National, 1 March 2024: In its ongoing commitment to excellence and innovation, the Duolingo English Test (DET) announces the launch of new and redesigned question types that make testing more convenient, accurate, secure, and responsible. These enhancements including new item types as well as new Speaking, Writing, Reading, and Listening subscores provide a more comprehensive evaluation of one’s English proficiency through cutting-edge advancements in digital testing.
New and Redesigned Question Types:
Interactive Writing
● Interactive Writing expands upon the pre-existing ‘Read, Then Write’ question by encouraging users to elaborate on ideas. First, users will read a prompt and write about it for 5 minutes.
● What’s new is the follow-up prompt related to the original one, for which they will get an additional 3 minutes to elaborate on the idea, making for a total duration of 8 minutes 30 seconds
Read and Select
● The Read and Select section asks users to select actual English words from the multiple words on a single screen.
● After the update, users still have to identify the real words but they will be presented one by one on multiple screens, giving users 5 seconds to guess each. Test takers can expect about 15 – 18 words in this section of your test
Fill in the Blanks
● This section comprises 6 to 9 sentences with an unfinished word that needs to be filled in.
● The redesigned Fill in the Blanks questions assess both the depth and breadth of language proficiency, evaluating not only word recognition but also contextual usage. Context clues will also be provided to assist in completing sentences accurately.
These enhancements will be integrated starting April 2, 2024, aiming to improve the DET’s efficiency and offer a more precise evaluation of English proficiency. Users who wish to experience the test without these changes have the option to take the certified test before April 2, 2024.