Master the fastest-growing English proficiency exam. Learn how to handle the rapid-fire adaptive prompts and record a perfect video interview for university admissions.
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The DET is entirely computer-based and taken at home. The speaking prompts pop up randomly throughout the test. Here is what "Speak About the Photo" looks like.
Speak for at least 30 seconds about the image below.
Unlike IELTS or TOEFL, the Duolingo English Test does not have a separate speaking section. The entire exam takes 1 hour, and speaking tasks are randomly mixed with reading and writing tasks. The test is adaptive, meaning the questions get harder if you answer correctly.
During the 45-minute adaptive portion of the test, you will randomly encounter various speaking prompts. These include:
For most of these tasks, you have 20 seconds to prepare your thoughts and must speak for a minimum of 30 seconds, up to a maximum of 90 seconds.
At the very end of the test, you will complete the Speaking Sample. You will be given a choice of two topics. You have 30 seconds to choose a topic and gather your thoughts, and then you must speak continuously for 1 to 3 minutes.
While this specific section is not graded by the AI algorithm towards your numerical score (10-160), it is incredibly important. The webcam records a video of your response. This unedited video is sent directly to the university admissions teams you apply to.
Universities use this video to personally verify your fluency, confidence, and communication skills, ensuring you can survive in an English-speaking classroom.
Watch this comprehensive guide to understand the unique adaptive format and see real examples of the DET speaking prompts.
The Duolingo English Test uses machine learning algorithms to grade your spoken responses. The AI evaluates your proficiency across two primary subscores.
This subscore measures your ability to listen and speak. It evaluates your oral fluency, your pronunciation, and how naturally you can respond to the "Listen, Then Speak" audio prompts. Pauses, hesitations, and unnatural pacing will lower this score.
This subscore measures your ability to write and speak. For the speaking tasks, it evaluates your grammatical complexity and lexical diversity (vocabulary). To score highly here, you must use complex sentence structures (like conditionals and relative clauses) and avoid repeating the same basic words (like "good" or "very").
The entire Duolingo English Test takes about 1 hour to complete. However, unlike traditional exams, there is no separate 'Speaking Section'. The speaking questions are randomly integrated throughout the 45-minute adaptive test.
No, the final Speaking Sample (where you speak for 1-3 minutes) does not count towards your numerical DET score. However, a video recording of this response is sent directly to the university admissions teams, making it a critical component of your application.
The test is recorded entirely via your computer's webcam and microphone. Your screen is also recorded. After you finish, the video is reviewed by human proctors and AI to ensure you did not look away from the screen, use notes, or have anyone else in the room.