The Duolingo English Test (DET) got a revamp! This blog post is here to help you with the latest DET updates. As of April 2024, the test incorporated three new question formats designed to assess your English skills in fresh and engaging ways. By familiarising yourself with these changes, you'll be well on your way to DET success and achieving your education abroad!

The three new question types: interactive writing, read and select, and fill in the blanks.

1.   Interactive Writing:

Gone are the days of simply reading and writing. The DET now introduces interactive writing, a two-part question that pushes your writing abilities to the next level. Here's how it works:

• Independent Writing (5 minutes): You'll be presented with a topic and tasked with writing about it for five minutes. This is your chance to showcase your grasp of grammar, vocabulary, and essay structure.
• Elaborative Response (3 minutes): Based on your initial writing, you'll receive a follow-up prompt that asks deeper into the topic. Use this to demonstrate your ability to think critically and elaborate on your ideas.

This new format provides a more comprehensive assessment of your writing skills and offers valuable practice for real-world writing scenarios. Remember, the follow-up prompt is based on your initial response, so take those first five minutes seriously!

2.   Read and Select:

The DET reading comprehension section gets an upgrade with "read and select." This question type throws a twist on vocabulary identification. Instead of a list of words, you'll be presented with individual words, one at a time. Your task? Simply identify whether each word is a real English word or not. You'll have five seconds to make your selection, so sharpen your vocabulary recognition skills and think fast!

3.   Fill in the Blanks:

Get ready to complete sentences! The fill-in-the-blanks question type presents you with an incomplete sentence with a single missing word. Your task? use context clues within the sentence to identify the most fitting word and fill in the blank. You'll have 20 seconds to make your selection, so understanding how context shapes word choice is essential for clearing this new question type.

These new question types add variety and depth to the DET, but fear not! By familiarising yourself with the format and practising your writing, reading comprehension, and vocabulary skills, you'll be well on your way to DET success.