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DET exam practice questions, with answers explained

Here are 20 free DET exam practice questions we wrote in the style of the reading and vocabulary tasks on the Duolingo English Test (DET). They’re plain multiple choice, so some tasks look different from the real thing, and there’s no listening, writing or speaking here. Each question has one correct answer and a short explanation. The real test is adaptive and takes about an hour, so treat this as a skills check, not a mock test.

  • 20Practice questions on this page
  • 8 and 12Word tasks and Interactive Reading
  • 15Right answers for our 75% target
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Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

Question 1 of 20

Which of these is a real English word?

20 practice questions in the style of the test.

How to use these 20 questions

Questions 1 to 3 are like Read and Select: spot the real English word. Questions 4 to 6 are like Fill in the Blanks, and 7 and 8 like Read and Complete, but here you choose the word instead of typing it. Questions 9 to 20 are two Interactive Reading passages, a story and one that gives facts, each with the six question types in the real order: Complete the Sentences, Complete the Passage, two Highlight the Answer questions, Identify the Idea and Title the Passage. For Highlight the Answer you pick a phrase instead of highlighting it.

On the real test, Read and Select gives you 5 seconds a word and Fill in the Blanks 20 seconds a sentence, so answer questions 1 to 6 quickly. Aim for 15 right, which is 75%. That’s our own target: the DET has no pass mark, and each school or employer sets the score it accepts.

How DET scores work →

Where can you find more DET exam practice questions?

Duolingo’s own practice test is free and you can take it as often as you like. Its Practice Hub lets you try single question types and check your answers, including the listening, writing and speaking tasks we can’t do here. Our 20 aren’t from Duolingo.

Duolingo’s free practice test →Every DET question type →
Sources: Duolingo and 1 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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