Duolingo English Test (DET): Overview and My Experience - 1

Hi everyone, I'm David,

co-founder of SK2 TOEFL (TOEFL 119/120) and founder of Ace DET (DET 155/160).

I'm going to write a series of articles on the Duolingo English Test (DET),

covering an overview of the test, question types and test-taking tips,

to help you get more familiar with it

and to give students who had only heard of the TOEFL and IELTS one more option.

About the DET:

1. Fully online: no need to go to a test center. Any quiet space will do.

2. Simple equipment: a computer (desktop or laptop) + a phone or tablet with a camera (a tripod is recommended). The camera needs to capture your computer screen and keyboard. You also need a passport for identity verification. You can use an external keyboard/monitor/speakers/microphone.

3. Flexible timing: you can start any time within 21 days of paying, even in the middle of the night.

4. Test length: the test itself takes about 60 minutes; setting up your equipment beforehand takes about 20 minutes; uploading results takes ~10 minutes (depending on your internet speed). Plan for about 1.5 hours in total.

5. Fast results: scores come out within 48 hours; for an extra fee, within 12 hours; through official partners, within 24 hours.

6. Free score reports: you can send score reports to schools for free, as many times as you like.

Sounds kind of interesting, right?

Next, let's look at what DET scores and score reports look like.

What does the score report look like?

The DET is scored out of 160. Here's my score report first:

As you can see, there are four individual sections: Speaking, Writing, Reading and Listening,

the same as the TOEFL and IELTS.

It also has four integrated skills (some schools may list minimums for these too):

Production＝Speaking＋Writing

Literacy＝Reading＋Writing

Comprehension＝Reading＋Listening

Conversation＝Listening＋Speaking

Next, how is the score calculated?

Score range:

10–160. Scores go in steps of 5 (you'll see 120, 125, 130…).

How it's calculated:

The four section scores are averaged, and the system rounds to the nearest multiple of 5 (example: an average of 153.75 → shown as 155).

Taking my scores as an example, you can see:

S 155 / W 160 / R 145 / L 155 → average 153.75 → shown as 155.

Here's a score comparison chart for your reference.

Once you try the DET, you may find that reaching your target DET score is easier than reaching your target TOEFL or IELTS score!

In my case, my DET score of 155 corresponds to TOEFL 119 (exactly the same as my TOEFL score),

but honestly, the effort and energy I put into getting TOEFL 119 was far greater than for DET 155. 😭😭

To sum up, before you take the DET, you need to check:

1. Whether the schools or departments you want to apply to accept DET scores. You can look it up at the link below

https://englishtest.duolingo.com/institutions

Some schools simply haven't heard of the DET, so you can email them to ask. If you ask, you've got a chance.

2. If they accept it, check the minimum score the school requires and whether, besides the overall score, they also require minimums for the integrated skills.

And don't forget the rule of rounding to a multiple of 5.

You can set simple targets: what you need in each section so that, after rounding, you reach the school's required score.

10/24 Ace DET free open class on the Duolingo English Test, with a prize draw for one DET intensive course and one DET exam!

https://forms.gle/vPzZJ2Sk9bMSdS6v7

Questions are welcome, and I'll keep sharing!

David