worldwide

Duolingo test pattern

  • Overview of test: 5 minutes

  • Adaptive test: 45 minutes

  • Writing and Speaking: 10 minutes

Section Wise Duolingo Test Pattern 2025

Duolingo test is scored on a scale from 10 - 160. There are 3 parts of the Duolingo test pattern for 2025 which are the onboarding introduction, adaptive test, and video interview. Students must be aware of this exam structure to understand the components and the type of questions asked during the test. Here is a brief description of all the sections and parts of the Duolingo pattern.

Duolingo Exam Pattern 2025

Section

Portion

Allotted Time

Description

IntroductionUngraded Portion5 minutesGet familiar with the DET exam setup, rules and requirements.

Adaptive Test

Graded Portion

45 minutes

A series of questions for reading, writing, speaking and listening testing

Writing Sample and Speaking Sample

Ungraded Portion

10 minutes

Writing and speaking samples

Note: A unique feature of the DET exam pattern is that one of the sections is adaptive. This means that the difficulty level of the questions will increase with every correct answer, and the difficulty level will decrease with every wrong answer.

Introduction and Onboarding: DET

This is the first part of the Duolingo test which appears on the screen at the start of the exam. Students get familiar with the rules and requirements of the Duolingo exam pattern 2025. The duration of the introduction is 5 minutes. Here, students get to know the following things:

  • Are their computer’s camera, speakers, and microphone functioning properly or not

  • Submission of their government-issued photo ID

  • Review of the Duolingo test 2025 rules and requirements.

Adaptive Test: Duolingo Pattern Section 1

The Duolingo duration assigned for this particular section is 45 minutes. The adaptive test section of the Duolingo 2025 pattern requires candidates to answer a series of questions to evaluate their reading and listening skills. The difficulty of the questions changes as per the response. The type of questions asked during the adaptive test of Duolingo is mentioned below:

  • Read and Select

  • Fill in the Blanks

  • Read and Complete

  • Read Aloud

  • Listen and Type

  • Complete the Sentences

  • Complete the Passage

  • Highlight the Answer

  • Identify the Idea

  • Title the Passage

  • Listen and Respond

  • Summarise the Conversation

  • Write About the Photo

  • Interactive Writing

  • Listen, then Speak

  • Speak About the Photo

  • Read, then Speak

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Speaking and Writing: Duolingo Exam Pattern Section 2

This section of the Duolingo exam pattern 2025 evaluates the speaking and English writing abilities of the test takers. The speaking and writing samples are not graded like the other sections; however, it is used to test proficiency in English. The Duolingo duration for this section is 10 minutes.

Test takers are given a prompt and asked to respond at length. The Speaking Sample allows for a 1–3 minute response, and the Writing Sample allows for a 3–5 minute response.

  • You must speak for one to three minutes on the prompt provided for the video interview section.
  • You will have to write for three to five minutes on the subjects given in the writing exam part.

Duolingo Syllabus 2025

Now that we are aware of the Duolingo exam pattern 2025. Students must be familiar with the DET Syllabus 2025 to prepare for the exam in the best way possible. The test is divided into 3 different parts with 2 main sections and one introduction. The Duolingo test syllabus includes questions that are based on the speaking, reading, writing, and listening abilities of the candidates in English. There are a total of 45-60 questions in the DET exam. To prepare, the candidate can read some news articles, textbook passages, and many more. The table below shows the types of questions asked in the adaptive test and sample test.

Duolingo Test Syllabus for Adaptive & Sample Test Section:

DET Question Type

Description

Frequency of Question

Read and Select

Select the correct English words

15 - 18 times

Read and Complete

Fill in the missing letters in a sentence

3 - 6 times

Title the passage

Provide a topic for the passage

2 times

Read Aloud

Pronounce words correctly by speaking a written sentence

3 - 6 times

Fill in the Blanks

Complete the given spaces with the correct English word.

6 - 9 times

Listen and respond

Listen to a particular situation and select the best response

10 times

Listen and Type

Write the statement that you hear

6 - 9 times

Write About the Photo

Describe the image shown

3 times

Highlight the answer

Identify the right sentence in a passage

4 times

Speak About the Photo

Talk about what you see on the screen

1 time

Identify the Idea

Summarise the passage with one sentence

2 times

Listen, then Speak

Speak after listening to the prompt

2 times

Read, then Speak

Read about a particular topic and initiate conversation

1 time

Interactive Writing

Write about the given topic and provide follow-up questions

1 time

Complete the sentences

Vocabulary to select the best option for each missing word

2 times

Complete the passage

Provide the correct vocabulary to complete a passage

2 times

Summarise the conversation

Write a summary of the conversation

2 times

Writing SampleWrite about a given topic for 5 minutes1 time
Speaking SampleSpeak about a given topic1 time

1. Read and Select

Answer the question 'Is this a real English word?' Read each word and decide if it is an actual word in English.

1750143861286

2. Fill in the Blanks

Read a sentence and fill in the blanks to complete the word.

1750143908088

3. Read and Complete

Read and fill in the blanks of unfinished words in the passage.

1750143967449

4. Read Aloud

Read a statement, and speak it out loud into the microphone.1750144037727

5. Listen and Type

Listen to a statement and then type what you hear.

