Duolingo English Test Reading Section: Complete Guide

The Duolingo English Test has transformed language testing with its computer-based, adaptive format. If you’re preparing for University admissions, career development, visa applications, or professional certifications, understanding this major part of the DET exam can make the difference between a good score. The DET exam has four modules: Reading, Listening, Writing, and Speaking. In this article, we will discuss about Reading module, its question types, and sample questions.

The Reading section specifically considers how effectively you can understand and work with written English. Unlike other traditional tests with separate reading sections, the DET integrates reading skills throughout the exam. This section contributes to two important subscores:

• Literacy: Your ability to read and write clearly in academic and professional contexts.
• Comprehension: Your ability to read and listen to understand the instructions and communications.

Types of Questions in Reading Section

In the reading section of the Duolingo English Test, there are four types of questions: Read and Select, Fill in the Blanks, Read and Complete, and Interactive Reading. 

Type 1: Read and Select

This task is simple and straightforward: a single word appears on your screen, and you have 5 seconds to determine whether it is real or fake. You will encounter 15 to 18 questions in order, clicking “Yes” if it is a real word or “No” if it is a fake word.

Sample Questions and Answers

• COURAGE - Yes (bravery, strength )
• GOVERMENT - No (wrong spelling, “n” letter is missing )
• WHISPER - Yes ( speak silently )
• ANCIENT - Yes ( means very old )
• SEPERETE - No ( wrong spelling )

There are a few Success Tips to ace these questions.

• Practice daily with English articles and podcasts
• Only click “Yes” if you are 100% sure
• Don’t freeze - if unsure after 2 - 3 seconds, click “no” and move on
• Check for common spelling mistakes, such as double letters and vowel pairs (ei, ie).

Type 2: Fill in the Blanks

In this task, you’ll see sentences with incomplete words, and your mission is to type the missing letters to complete the sentence correctly. You have 20 seconds for each sentence, and you’ll need to solve a total of 6 to 9 questions under this task.

Sample Questions of Read and Select

• The meeting was very prod_ _ _ _ _ _.
  Answer: uctive productive)
• Her enthusiasm is cont_ _ _ _ _ _
  Answer: agious (contagious)
• We’re looking forward to the wee_ _ _ _  so we can visit our friends in the city.
  Answer: kend (weekend)

There are a few Success Tips to ace these Fill-in-the-Blank questions.

• Read the full sentence first before attempting any blank.
• Check articles ( a/an ), verb sentences, and plurals.
• Never leave any blank empty - always guess
• Recognize prefixes ( un-/re-/pre-), and suffixes ( -tion/-ment/-able)
• Say the sentence in your mind with your guessed word. Does it flow?

Type 3: Read and Complete

You’ll work with complete passages, where multiple words have missing letters. Your task is to restore the entire passage by correctly completing each word. You have 3 minutes for each passage, and this task appears 3-5 times in the test.

We have a 3-Step Strategy to ace the Read and Complete questions.

Step 1 - The Explorer (first minute) - Read the whole sentence first without filling in any blanks for the first one minute. You have to just understand the main topic first.

Step 2 - Easy wins (second minute) - Now, fill the easiest blanks first for the next one minute. Focus only on the words which you are 100% sure about and common and short-used words like ( the, will, can, and, etc).

Step 3 - Word Detective (last third minute) - Fill in the remaining blanks by using context, grammar, &  word patterns.

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Practice Example

“Regular meditation has numer_ _ _ benefits for mental wellness. Research shows it can redu _ _  anxiety and improve focus. Many profess_ _ _als practice meditation dai_ _ to maintain work-life bal_ _ _ _. The technique requires pati_ _ _ e to master but offers long-term rew_ _ _s.”

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Step 1: The Topic is “meditation for mental health and work performance.”

Step 2: Easy wins -

• Redu _ _  —> “reduce” (common verb) —> ce
• Dai_ _  —> “daily” (obvious pattern) —> ly

Step 3: Detective mode -

• numer_ _ _  —> “numerous” (many) —> ous
• profess_ _ _als —> “professionals” (people in careers) —> ion
• bal_ _ _ _ —> “balance” (work-life balance) —> ance
• pati_ _ _ e —> “patience” (noun) —> enc
• rew_ _ _s —> “rewards” (plural) —> ard

Practice Passage

“Climate change presents sig_ _ _ _ _ _nt challenges for our gen_ _ _tion. Scientists warn that rising temperat_ _es will affect food prod_ _ _ion worldwide. The government must impl_ _ ent sustainable polic_ _ _ to protect the envir_ _ment for future generations.”

