The Duolingo English Test has four sections: Reading, Listening, Writing, and Speaking. Unlike other exams, such as IELTS and TOEFL, the Exam Format is divided into Question Types rather than Sections. As per the latest 2026 format, the DET has Major 13 Question Types, namely Read and Select, Fill in the Blanks, Read and Complete, Listen and Type, Write About the Photo, Speak About the Photo, Read and Then Speak, Interactive Reading, Interactive Listening, Writing Sample, Speaking Sample, Interactive Writing and Interactive Speaking. The Interactive Reading and Interactive Listening are further classified. For Interactive Reading have 5 Question types: Complete the Sentence, Complete the Passage, Highlight the Answer, Identify the Idea and Title the Passage.
Let’s explore each Question Type in detail and view a sample View on the screen you can expect. We divided the Question Types by Section for better visualisation and easier understanding.
In the Reading module of Duolingo English Test, there are four question types.
The test-taker is presented with a series of words, one at a time, to choose the correct spelling for each. Both words will seem similar, but only one of them will be correct. The task will include 15-18 questions, and you will have 5 seconds per question.
The test-taker is presented with a sentence and a blank in between. The test-taker will have 20 seconds per question to guess the correct word and fill in the blank. In total, there will be 6 to 9 sentences.
Similar to Fill in the Blanks, this question will have paragraphs instead of a single sentence and multiple blanks per question. You will be presented with 3-6 passages, and will be allocated 3 minutes per passage.
In the Interactive Reading, you will get one passage and about 6 tasks related to the same paragraph. Based on the difficulty level, you will be assigned between 7 and 8 minutes for all 6 tasks. Here is the List of all 6 Tasks.
Complete the Sentence
In the ‘Complete the Sentence’ question type, you have to choose the correct word from the given list that fits the given sentence in the paragraph.
Complete the Passage
In the ‘Complete the Passage’ question type, you have to choose the correct option from the given options which fits in the given paragraph. It is similar to Complete the Sentence.
Highlight the Answer
In the ‘Highlight the Answer’ question type, you have to highlight the sentence in the given paragraph for the answer to the displayed question.
Identify the Idea
In the ‘Identify the Idea’ question type, you have to choose the best option which represents the core idea of the passage.
Title the Passage
In the ‘Title the Passage’ question type, you have to choose the best answer from the given options which represents the best title for the given passage.
In the Listening module of Duolingo English Test, there are two question types.
In this task, you simply have to write about what you hear in the recording. You will be presented with 6 to 9 questions in a row, with 1 minute per question. You will also get an option of 2 recording replays for each question.
You'll experience two different conversations during the test — one with a classmate (super casual and friendly) and one with a professor (more polite and formal). Each conversation lasts about 6–7 minutes, and you play the role of the student. Starting July 2025, the Interactive Listening will have the following question subtypes.
Listen and Complete
In the ‘Listen and Complete’ question type, you have to listen to the given conversation and fill in the blanks in the sentences.
Listen and Respond
In the ‘Listen and Respond’ question type, you have to listen to the same conversation and choose the best option to respond to the conversation.
Summarize the Conversation
In the ‘Summarise Conversation’, you have to summarise the complete conversation you had in previos question in about 75 seconds. You have to submit the response by writing in the given box.
In the Writing module of Duolingo English Test, there are three question types.
In the Write about the photo question, you will be given 60 seconds to describe the image. In total, you will be presented with 3 similar questions, and you have to describe the image in each photo.
In the Interactive Writing task, you will be provided with a paragraph to read and write about in 120-130 words. After you submit your first response, you have to write the follow-up answer for the same question.
The 5-minute task at the end of the test will be presented to the test-taker. This question is not scored or affects your DET Score; however, this sample will be shared with Universities on request.
In the Speaking module of Duolingo English Test, there are four question types.
Similar to Write About the Photo, in this task, you have to speak about the photo. You will have 90 seconds to describe the photo and submit your response. Don’t worry, you will have 20 seconds to prepare for the task before the recording starts.
In this task, you will be presented with paragraphs instead of photographs. Similarly, you will be given 20 seconds to prepare, followed by a 90-second recording period.
The section will include a series of 6 to 8 questions, for which you must submit an answer in Spoken format. You will be given 35 seconds for each question.
Similar to the Writing Sample, you have to submit your Speaking sample. This section will be unscored and does not affect your DET Result, but the recording may be verified by Universities for admission purposes in some cases.
The above Content is verified by our Duolingo English Test Experts using Trusted Sources, such as the official website of the Duolingo English Test, on 19th January 2026.
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