Duolingo Syllabus

The DET uses a variety of adaptive question formats. Some sections are scored and affect your results, while others — like the video interview and writing sample — are shared with institutions but not included in the numeric score.

Reading & Literacy Tasks

• Read and Complete – Fill in missing letters in a word to form a real English word
• Read and Select – Identify real English words from a list of real and non-real words
• Fill in the Blanks – Complete a sentence or paragraph with the most appropriate word

• Read Aloud – Read a sentence displayed on screen and speak it clearly

Listening & Comprehension Tasks

• Listen and Type – Type exactly what you hear from an audio clip

• Interactive Listening – Listen to a recorded conversation and answer follow-up questions about it

Writing Tasks

• Write About the Photo – View an image and write a description in 1 minute
• Read, Then Write – Read a prompt and write a structured response (around 50 words minimum)

• Writing Sample – A longer open-ended writing response (unscored; shared with institutions)

Speaking Tasks

• Speak About the Photo – Describe a photo in spoken English within a set time
• Read, Then Speak – Read a prompt and respond verbally
• Listen, Then Speak – Respond to a spoken prompt

• Speaking Sample / Video Interview – Answer open-ended questions in a video format (unscored; shared with institutions)