Duolingo English Test (DET) Practice: Free Vocabulary, Reading & Listening Exercises

The Duolingo English Test (DET) is a fully online, adaptive English proficiency test that takes about an hour and is accepted by a fast-growing number of universities. Its short reading, word-completion and listen-and-type tasks map onto some specific exercises on this site unusually well, while other sections here are best treated as general skill-building.

Best forfast, affordable online university admission

Format~1 hour, fully online & adaptive

Score validity2 years

How closely do these exercises match the Duolingo English Test?

Listen and Type	Close task match. The spelling/dictation exercises below ask you to hear English and type what you hear.
Reading & word completion	Good skill support. Word-level accuracy and short reading practice help with DET reading tasks.
Vocabulary recognition	General support. DET Read and Select asks whether a displayed word is real English; it is not a picture-matching task.
Speaking & writing	Not directly simulated. Use the official DET practice test for timed open-response and interactive tasks.

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Vocabulary building for DET

DET's “Read and Select” task asks whether a displayed word is a real English word; it is not a picture-matching task. The visual exercises below are useful for broadening everyday vocabulary, but treat them as general vocabulary building rather than a format match.

Animals 1 (picture matching)Visual vocab
Things you see in a city (picture matching)Visual vocab
Around the kitchen (picture matching)Visual vocab
Things in and around a school (picture matching)Visual vocab
Food/containers vocabulary matchingVisual vocab
Around the car/parts of a car (picture matching)Visual vocab

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Reading practice for DET

DET's reading-related tasks are short and varied rather than long single passages, so use these for general comprehension speed across a range of topics and levels.

Canada loses its 'measles-free' statusB1/B2/C1
USA: Where did winter go?B1/B2/C1
How dolphins talk to their youngB1/B2/C1
Trump's plan for a “New Gaza”B1/B2/C1
Fauci not worried that COVID numbers are rising again in the USAB1/B2/C1
Clown Day in PeruB1/B2/C1

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Grammar & word-level accuracy for DET

DET's “Fill in the Blanks” and “Read and Complete” tasks reward strong word-level accuracy: word formation, comparatives, compound words, homonyms, word order, contractions, and pronoun reference all come up.

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Listening & spelling practice for DET

DET includes “Listen and Type” dictation-style tasks. Our audio listening section includes spelling practice (listen and type what you hear) which is a close match for this task type.

Listen and type: spelling practice 2Close task match
Listen and type: spelling practice 4Close task match
Listen and type: spelling practice 10Close task match
Listen and type: spelling practice 15Close task match

Browse all listening exercises →

A note on DET format DET is adaptive (questions get harder or easier based on your answers) and combines short, varied task types rather than long passages or essays, so no single exercise here will feel exactly like the real test. The strongest direct match on this page is the listen-and-type spelling practice: DET has a dedicated “Listen and Type” task. The vocabulary exercises are useful for building word knowledge, but DET's “Read and Select” task asks whether a displayed word is real English rather than using picture matching. Acceptance varies by institution, so always confirm with your specific school before relying on a DET score, and try the official free DET practice test before exam day.

More exam prep Not sure the Duolingo English Test is the right exam for you? Compare all major English exams on our exam prep hub, or browse the full reading comprehension, grammar, and vocabulary sections.