Best Duolingo Preparation Books: Best Books, Tips, Ideal Score

Studying abroad in the USA, Canada, UK, and Australia requires the prospective student to pass an English proficiency test. For many years, TOEFL and IELTS have been the most widely accepted English proficiency tests. 

However, a new test is rapidly gaining popularity and recognition. This test is the Duolingo English Test. Unlike TOEFL and IELTS, which have been around for decades, the Duolingo English Test is relatively recent and was first administered in 2015.

This article explores the essentials of the DET and how to prepare for the exam. 

What is the Duolingo English Test and why is it popular?

The Duolingo English Test is a user-friendly English proficiency exam. It was developed by Duolingo in 2014. The test has been designed to be convenient, quick, and very affordably priced.

Duolingo is an extremely popular language-learning app with both free and paid versions. As of January 2025, the app had at least 800 million downloads and several million paid subscribers. 

The Duolingo English Test test reflects Duolingo’s commitment to making high-quality education available at the least possible cost. 

Key features of the Duolingo English Test

The Duolingo English test has many unique features. Here is a summary of the key features:

Very Convenient

The test can be taken online without visiting a physical test center. It is available 24/7, every day. All you need to do is sign up, pay the requisite fee, and take the test. 

Highly Affordable 

While TOEFL costs $205 and IELTS $198, DET costs less than half. Priced at $65 or ₹5,600 it is the cheapest well-accepted English language test. 

Quick Results

While some tests take about a week, Duolingo provides your test results in about 48 hours. This is a huge benefit for students who need quick results for application abroad. 

Adaptive Format

DET includes a section called Adaptive Format. The difficulty level of the questions in this section changes based on the test taker’s performance. 

Well Recognized 

Duolingo English Test is widely accepted. Over 5,000 universities and institutions worldwide recognize it as a valid assessment of English proficiency. 

Key reasons why most test takers choose Duolingo English Test

How has Duolingo become so popular in a decade? 

It is mostly due to consumer stickiness and the reputation of the Duolingo brand. The Duolingo app is well known for its excellent approach to teaching 40+ languages. That reputation has spilled over to DET. 

Reasons for DET’s popularity:

• Convenience: This can be taken online anytime, anywhere with a computer and internet connection. 
• Affordability: Significantly cheaper than other English proficiency tests. 
• Wide Acceptance: Recognized by a large number of universities and colleges globally. 
• Quick Results: Test results are available within two days. 
• Adaptive format: The test adjusts difficulty based on the test taker’s ability. 
• Familiar platform: Many users are already familiar with the Duolingo app, making the interface intuitive. 

Note: A lot of students want to be smart about their study abroad journey. This begins right from the decision of choosing a university that offers high ROI, and eventually getting an education loan whose terms suit them. Much like DET is a good option for students who want to save money to procure necessary English language test scores, students can also use all the help they need for the other big milestones.

GradRight’s university-search platform can help you choose your Master’s abroad the smarter way. It’s unbiased, free, and personalized. Here’s how it works:

• AI-powered shortlisting: Uses 8 million data points across 40,000+ programs and 4,000+ universities globally.
• Value-added insights: Find out about placement rates, recent placements, alumni networks, ROI, and more.
• Unique recommendations: Get profile-based recommendations and match scores for each university.
• Application invites: Receive invites from top universities.
• Fundable shortlist: Ensure you get education loans easily.

GradRight’s loan-search platform can help you secure the best education loan. It’s free for applicants and offers a range of benefits:

• Zero paperwork: No bank visits, app-based, and AI-powered.
• Safe and easy: Share documents only after seeing lender offers.
• No-cosigner loans: Options for loans without cosigners or co-applicants.
• Low interest rates: From private banks, public banks, and NBFCs.
• Personal dashboard: Live loan offers and negotiation assistance.

Both GradRight’s university-search platform and loan-search platform are designed to make your study abroad journey smoother and more affordable. Now, let’s dive into some resources that can help you prepare for the Duolingo English Test.

Also Read: Duolingo Exam in 2025 [Complete Guide]

5 top preparation books for the Duolingo English Test 2025

Here are five highly recommended preparation books for the Duolingo English Test. All of them have strategies for success as well as comprehensive preparation resources. 

The Duolingo English Test: Essential Tips, Strategies, Practice, Structure, Grammar, Spellings & Vocabulary

The book is available in both Kindle and paperback editions. The 110-page book brings you a complete explanation of the various sections. The writer teaches how to attempt and think through various kinds of English questions and comprehension. It is particularly well suited for non-native speakers. 

Duolingo English Test Official Guide

Duolingo offers a 78-page PDF guide for free. This official guide explains how the test works, and how it’s scored, and gives you valuable tips to prepare for the exam. 

