All 13 DET Question Types: Time, Subscores & #1 Strategy (2026)
The DET has 13 question types across four skills. This table is your master reference — know it before test day so you never waste seconds reading instructions during the exam.
| Question Type | Time Limit | Subscores | Frequency | Your #1 Strategy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Read and Select | ~1 min per set | Literacy, Comprehension | 15–18 words per set | Only select words you are certain are real. Never guess — wrong selections cost more than skipping. |
| Read and Complete | ~3 min per passage | Literacy, Comprehension | 3–5 passages | Identify the part of speech first (noun/verb/adjective), then the prefix or suffix pattern. Max 45 seconds per blank. |
| Fill in the Blanks | ~1 min per sentence | Literacy, Comprehension | 6–9 times | Read the whole sentence before typing. Check your answer makes logical sense — not just grammatical sense. |
| Listen and Type | 3 replays per sentence | Comprehension, Literacy | 10–12 times | Use your 3 plays: (1) Listen for meaning, (2) Type, (3) Verify punctuation. Always capitalize and add a period. |
| Listen and Complete | ~3 min per passage | Comprehension, Literacy | 1–2 passages | Focus on key content words — nouns, verbs, numbers. Type what you hear exactly; don't paraphrase. |
| Interactive Reading | Entire section timed | Literacy, Comprehension | 1 section | Read first and last sentence of each paragraph first — they carry the main idea. Watch for near-identical answer options. |
| Interactive Listening | Entire section timed | Comprehension, Conversation | 1 section | Take brief notes during the conversation — speaker tone and purpose matter as much as content. Review before answering. |
| Write About the Photo | 1 minute | Literacy, Production | 3 times | Describe action, mood, and setting — not just objects. Never start with "This photo shows." Use varied sentence structures. |
| Speak About the Photo | 90 seconds | Conversation, Production | 1 time | Describe what you see, speculate about context ("they might be..."), and give a personal connection. Use full 90 seconds. |
| Interactive Writing | Part 1: 5 min / Part 2: 3 min | Literacy, Production | 1 section (2 parts) | Use 30-sec prep for Part 1 to map your two supporting points. Part 2 must take a different angle — never repeat Part 1 ideas. |
| Interactive Speaking | ~35 sec per response | Conversation, Production | 6 questions (2 topics) | You can only hear each question once — listen for the core ask, then use O.R.E.O (Opinion, Reason, Example, Outcome). Use all 35 seconds. |
| Writing Sample | 5 minutes | Literacy, Production (shared with institutions) | 1 time | Write for 4 min, proofread for 1 min. Aim for 120+ words. Replace any word you've used twice with a synonym. Structure: Intro → 2 points → Conclusion. |
| Speaking Sample | 3 minutes (30-sec prep) | Conversation, Production (shared with institutions) | 1 time | Maintain eye contact with camera throughout. Pace yourself — 3 minutes is long. If you finish early, extend your final point. Never go silent. |
Which Questions Matter Most? The Scoring Weight Cheat Sheet
Not all 13 question types carry equal weight. The DET's four subscores — Literacy, Comprehension, Conversation, and Production — roll up into your overall score. Here is what actually moves the needle:
| Subscore | What It Measures | Question Types That Feed It | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Production | Your ability to generate English — writing and speaking | Write About Photo, Speak About Photo, Interactive Writing, Interactive Speaking, Writing Sample, Speaking Sample | 🔴 Highest impact — hardest to fake, most weighted by universities |
| Literacy | Reading accuracy and writing precision | Read and Select, Read and Complete, Fill in Blanks, Listen and Type, Write About Photo, Interactive Writing, Writing Sample | 🟠 High impact — improved by consistent vocabulary practice |
| Conversation | Real-time spoken comprehension and response | Interactive Listening, Interactive Speaking, Speak About Photo, Speaking Sample | 🟡 Medium-high — improved by listening to natural English daily |
| Comprehension | Understanding of spoken and written input | Interactive Reading, Interactive Listening, Listen and Type, Listen and Complete, Fill in Blanks | 🟡 Medium — the most consistent subscore for most test-takers |
Bottom line: If you have limited prep time, spend it on Production (writing and speaking tasks). A weak Production subscore is the most common reason students miss their target score despite strong reading and listening performance.
