Duolingo Practice Test 2026: Free Mock Test & Sample Questions

The onboarding step checks your camera, microphone, speakers, and internet before starting. You must upload a government photo ID and agree to the test rules.

It takes about five minutes and should be done in a quiet, well-lit room using an updated desktop or laptop browser. Completing onboarding properly prevents technical issues during the test.

This 45-minute section is the core of the test, using an adaptive AI system that adjusts question difficulty based on your previous answers to measure your current language proficiency across all four skills accurately.
 

The Adaptive Test is the main part of the Duolingo Practice Test, lasting around 45 minutes. 

It evaluates your reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills through computer-generated questions that adjust to your performance. If you answer correctly, the difficulty increases. If you make errors, the next questions become slightly easier. This process helps create an accurate score that reflects your real language ability. 

This section includes a wide variety of question types covering grammar, vocabulary, comprehension, and pronunciation. Every student receives a unique set of questions during the test.

You may encounter the following Duolingo Practice Test Adaptive section:

Common Question Types in 2026

Reading and Vocabulary Tasks

• Read and Select
   
• Read and Complete
   
• Complete the Sentences
   
• Complete the Passages
   
• Highlight the Answer
   
• Identify the Idea
   
• Title the Passage
   

Listening Tasks

• Listen and Type
   
• Listen and Respond
   

Writing Tasks

• Summarise the Conversation
   
• Write about the Photo
   
• Interactive Writing
   

Speaking Tasks

• Speak about the Photo
   
• Listen, then Speak
   
• Read, then Speak

In 2026, older question types like Read Aloud were replaced with interactive listening and speaking tasks to better reflect real-world communication.

These sections assess your ability to express ideas clearly. The Writing Sample allows 3-5 minutes for your typed response after 30 seconds of prep time. The Speaking Sample allows 1-3 minutes of recorded speech on a topic.

Topics cover daily life, education, work, or current events. Practising these tasks helps improve fluency and coherence for the official exam. 

Some of the prompts may ask you to describe a personal experience, give an opinion on a social issue, or explain a concept. The topics are designed to test your ability to communicate effectively and coherently in the language being tested.

After the test, you can review their responses to these samples. It's important to note that institutions that receive the test results will also receive these samples. Therefore, taking these sections seriously and responding thoughtfully and clearly to the prompts is essential.

For more ways to strengthen your preparation and handle tricky question types, you can read this guide: Top Duolingo English Test Tips & Tricks You Haven’t Heard Before.

After finishing the Duolingo Practice Test, you receive an estimated score range, showing your approximate CEFR level.

Most universities in 2026 require 110–125 for admission. Use your practice score to target weaker skills.

If you want to see how these tasks appear in the full exam, you can check detailed examples and model responses here: Duolingo English Test Sample Questions and Answers.

The Duolingo Practice Test gives you a quick way to understand the exam format, check your skill level, and strengthen your DET preparation before attempting the full test. Using it regularly makes the 2026 exam far more manageable

If you want personalised guidance on improving your Duolingo score or choosing universities that accept DET, you can speak with a LeapScholar expert for free and get clear, student-friendly support.