1750144125764

6. Complete the Sentences

Complete the sentences of the passage with the correct word.

1750144195747

7. Complete the Passage

Complete the passage with the correct sentence.

1750144263123

8. Highlight the Answer

Find and highlight the answer within the passage.

1750144319762

9. Identify the Idea

Read the passage and select an idea from the list.

1750144391090

10. Title the Passage

Select a title from a list of options for the given passage.

1750145213605

11. Listen and Respond

Listen to the audio and select the correct response for the same.

1750145263381

12. Summarise the Conversation

Summarize the conversation in 75 seconds.

1750145310264

13. Write About the Photo

Write a description of the image for 1 minute.

1750145359403

14. Interactive Writing

Write about the topic for 5 minutes and then write a follow-up response for 3 minutes.

1750150297680

15. Listen, then Speak

Listen to a prompt and speak about the topic for 90 seconds.


1750150392177

16. Speak About the Photo

Speak about the image shown on your screen for 90 seconds.

1750150442891

17. Read, then Speak

Talk for 90 seconds on the topic given on the screen.

1750150512286

18. Writing Sample

Write about the topic given on the screen for 5 minutes.

1750150543213

19. Speaking Sample

Speak about the topic for 3 minutes.

1750150583742

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Duolingo Exam Fees

Duolingo Test Scores and Validity

You will receive your Duolingo exam score 48 hours after taking the test. The Duolingo exam score will be valid for two years. You can send your Duolingo scores to as many universities as you wish.

How to Prepare for Duolingo English Test?

Once you are familiar with the Duolingo exam pattern 2025, it becomes easier to prepare for the DET. Ideally, you should work on all the portions of the test, from listening to reading in your Duolingo English test practice.

  • Listen to podcasts in English.
  • Attempt the Duolingo practice test with answers.
  • Read articles from top newspapers and magazines.
  • Converse in English with your family and peers.
  • Take feedback from teachers, tutors, or experts.
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Apart from this, you can access Duolingo English test pattern sample questions and answers on the Duolingo website. You can also take a sample test on the website. The best part is that you can take the test as many times as you want. This will help you understand the Duolingo test pattern 2025 and prepare efficiently for the exam. Students often search for DET preparation tips online; however, the main way to ace the exam is to understand the format, syllabus, and pattern of the test.

Duolingo Test Pattern vs Other English Proficiency Exams

If you compare the Duolingo exam pattern with the pattern of similar exams like the IELTS or TOEFL, you will discover many differences. Even though these English exams test the basic four skills in the English language: listening, reading, writing and speaking, the pattern in these sections will vary. The Duolingo test pattern 2025 is different from other English language proficiency tests. The main distinguishing feature is the adaptive testing method, which means that the difficulty level of each question will vary based on how well you answer the previous question. This makes it difficult to predict what questions you can expect on test day. However, this is not the case with either IELTS or TOEFL. To practice for the DET, prepare using the Duolingo practice test with answers. This will help you understand the Duolingo exam pattern 2025 better.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the duration of the Duolingo English test?

Duolingo English Test comprises two sections with a combined duration of 55 minutes. At the starting of the test, a 5-minute introductory video is provided to explain the rules and regulations. The first section includes an adaptive test of 45 minutes. Later, to evaluate speaking skills, a 10-minute video interview is conducted. Final scores are then sent to the universities selected by a candidate.

2. What is the main feature of the adaptive testing method in the Duolingo English test?

In the adaptive testing format, all the four sections- reading, writing, listening and speaking are combined in a single section. Due to this, questions from different sections can come at random when you take the DET. The difficulty of the exam depends on the last response.

3. How can one prepare for the Duolingo English test?

Students who register for the test have the option to attempt the Duolingo exam practice papers which are of 15 minutes duration.

4. Is Duolingo exam difficult?

The Duolingo exam is easy when compared to the other English proficiency tests like IELTS, TOEFL, and many more. However, the difficulty level will be based on individual candidates' abilities in English language.

5. IS 90 a good score in Duolingo exam?

A good score in DET exam is above 110. However, some universities might require a score of 90 but, it is recommended to have an average score of 110 in Duolingo English Test.

6. Is Duolingo exam accepted in USA?

Yes, the DET exam is accepted in US visa and university admissions.

7. What is the pattern of the Duolingo test?

Duolingo exam primarily consists of 2 sections: Adaptive test and Video Interview. The total time duration of Duolingo English Test is 60 minutes. The exam, pattern is as follows:

  • Section 1: Introduction (5 minutes)
  • Section 2: Adaptive Test (45 minutes)
  • Section 3: Video Interview (10 minutes)
8. Is Duolingo accepted in 2024?

Yes, Duolingo exam is accepted over 5,400 universities in all major countries in 2025. Duolingo accepted countries include the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, and more. Candidates can take the Duolingo English test as it is cost-effective and provides results within 2 days after taking the test. 

9. How much is the Duolingo English Test 2025?

Duolingo exam fees in India 2025 is USD 59, that is Rs 5,061 for single test. Also, Duolingo result is declared within 48 hours, however, to get faster results students have to pay an additional charge of USD 40.

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