When the Duolingo English Test was first known by the public, its score structure was one of the most confusing stuff in the whole test. Many test-takers don’t completely understand the DET scores even after spending time on researching. It’s understandable because the DET’s sub-scores is different from other English proficiency tests, such as IELTS or TOEFL.
I. What your scores mean?
You will see your overall score and four sub-scores on your report.
If your test result is certified you will receive a DET certificate as follows.
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1. Overall score and sub-scores
The Duolingo English Test report shows a holistic score on a scale from 10 to 160 in 5-point increments. The DET score scale is aligned to the IELTS, TOEFL, and CEFR, an international standard of language proficiency.
Besides the overall score, you also see four sub-scores including Literacy, Comprehension, Conversation, and Production.
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Literacy: The test-taker’s ability to READ and WRITE
Comprehension: The test-taker’s ability to READ and LISTEN
Conversation: The test-taker’s ability to LISTEN and SPEAK
Production: The test-taker’s ability to WRITE and SPEAK
2. How are sub-scores calculated?
The overall and sub-scores are calculated independently by the questions that contribute to each score, and your overall score is not an average of four sub-scores. If you want to increase any sub-score, you need to improve your performance on certain question types as follows.
Literacy: Read and Complete, Read and Select, Interactive Reading, Write about The Photo, Read then Write, Summarize the Conversation, and Writing sample.
Comprehension: Read and Complete, Read and Select, Interactive Reading, Listen and Respond, Listen and Type, and Read Aloud.
Conversation: Listen and Respond, Listen and Type, Read Aloud, Read then Speak, Listen then Speak, Speaking Sample, and Speak about The Photo.
Production: Write about The Photo, Read then Write, Writing sample, Read then Speak, Listen then Speak, Summarize the Conversation, Speaking Sample, and Speak about The Photo.
You also need to know the frequency of questions appear in the test to expect what you see, so you may prepare better for the Duolingo English Test.
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3. Why are these different from other tests?
The Duolingo English Test shares on its DET Official Guide for Test Takers that research shows that combined skills can better represent how language is used in real life. They also said that effective and natural language use need multiple skills simultaneously, especially for academic purposes.
II. How long results are valid?
1. Validity period
Similar to other proficiency tests, the DET certificates last for two years.
2. Certificates Protection
Are you worry that someone may hack your account to delete or take advantage of your DET certificates? You should not worry as the only way to send your scores is through your online account.
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3. When to retake the test
If you want to retake the DET for any reason, you can take it up to three times in any 30-day period.
The Duolingo English Test is not new anymore; however, lots of people still find it hard to get their DET Ready. We wish to be a part in your Duolingo English Test journey. The DET Practice Platform offers thousands of practice questions and instant feedback to boost your scores.
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In detail, you can access practicing questions for all question types, and you will receive instant feedback after submitting your answers. Regarding your Speaking and Writing answers, we evaluate your proficiency based on Fluency, Lexical Sophistication, Lexical Diversity, Grammatical Accuracy, and Acoustic Features (Pronunciation). It means we help you identify your mistakes , so you can learn from them and improve your scores. Feel free to check video sample feedback here.
Go to the DET Practice Platform, create your FREE account, and get your DET Ready today.
