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United States · English test

Duolingo English Test practice test and study options

Duolingo’s own practice test for the Duolingo English Test (DET) is free, and you can take it as many times as you like, on a computer or on your phone. It’s shorter than the certified test and isn’t proctored, and Duolingo says the score range it gives you is an estimate, not as accurate as the real test. For the question types in depth, Duolingo publishes free guides with real answers and the scores they got.

  • FreeDuolingo’s practice test, unlimited
  • 21Real answers scored in the Scoring Guide
  • 2 or 3 timesPractice runs tied to slightly higher scores
Where to study

Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

Duolingo’s practice test and guides compared

OptionPriceFree to useLinks
Official
Duolingo English Test practice test and Practice HubOfficial practice testDuolingo’s own practice test, on a computer or a phone. It’s adaptive and gives new questions each time, but it’s shorter than the certified test, isn’t proctored, and reports only an estimated score range. The Practice Hub lets you try one question type at a time.
FreeUnlimited practice tests, plus single question types with answer checking
Duolingo English Test: practice ↗
Official Guide for Test TakersOfficial guideDuolingo’s 2026 guide to the whole test: getting ready, the three parts and how often each question type appears, setting up your room and equipment, the rules, your scores and sharing them.
FreeThe whole guide, as a PDF
Duolingo: Official Guide for Test Takers (PDF) ↗
DET Scoring Guide for TeachersOfficial scoring guide with sample answersWritten for teachers but useful on your own. Duolingo’s 2026 edition explains every question type and how it’s scored, and has 21 real speaking and writing answers scored from 65 to 150, each with a comment.
FreeThe whole guide, as a PDF
Duolingo: DET Scoring Guide for Teachers (PDF) ↗
Duolingo English Test on YouTubeOfficial videosDuolingo’s own channel, which its Official Guide recommends for a feel of the test before you sit it, alongside its walkthrough video of a test taker going through setup, the test and upload.
FreeAll videos
YouTube: Duolingo English Test ↗Duolingo: test walkthrough video ↗
DET Trainer certificationOfficial teacher trainingDuolingo’s own course for teachers and tutors who prepare students for the test, in two parts, DET101 and DET102, leading to DET Trainer certification. Duolingo’s partner page doesn’t give a price.
Not publishedNot listed
Duolingo English Test: Become a DET Trainer ↗

Prices and ratings checked October 2026.

Is the Duolingo English Test practice test free?

Yes, and there’s no limit on how often you take it. Duolingo builds a new set of questions each time from a large pool, and like the certified test, the practice version is adaptive. Duolingo’s 2026 Scoring Guide places it in the Practice Hub, where you can also try single question types and check your answers.

Treat its score as a rough guide. Duolingo’s Official Guide says the practice version is shorter, isn’t proctored, and reports a score range that’s an estimate and not as accurate as the real test.

Duolingo English Test sample questions and answers

Duolingo’s free 2026 Scoring Guide for Teachers has 21 answers from real test takers, each with its score and a short comment on why it got that score. They run from 65 to 150 and cover seven tasks: Write About the Photo, Interactive Writing, Speak About the Photo, Read, Then Speak, Interactive Speaking, and the Writing and Speaking Samples. The same guide explains the timing and scoring of every question type.

Duolingo also lists Practice Questions Volumes 3, 4 and 5, each with over 250 paper-based questions, audio and answers. Its guides point to them by QR code only and give no price.

DET format and question types →

Do you need a Duolingo English Test course?

Duolingo says you don’t need special preparation, memorizing or expensive classes, and that cramming right before the test won’t change your score. Your score goes up as your English does. What it does suggest is getting to know the test, so the format and the checks don’t surprise you on the day.

Its own research found that people who took its practice test two or three times scored slightly higher on the certified test, on average, than those who practiced more or less often. If you want to build your English first, Duolingo’s separate language app has English lessons, and Duolingo says it’s free too.

A simple study path for the DET

  1. Read Duolingo’s Official Guide for Test Takers, so you know the setup, the rules and what each part of the test looks like.
  2. Take Duolingo’s practice test once to see the format and get a first score range.
  3. Find the question types that felt hardest and practice them in the Practice Hub. Then read the scored answers for those tasks in the Scoring Guide.
  4. Use English every day. Duolingo’s guide suggests talking to yourself in English, writing your shopping list in English and switching shows to English audio.
  5. The day before, take Duolingo’s practice test again in your full setup, with your phone in place as the second camera.
How DET scores work →Setting up and taking the test →
Sources: Duolingo · Duolingo English Test blog and 5 more. Checked October 2026.

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

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OverviewPriceScoresFormatTaking the testDET vs IELTS