Answers

• Sig_ _ _ _ _ _nt → nifican (significant)
• Gen_ _ _tion → era (generation)
• Temperat_ _es → ur (temperatures)
• Prod_ _ion → uct (production)
• Impl_ _ent → em (implement)
• Polic_ _ _→ ies (policies)
• Envir_ _ment → on (environment)

Type 4: Interactive Reading

The Interactive Reading section of the Duolingo English Test includes a passage and different question types based on it. It will include Complete the Sentences, Complete the passage, Highlight the Answer, Identify the Idea, and Title the passage. There will be a total of 2 passages, and you will be allocated about 7-8 minutes per passage.

Task 1 - Complete the sentences
Based on the passage, you have to fill in 5-8 blanks with the correct option from the given choices, a sort of Multiple Choice Question (MCQ). You have to select a single word to fill in the blank.

Task 2 - Complete the passage
It’s similar to Complete the Sentence, but here you have to choose the best sentence to fill a gap from multiple options instead of a single word. You have to read the complete sentences around the gap and find logical connections.

Task 3 & 4 - Highlight the Answer

You have to highlight the correct answer directly in the passage text. Please note, don’t highlight the entire paragraph; highlight only the particular answer.

Task 5 - Identify the Idea

Based on the complete passage, you have to choose the best statement from the given choices that represents the main idea of the article. Tip: Choose the best option that covers the entire passage and avoid detailed, focused choices.

Task 6 - Title the passage

Select the best title for the passage text from the given choices. Tip: Use your main idea from the previous task to title the entire passage.

Interactive Reading: Practice  

Task 1: Complete the sentences

The human brain is one of the most 1) _________ organs in the body, weighing about 1.4 kilograms on average. It controls 2) _________ functions like heartbeat, digestion, and 3) ________ regulation, along with cognitive functions such as thought, memory, and emotion. Structurally, the brain is divided into different 4) ________, each responsible for specific tasks. The cerebral cortex, for 5) ________, is responsible for 6) _________, problem-solving, and other higher 7) __________.

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Options

1. Tiny / complex / transparent / hollow
2. Voluntary / simple / automatic / dormant
3. Banking / strict/normal / temperature
4. Bones / cells / chambers / regions
5. Sample / instance / occasion / ward
6. Digestion / circulation / reasoning / filtering
7. Perform / functions / actions / things

Answers

1) complex, 2) automatic, 3) temperature, 4) regions, 5) instance, 6) reasoning 7) functions.

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Task 2: Complete the passage

The human brain is one of the most complex organs in the body, weighing about 1.4 kilograms on average. It controls automatic functions like heartbeat, digestion, and temperature regulation, along with cognitive functions such as thought, memory, and emotion. Structurally, the brain is divided into different regions, each responsible for specific tasks. The cerebral cortex, for instance, is responsible for reasoning, problem-solving, and other higher functions. __________________________. One of its notable structures is the Hippocampus, essential for establishing and storing memories.

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Options

1. Exercise can have a detrimental effect on the brain’s health.
2. Sunlight is crucial for the proper functioning of the brain.
3. The brain also contains millions of neurons that communicate through electrical impulses.
4. The heart, on the other hand, is primarily responsible for pumping blood.

Answer - C) The brain also contains millions of neurons that communicate through electrical impulses.

Task 3 & 4: Highlight the Answers

[ Continue with the above-mentioned passage in task 2.]

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Question 3: What is the role of the Cerebral Cortex?

Answer: “responsible for reasoning, problem-solving, and other higher-order functions.”

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Question 4: What is the role of the Hippocampus?

Answer: “essential for establishing and storing memories.”

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Task 5: Identify the main idea

Options:

1. The weight and measurement of the human brain.
2. The different functions and structures of the human brain.
3. The process of neuron communication in the brain.

Answer: B) The different functions and structures of the human brain.

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Task 6: Title the Passage

Options:

1. Memory and Emotion: The Role of the Hippocampus
2. A deep dive into the Cerebral cortex
3. The marvelous world of the human brain.

Answer: C) The marvelous world of the human brain.

Pro Tip: For Read and Select, always trust your intuitions and recognize the common spelling patterns. In the fill-in-the-blanks task, your skills are to combine the context clues with grammar rules to complete the missing letters. When you tackle, read, and complete it, remember that the three-step method wins. And finally, the last chapter, Interactive reading, completes all six tasks with your comprehensive strategy- understand the task first, then systematically work with each task.