Due to the Covid 19 and the closure of test centres, college entry exams such as IELTS and TOEFL were not administered. Since the Duolingo test became successful, more and more colleges have begun to adopt it. If you want to study in the United States and want to know which colleges embrace Duolingo, this article is for you! Continue reading to learn more!

Duolingo English Exam

In this article, you will find sections covering the basics, exam pattern, requirements, cost and many more. Therefore read carefully to not miss out on any detail.

What is the Duolingo English Test?

The Duolingo English Test is a free quiz that can be completed on your phone. It assesses all four language skills, much like the TOEFL and IELTS. These are reading, listening, speaking, and writing. These abilities, though, will be put to the test in very novel ways! The Duolingo English proficiency test is flexible, which has important implications for examinees. Generally, once you respond to questions correctly, the next one becomes more difficult. If you get it incorrect, the next one becomes easier. This implies that, with just a few questions, the test will easily determine the skill level, which is how it only takes about an hour to finish

Unlike standard English tests, you can undertake the Duolingo English Test from the comfort of your own home. And yes, there are a couple of issues, but since the organisation isn’t paying for research facilities or computers, it just usually costs you $49.

Also Read: Duolingo Test Scores Explained: Comparison with IELTS and TOEFL

Duolingo Accepted Universities in the USA 

Here is a full list of colleges in the United States that accept Duolingo ratings from foreign students

NYU Stern School of Business

Yale University

Stanford University

Washington University

Vanderbilt University

Swarthmore College

University of Illinois’s Urbana Campaign’s College of Business

Cornell University’s Johnson School of Management

Why should I Take the Duolingo English Test?

Additional score records are not paid by Duolingo. In certain cases, taking the Duolingo exam in comparison to the TOEFL or IELTS could be less expensive.

It is now used mainly in undergraduate admissions in the United States. The evaluation, on the other hand, serves many functions. Some companies, especially in the hospitality industry, have begun to use it to check applicants’ English skills. Since it is not specifically aimed at academia or the workplace, the exam has a wide range of uses in a number of fields.

Ultimately, if you perform poorly on standard English tests, it might be a reasonable choice for you. The format is entirely new and could be more familiar to you. Besides that, the test is much shorter, about an hour at most, compared to about three hours for TOEFL and IELTS and it doesn’t even include travel time towards the latter tests.

How to Prepare Oneself for the Duolingo English Test?

It’s difficult to study for the Duolingo test because it assesses everything from your natural tone to your ability to identify a picture you’ve not seen before! There are, though, a few things you could do to make sure you’re prepared.

Working on your total English proficiency with high-level resources is the only thing you can do to improve your exam ranking. This involves reading well-written blogs, listening to English interviews, and engaging in as many talks as possible with native speakers.

Since this English test will provide you with uncommon item styles, it is critical that you first complete the brief (10-minute) practise test. This will prepare you for what you will find on the actual test.

Also Read: Alternative Exams to the IELTS: Why IELTS is Considered over Other Exams

How do I Take the Test?

Part 1

Just because you are attempting the test from home, it doesn’t mean you should ignore the rules! In fairness, Duolingo has some fairly strict rules in order to ensure that you are the only one taking the test, with no assistance.

You must be alone during the test; no one else should be in the room with you or talk to you. You are unable to navigate away from the web browser for the duration of the test (it could be beneficial to switch to full-screen mode to avoid this!). You must expose your ears for the duration of the exam, so prepare a rubber band if your hair is long. Other rules must be followed, so make sure you read them thoroughly before taking the test.

Part 2

What may be more daunting for those used to other types of tests is the inability to take notes. You may not need to write things down during the exam since the questions are comparatively brief. That being said, if you’ve been taking notes your whole life, this can be a difficult habit to kick. This is another place where doing the practice test will help prepare you for the real thing.

How is the Test Scored?

