Feeling overwhelmed by the DUOLINGO English Test (DET)? You’re not alone. The exam format is easy and the timing is less, but you must be careful while preparing. To back you up and make your exam easy, here is a 7-day DUOLINGO preparation guide. Each day targets a specific skill area tested on the DET, giving you a clear roadmap to success.
Day 1 – Go Through The Format
When starting the preparation, keep the first day deep to go through the exam format. The DET is a computer-adaptive test, meaning the difficulty of the questions adjusts based on your performance throughout the exam. This ensures you’re challenged but not discouraged. The test typically lasts 60 minutes and evaluates your skills in four key areas.:
- Literacy
- Production
- Comprehension
- Conversation
Day 2- Practice Literacy Section
On day 2, you can dedicate your time to enhancing your reading & writing skills. These skills are very important for DET’s Literacy section. You can focus on developing these skills.
- Reading Comprehension: Sharpen your understanding of written texts, including news articles, blog posts, stories, and social media content. This will involve analyzing the main idea and identifying supporting details. Practice the logical flow of arguments and how vocabulary is used in context.
- Writing Mechanics and Grammar: Practice memory on basic grammar rules for sentence structure, punctuation, and verb tenses. This will allow you to identify and correct errors in sentences with confidence. Doing this, you will gain experience writing short compositions based on prompts.
Day 3- Enhance Production Section
On day 3 of DUOLINGO preparation, you must focus on the sections where speaking fluency and pronunciation are evaluated. Here is how you have to work on this section:
Speaking Fluency: Developing your ability to speak English smoothly and naturally without long pauses or hesitation. This involves practicing expressing your thoughts clearly and concisely and using appropriate vocabulary and grammatical structures for the situation.
- Conversation practice: Find a conversation partner or narrate your daily activities in English to yourself.
- Shadowing: Listen to native speakers and repeat what they say, mimicking their intonation and rhythm.
- Pronunciation: While practicing, keep a check on pronunciation. You can do the following things-
- Mimic native speakers’ pronunciation focuses on commonly mispronounced sounds.
- Pay attention to both individual word sounds and the rhythm and intonation of natural speech.
- Use resources like online dictionaries with audio pronunciations and YouTube channels for English pronunciation.
- Record yourself speaking and listen back to identify areas for improvement.
Day 4- Master Comprehension Section
Day 4 concentrates on the DET’s Listening section, which assesses your understanding of spoken English. Here’s how you’ll train your listening skills.
Understanding Spoken English: Enhancing your ability to grasp the meaning of spoken English through various audio sources like movies, TV shows (with subtitles), podcasts, and audiobooks. This includes focusing on keywords that signal important points or changes in the conversation, identifying the speaker’s tone (serious, humorous, frustrated, etc.)
Understand their underlying message and follow the overall flow of the conversation to grasp the main ideas and supporting details. Pay close attention to how speakers use pauses, intonation, and emphasis to convey meaning beyond the literal words spoken. Just remember the pattern and practice accordingly.
Day 5- Level Up Conversation Section
On the 5th day of preparation, focus on the conversation section. You can work on vocabulary expansion. This involves actively learning new words relevant to your interests and goals. Here are some strategies to make vocabulary learning more effective:
- Context is King: Don’t just memorize isolated words. Notice how new words are used in context, such as sentences or paragraphs. This will help you understand the subtle differences in meaning and how to use the words yourself.
- Make Connections: Connect new words to words you already know. Look for synonyms, antonyms, or words in the same thematic category. This will help you build a richer vocabulary network in your mind and make it easier to recall and use the right words.
- Spaced Repetition: Use spaced repetition apps or flashcards to review new words regularly. This reinforces memory and helps move words from the short-term to the long-term memory.
- Active Recall: Don’t just passively review flashcards. Actively test yourself by trying to recall the meaning or definition of a word without looking at the answer. This strengthens memory and retrieval skills.
- Use It or Lose It: Consciously incorporate your newly learned words into your daily conversations and writing. This will solidify your understanding and demonstrate your expanding vocabulary to others.
Read bonus tips to know more about “How to crack speaking section”
Day 6 & 7- Practice On Mock Test
Give the final two days of DUOLINGO preparation completely to mock test because it will help you in the following ways:
- Taking full-length mock tests under timed conditions replicates the actual DET experience as closely as possible.
- Mock tests familiarize you with the DET format, including the types of questions asked in each section, the delivery method (computer-based), and the overall structure. This reduces anxiety on test day.
- Analyzing your performance on mock tests serves as a valuable diagnostic tool. You can identify areas where you consistently struggle or make careless mistakes.
- Taking back-to-back mock tests on Days 6 & 7 conditions your mind and body for the mental and physical demands of the DET
- By taking multiple mock tests, you get comfortable with the pressure and expectations of a timed exam environment.
Now that you know the 7-day DUOLINGO preparation plan, you can use Gurully’s practice platform to practice it. Get full-length mock tests along with real-time exam simulation. This will help you understand the exam format and help you achieve your desired scores. You can always buy the 5-day plan for DUOLINGO mock tests if your exam is nearby.
Conclusion
The DUOLINGO English Test (DET) might initially seem daunting, but with the right approach, you can walk into your test date feeling confident and prepared. This 7-day guide breaks down the key areas tested on the DET into manageable daily steps. Dedicating a focused effort to each skill will enable you to showcase your English abilities and achieve your desired score.
Remember, the DET is designed to be accessible. Unlike some standardized tests, it doesn’t have a lengthy format or require months of preparation. Take a deep breath, and let’s embark on this seven-day journey together! You will be surprised at how much you can accomplish in a focused week.