Writing Templates: Use These Structures on Test Day
Write About the Photo (1 minute)
Use this 3-sentence structure every time:
- Scene: "In this photo, I can see [subject] [action] in/at [setting]."
- Details: "The [person/object] appears to be [adjective], and I notice [specific detail]."
- Speculation: "This could be [context/occasion], suggesting that [inference]."
Example: "In this photo, I can see a woman reading a book at a café table. She appears focused and relaxed, and I notice her coffee cup is nearly empty. This could be a quiet weekend morning, suggesting she is enjoying some personal time before the day gets busy."
Interactive Writing Part 1 (5 minutes) — The O.R.E.O Structure
- Opinion — State your position clearly in sentence 1
- Reason — Give your main reason in sentence 2
- Example — Provide a specific example in sentences 3–4
- Outcome — Close with the broader implication in sentence 5
Target: 100–130 words. Never repeat vocabulary — swap synonyms on second use.
Writing Sample (5 minutes)
Structure: Intro (1 sentence) → Point 1 + example (2–3 sentences) → Point 2 + example (2–3 sentences) → Conclusion (1 sentence). Aim for 120 words minimum. Reserve the final 60 seconds for proofreading — fix spelling, missing articles, and verb tense only. Don't restructure sentences under time pressure.
Speaking Templates: What to Say When You Don't Know What to Say
Interactive Speaking (35 seconds per response)
Use the P.P.F. formula when you need structure fast:
- Point — Answer directly in 1 sentence (5 sec)
- Proof — Give a reason or example (20 sec)
- Finish — Close with a broader statement (10 sec)
Buying-time phrases (natural, not robotic): "That's an interesting question — I'd say..." / "From my perspective..." / "What comes to mind first is..." — use these to start speaking immediately while your brain formulates the full answer.
Speaking Sample (3 minutes)
The 3-minute sample is long. Use this pacing guide:
- 0:00–0:30 — Introduction: state your position or topic focus
- 0:30–1:30 — First main point with a personal example
- 1:30–2:30 — Second main point with a contrasting or supporting example
- 2:30–3:00 — Conclusion: restate your view + one final thought
If you reach your conclusion at 2:20, extend by adding "One thing I'd also add is..." — never go silent. Silence is scored as a lack of fluency.
40 Transition Words That Raise Your Score
The DET's AI scoring rewards sentence variety and logical connectors. Rotate through these across your writing and speaking responses — never use the same transition twice in one answer.
| Function | Use These (rotate — never repeat) |
|---|---|
| Adding information | Furthermore, Moreover, In addition, Additionally, Equally important, What's more |
| Contrasting | However, On the other hand, Conversely, Nevertheless, That said, In contrast, Whereas |
| Showing cause/result | Consequently, As a result, Therefore, This leads to, For this reason, Thus, Hence |
| Giving examples | For instance, For example, To illustrate, As a case in point, Specifically, Notably |
| Concluding | In summary, Ultimately, To conclude, All things considered, On balance, In short |
| Speculating (photo tasks) | It appears that, This suggests, It seems likely that, They may be, One could infer that |
25 Word Upgrades That Signal C1 Level
Replace these basic words every time you write or speak. The AI scoring detects lexical diversity — the more varied and precise your vocabulary, the higher your Literacy and Production subscores.
| Replace This | With This (rotate between options) |
|---|---|
| good / great | beneficial, effective, valuable, advantageous, significant |
| bad / negative | detrimental, harmful, problematic, concerning, counterproductive |
| important | crucial, essential, fundamental, paramount, significant |
| shows / proves | demonstrates, illustrates, highlights, suggests, indicates |
| I think | In my view, I would argue, From my perspective, It seems to me |
| many people | a significant proportion of people, the majority of individuals |
| because | due to the fact that, given that, since, as a result of |
| use | utilise, employ, apply, leverage, incorporate |
| help | facilitate, enable, support, enhance, contribute to |
| problem | challenge, issue, concern, obstacle, drawback |
Test-Day Proctoring Rules: The 10 Things That Get Tests Invalidated
These are not suggestions — violating any of them results in a "Not Certified" result regardless of how well you answered the questions.
