The Duolingo English Test (DET) is an online, adaptive English test accepted by thousands of universities as an alternative to IELTS and TOEFL. It's about an hour long, taken at home, and scored from 10 to 160. Several tasks ask you to speak into your mic, and that's where prepared candidates pull ahead.
The speaking tasks you'll face
The exact set can change, so always check the official Duolingo English Test page, but you'll typically meet tasks like these:
| Task | What you do |
|---|---|
| Speak about the photo | Describe an image out loud for around 90 seconds. |
| Read, then speak | Read a prompt, then talk about the topic. |
| Listen, then speak | Listen to a question, then answer it. |
| Speaking sample | Give a longer, open-ended spoken response. |
How to do well
- Keep talking for the whole time. Silence and short answers hurt you most, fill the time with relevant speech.
- Be clear and organized. State your point, add a detail or example, and finish the thought.
- Don't freeze on the countdown. Practice starting to speak within a second or two of the prompt.
- Use natural, everyday English. Fluent and clear beats rare words you stumble over.
- Describe photos with a simple frame: what you see, who's there, where it is, and a guess about what's happening.
Grab the Duolingo English Test speaking cheatsheet for templates, or practise speaking out loud with an AI tutor. Comparing options? Read IELTS vs TOEFL vs Duolingo.
Keep reading
- How to Practice English Speaking Without a PartnerNo conversation partner? You can still build real speaking confidence. Here are practical ways to practice English out loud on your own, plus the fastest shortcut.
- IELTS vs TOEFL vs Duolingo English Test: How the Speaking Sections CompareThe three big English tests assess speaking very differently. Here's how IELTS, TOEFL and the Duolingo English Test compare, and which might suit you.
- Duolingo English Test Speaking CheatsheetPrintable Duolingo English Test speaking cheatsheet with task templates, scoring criteria, answer plans and a 7-day practice schedule.