Oxford English Grammar Course (Volume I and II)

Published by Oxford University Press, the title is available in three volumes—Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. For the DET exam, the first two volumes are sufficient. The books teach you the intricacies of English grammar through clear explanations and practical examples. 

Practical English Usage by Michael Swan 

This book doesn’t teach grammar per se but rather the usage of English words and phrases. The syntax of English and Indic languages differ greatly. English relies heavily on fixed word order to convey meaning. It is this aspect that Michael Swan focuses on and explains superbly. 

Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis

It is a classic book that tutors new words and how to apply them with correct grammar usage. It is not meant as a hardcore problem-solving book but rather to be read for 15 minutes a day and applied in conversation and composition. Available for just a few rupees this is a great addition to the bookshelf for those preparing for any English proficiency test. 

If you have more time you should browse through Wren and Martin’s English Grammar. It is ancient but remains a solid guide to major grammatical topics such as past and present tenses, active and passive voice, nouns and noun phrases, prepositions, and types of clauses.

We also recommend S.P Bakshi’s highly acclaimed Objective General English for general practice. 

Also Read: How To Prepare For Duolingo in 2025 (Complete Strategy)

Understanding the Duolingo test pattern and scoring

To prepare for the Duolingo English Test you must understand its test pattern and scoring system.

The Duolingo English Test is divided into two main parts:

1. Graded Section (Adaptive Questions)
2. Ungraded Section (Video Interview and Writing Sample)

The total test duration is approximately 1 hour. The graded section takes around 45 minutes and the ungraded section about 10 minutes.

Part 1. Graded Section

This part is adaptive meaning the difficulty of the questions adjusts based on your performance.

You will be tested on Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking skills. 

The test questions are randomly administered and change in difficulty based on the test taker’s performance. Hence it is not possible to predict the number of questions for each skill. 

Below is a breakdown of the question types:

Question Type	Description	Example
Read and Complete	Fill in the missing letters in a partially completed word.	“The cat sat on the m _ t.” (Answer: mat)
Read and Select	Select the real English words from a list of options.	Options: “apple,” “brtle,” “cat,” “dogle” (Select: apple, cat)
Listen and Select	Listen to the audio and select the real English words from a list.	Audio: “dog” (Options: “dog,” “dgo,” “cat”) (Select: dog)
Listen and Type	Listen to a sentence and type it out.	Audio: “She is reading a book.” (Type: She is reading a book.)
Read Aloud	Read a sentence aloud into the microphone.	Text: “The sun rises in the east.” (Speak the sentence clearly.)
Write About the Photo	Write a sentence or short paragraph describing a picture.	Image: A man riding a bicycle. (Write: “A man is riding a bicycle in the park.”)
Speak About the Photo	Describe a picture verbally in 1-2 sentences.	Image: A dog playing in the grass. (Speak: “The dog is playing in the grass.”)
Read, Then Write	Read a prompt and write a response (50+ words).	Prompt: “Describe your favorite holiday.” (Write: “My favorite holiday is…”)
Read, Then Speak	Read a prompt and speak a response (30+ seconds).	Prompt: “Talk about your favorite book.” (Speak: “My favorite book is…”)
Listen, Then Speak	Listen to a question and respond verbally (30+ seconds).	Audio: “What do you like to do in your free time?” (Speak: “In my free time, I…”)

Part 2. Ungraded Section 

This part consists of the writing and speaking samples. Test takers are given a prompt and asked to respond in writing and through a video interview.

It’s important to note that this section is not scored. It is sent to institutions along with your Graded Section results. It provides additional insight into your speaking and writing abilities.

Section	Description	Example
Video Interview	Speak for 1-3 minutes on a given topic.	Prompt: “Talk about a memorable trip you took.” (Speak for 1-3 minutes.)
Writing Sample	Write for 3-5 minutes on a given topic.	Prompt: “Describe your dream job.” (Write for 3-5 minutes.)

Scoring System

The Duolingo English Test is scored on a scale of 10 to 160, with increments of 5 points. The score is divided into four subscores:

Subscore	Description
Literacy	Measures reading and writing skills.
Comprehension	Measures listening and reading skills.
Conversation	Measures speaking and listening skills.
Production	Measures writing and speaking skills.

The scores are categorized as follows:

Proficiency Level	Score Range
Basic	10-55
Intermediate	60-85
Upper-Intermediate	90-115
Advanced	120-160

5 free resources and apps for English language learning 2025

Learning English has never been easier. There are a large number of resources, PDF books, courses, and videos to help an eager learner learn any language. For the world’s most spoken language, English, there are a few thousand pages of free lessons and advice. 

Duolingo

Duolingo remains at the top of the language learning apps. This is partly because of its freemium model. You can start for free and later pay ₹ 200 per month for accelerated lessons. 

It makes learning fun by taking a gamified approach. Much like video games it taps into your dopamine system and gets you hooked on learning. The tutoring is in small bite-sized chunks that can be easily completed while commuting or completing small chores. 