| # | Rule | The Mistake to Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eyes on screen at all times | Looking to the side or down while thinking — look slightly upward instead |
| 2 | Face fully visible in frame | Sitting too far back, poor lighting, or wearing a hat that casts shadow |
| 3 | Room completely silent | TV, family, music, or any background audio — proctor flags any human-frequency sound |
| 4 | Desk completely clear | Pens, notebooks, phones, earphones, or papers in frame — even a sticky note triggers a flag |
| 5 | Secondary camera active | Phone battery dying mid-test, phone face-down, notifications lighting the screen |
| 6 | Secondary camera shows room | Camera pointed only at face — it must show your desk, hands, and surroundings |
| 7 | Only DET browser open | Other browser tabs, apps, or remote tools running — they're scanned and flagged |
| 8 | You are alone | Any person briefly entering the room, even for a second, counts as "environment not private" |
| 9 | No copy-paste | Attempting paste (Ctrl+V) is blocked AND logged as a security event |
| 10 | Valid ID at start | Expired passport, ID in a different name, or ID that doesn't match profile photo |
Score Targets Cheat Sheet: What You Need by University Tier
| Score Range | CEFR Level | IELTS Equivalent | What It Unlocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 95–105 | B2 | 5.5–6.0 | Community colleges, pathway programs, some undergraduate entry |
| 105–115 | B2–C1 | 6.0–6.5 | Most undergraduate programs at mid-tier universities |
| 115–125 | C1 | 6.5–7.0 | Competitive undergraduate + most graduate programs |
| 125–130 | C1+ | 7.0–7.5 | Top-ranked universities, research programs, scholarships |
| 130–140 | C1/C2 | 7.5–8.0 | Ivy League equivalents, Oxford, Cambridge, elite grad programs |
| 140+ | C2 | 8.0+ | Near-native level — maximum scholarship eligibility |
Practice Every Question Type on Prepingo
Knowing the cheat sheet is step one. Building the muscle memory to execute it under timed, proctored conditions is step two. Prepingo's Practice Arena at app.prepingo.io has practice questions for every question type on this page — with AI scoring that tells you exactly where you dropped points and what to fix before test day.
- Practice Write About the Photo with instant AI vocabulary and grammar feedback
- Drill Listen and Type with real audio clips at increasing difficulty
- Run timed Interactive Writing sessions with subscore estimates
- Record and review Speaking Sample responses under webcam conditions
Frequently Asked Questions: DET Cheat Sheet & Tips
What are the best tips for the Duolingo English Test?
The highest-impact tips are: (1) use the full time limit on every writing and speaking question — longer answers score higher, (2) never select a word in Read and Select unless you are certain it's real, (3) proofread your Writing Sample for 60 seconds before submitting, (4) maintain eye contact with your screen throughout — never look sideways or down while thinking, (5) replace basic vocabulary with varied alternatives to boost your Literacy and Production subscores.
Is there a Duolingo English Test cheat sheet PDF?
You can print or save this page as a PDF directly from your browser (File → Print → Save as PDF). This covers all 13 question types, time limits, templates, transition words, vocabulary upgrades, proctoring rules, and score targets — everything you need on one page.
How do I improve my Production subscore on the DET?
Production is improved by practice on the six speaking and writing tasks: Write About the Photo, Speak About the Photo, Interactive Writing, Interactive Speaking, Writing Sample, and Speaking Sample. Focus on using the O.R.E.O structure, varied transition words, and C1-level vocabulary substitutions. Production is the hardest subscore to game — it requires genuine practice, not memorized scripts.
Can I use templates on the Duolingo English Test?
Yes — structural templates are encouraged. Using a clear organizational framework (introduction, points, conclusion) signals to the scoring model that you can produce coherent academic English. What you cannot do is memorize and recite pre-written content verbatim — the AI flags speaking responses that sound rehearsed rather than spontaneous.
How many question types are on the 2026 Duolingo English Test?
13 question types as of July 2025 (after the format update that introduced Interactive Speaking and removed Read Aloud and Listen Then Speak). They are: Read and Select, Read and Complete, Fill in the Blanks, Listen and Type, Listen and Complete, Interactive Reading, Interactive Listening, Write About the Photo, Speak About the Photo, Interactive Writing, Interactive Speaking, Writing Sample, and Speaking Sample.
What is the biggest mistake on the DET?
Not using the full time limit. Most test-takers finish writing and speaking tasks early, which means they submitted shorter responses that score lower. There is no benefit to finishing quickly — each question is independently timed. Write and speak until the timer runs out, then proofread.