This English exam is largely computer-scored. It uses proctored exams to ensure the test-takers obey the rules. These invigilators watch the clip of you taking the exam, as every detail, right down to your keyboard strokes, is captured! Two reviewers independently will look for other people’s ears, crowd noise, and other warning flags on the screen.

After the test, you will be given a score ranging from 10-160. This is a total score that is not broken down by line. Top programmes may require a score of more than 120, but standards differ by grade, so consult with each one. Since taking it, you could see how your score approximately compares to TOEFL and IELTS ratings!

Requirements to Take Duolingo Test 

Before we look at the Duolingo approved universities in the United States, let us first learn about the preconditions for taking the exam. They are as follows:

A valid ID: It can be your Driver’s license, Passport, or any other Government ID

Room with good lighting: The room in which you take the exam must be well-lit and free of any sound or distractions.

PC with a good internet connection: A PC with a strong internet connection, a front-facing webcam, a mic, and a browser that is supported (Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome)

What does the Duolingo Test Cover?

As we progress through this section of Duolingo approved universities in the United States, let us take a look at everything mentioned by the above exam. It does not have extensive reading and writing instructions; instead, it has brief questions that test and assess the same skills. The following are the test’s components:

The test

The adaptive test

The video interview or writing test

Also Read: Duolingo English Test Validity: Preparation Strategy, Fees, Score and More

The Setup: Duolingo English Exam 

The first step of the test involves a quick 5 minute set-up that assists and encourages you to try the test before purchasing it. Once you’ve opted to take the exam, you’ll be given guidance about how to download the software on your PC

Following that, you must check to see if your microphone and camera are functioning correctly before submitting your ID.

The Adaptive Test: Duolingo English Exam

Following the start of the test, you will be asked to complete an adaptive test. This segment is scored and evaluates the test-abilities taken in speaking, writing, listening, and reading. In this part, you will be asked to complete a few small exams. The following are the main tasks used in this test:

Make a note about what is happening in a picture.

Write down the words or phrases you hear.

Write an answer

Read a sentence aloud

Speak a short-essay

Jumbled sentences

Select real English words from a list

The Video Interview and Writing Test 

Following the adaptive test, you would be asked to participate in a video interview and a writing test. This part of the exam will be submitted to every institution to which you send your results.

Video Interview: Duolingo English Exam

You will be given two subjects and will be asked to comment on one of them for 2 to 3 minutes. When you choose a subject from the two choices presented to you, a timer for 2 to 3 minutes will begin. In this time period, you can speak on the topic of your choice for as long as you wish.

Writing Test: Duolingo English Exam

Following the video interview, you would be asked to select one of two subjects and write about it for 3 to 5 minutes. Here are a few writing test descriptions:

Write of a moment when you enjoyed spending time outside. What are your thoughts on why we can spend more time outside?

Write for someone who has had a significant influence on you. Say how and what effect you had on them.

How Much Does the Duolingo Test Cost?

You can take this test from anywhere at any time for $49.

Conclusion

The Duolingo English test is nothing less compared to IELTS or TOEFL. It checks your English proficiency like them at a relatively lower cost. The preparation process is similar to them too. So if you have prepared for them, you won’t have to start from the beginning for Duolingo.

Now that you have read about the Duolingo English test, would you consider taking it? Let us know in the comments below

Level up your English proficiency with IELTS Ninja, and score good grades in any exam

Also Read: IELTS vs TOEFL: What is the Difference? Things You Must Know

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About the Author

Madhurjya Chowdhury

Madhurjya Chowdhury, a web content writer in Ufaber EduTech has a very strong passion for writing and alluring the readers. You can find him writing articles for the betterment of exam aspirants and children. With immense interest in research-based content writing and copywriting, he likes to reach out to more and more people with his creative writing style. On the other side, he is an Electronics and Communication Engineer from LPU, Jalandhar. In his leisure time, he likes to play badminton or read about space discoveries. Apart from this, he is a pro gamer on PC, PS and Mobile gaming platforms.

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