BBC Learning English

Available both as a website and an app it is very popular and entirely free. There is a wide variety of free and well-designed English content across various formats like audio, video, and text. 

These cover various aspects of the language including vocabulary, grammar, and culture, all presented with a clear British accent. 

It is highly recommended that you watch BBC World News on cable TV or satellite TV. You can hear world news in crisp and perfect English all day long. There is no better way to learn English vocabulary in a short time frame. 

Linguapress.com 

Linguapress is a website that provides free online resources for teaching and learning English as a foreign language. 

The site promises no logins, no pop-ups, and entirely free access to all levels of resources. 

Consisting of 350+ web pages, Linguapress offers a mix of lessons, quizzes, audio snippets, and interactive exercises to cater to different learning styles.

Grammarly and Hemingway Editor

No matter how many pages of an English tutoring lesson you complete, you are not going to master English until you can write a reasonably well-crafted 500-word essay. 

But how do you know about the mistakes you made? Web apps Grammarly and Hemingway Editor lend a hand. The first is freemium and the second is entirely free. These are browser-based web apps and extensions that help improve grammar and writing through suggestions. 

Newspapers 

Plain old newspapers are perhaps the best way to become fluent in English. You don’t need to read the Washington Post or Financial Times. 

At least two widely circulated newspapers are entirely free (no nag screens for subscriptions). These are Hindustan Times and Telegraph India ePaper. 

Simply browsing the sports and business sections will improve your English and add to your knowledge. 

5 tips to ace the Duolingo English Test 2025

You have learned all about the resources for the Duolingo English Test and know its structure. Now we shall give you a few strategies to score well.

Improve Your Typing Speed

Many of the tasks require you to type several sentences. Your typing speed must be up to the mark or you will inevitably lose valuable time. Aim to type at least 30 wpm so that you can complete the exam with time in hand. 

Master Time Management

The test is adaptive, unlike TOEFL or IELTS with a fixed paper. If you are good in English the test gets harder and vice versa. Spend no more than 1-2 minutes per question in the adaptive section. For the video and audio section aim to spend 30 – 60 seconds per response. 

Practice All Four Skills

DET tests Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking skills. When you practice and prepare you must become adept at all of these. Scores are on an individual as well as overall basis. Use Duolingo’s practice materials to be an expert in every aspect of the exam. 

Learn to Describe Images

One common task is describing images in 1-2 sentences. Practice this skill by:

• Identifying the main subject.
• Then describe the background, actions, and details.        
• Lastly, employ adjectives and adverbs to make your description vivid.

Practice Speaking Clearly

A very important skill not only for the exam but your classes abroad as well. Learn to speak slowly and enunciate clearly without long pauses between sentences. Avoid filler words such as “Uh”, and “Umm”, which sound exceedingly odd in a formal setting. 

Avoid Indian-English expressions such as “Level best”, “Cousin brother”, “Batchmate” and “Hai Na”. 

Checklist before your exam

• Test your microphone and webcam
• Ensure your ID is ready for verification
• Have a glass of water nearby
• Close all unnecessary applications on your computer

By following these tips you will be well prepared and confident to ace the Duolingo English Test. 

Ideal scores for universities and how to achieve them

The required DET scores vary depending on the university or program. Here’s a breakdown of typical score requirements:

• For undergraduate programs, most institutions require a DET score between 90 and 120.
• Graduate programs often demand scores between 120 and 140.

How do you achieve these test scores? Here is our advice:

• Practice mock tests and assess your current level of aptitude. Based on it and the time available, set a realistic target. 
• If you feel your aptitude is below expectations, set at least 2 months aside for preparation. It takes time to become proficient in a language. 
• If necessary, hire a tutor for personalized coaching. Only a tutor can offer feedback and constructive criticism. 
• Regular practice is key to success. Commit to daily study sessions, even if they are short. Devote at least 30 minutes daily to improving your ability. 

Get started with your DET preparation

The Duolingo English Test offers a convenient and affordable way to test your English language proficiency. You have to remember that the test and a good score is not a mere formality. 

In the Anglosphere, where English is the native language, colleges and universities expect you to be more than adept at reading, writing, and explaining in English. You would have to converse 24/7 in English—with the professor, with students and friends, with the janitor, at the rail station, and so on. 

Therefore perform well to be confident in your life abroad. 

US, Canada, UK, Australia—you have multiple choices and perhaps a few hundred institutions to choose from. That can indeed be difficult since you want to narrow down the possible schools based on fees, degree awarded, scholarship, duration, and worth in the job market. 

GradRight’s university-search platform makes it easy for you to find the right college and university based on your input. The AI algorithm combs through thousands of programs and shortlists those that are perfect for your requirements. 

Sign up today and find the best colleges and universities for studying abroad. 

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