Duolingo English Test · Item-type guide 3 · 4 min read
Duolingo English Test listening questions: task types and tips
The listening tasks on the Duolingo English Test: Listen and Type, Listen, Then Speak, and the interactive listening section, with practice tips.
How listening is tested
Listening on the Duolingo English Test is spread across several short, timed tasks rather than one long section. You hear recordings through your computer's speakers; headphones and earphones are not allowed. Many listening tasks also test another skill at the same time, such as writing what you hear or speaking in response.
| Task | What you do | Skills tested |
|---|---|---|
| Listen and Type | Type a sentence exactly as you hear it | Listening and spelling |
| Listen, Then Speak | Hear a question or prompt, then answer aloud | Listening and speaking |
| Interactive Listening | Take part in a short conversation by choosing responses, then summarize it | Listening, reading and writing |
The test is adaptive, so the recordings get faster, longer or more complex as you do better. Check englishtest.duolingo.com for the current list of task types before your test.
Listen and Type
You hear a short sentence and type exactly what was said. You can usually replay the recording a limited number of times, and there is a time limit for the whole task.
An invented example. You hear: "The train to the airport leaves every twenty minutes." You type that sentence word for word.
Small details matter: plural endings, articles such as "a" and "the", and correct spelling. If you hear "She's" but type "She", the meaning changes and you lose credit.
Exam tip: on the first listen, just listen. Type on the second listen, then use any remaining replay to check the small words you may have missed.
Listen, Then Speak
You hear a question or prompt and then speak your answer for a set time. You get a short time to prepare before recording begins. In many versions of this task, the prompt is played as audio only, so you must understand it by ear.
An invented example. You hear: "Describe a place you like to visit when you want to relax." You then talk about that place, why you go there and how it makes you feel.
This task is covered in more depth in our speaking guide. For listening, the key point is to catch every part of the prompt. If it asks you to describe a place and explain why you like it, you need to do both.
Interactive Listening
Interactive listening places you in a short scenario, such as a conversation with a classmate or a staff member at a college. You hear one side of the conversation, and at each turn you choose the most suitable reply from a set of options. The conversation then continues based on the scenario.
After the conversation, you are asked to summarize the conversation in writing. You need to explain who was speaking, what the situation was and what happened, in your own words.
An invented example of one turn. You hear a classmate say: "I missed the lecture this morning. Did the professor say anything about the deadline?" A strong choice would be something like "Yes, she said the essay is now due next Friday", because it answers the question directly and fits the situation. An option such as "I usually study in the library" would not fit the conversation.
Exam tip: keep track of the purpose of the conversation as it goes. When you write the summary, you will need the main points, not word-for-word quotes.
What good listening practice looks like
- Listen once, then check. Train yourself to understand on the first listen, because replays are limited or not available.
- Use a range of speakers. Practice with different accents, speeds and settings, such as podcasts, lectures and everyday conversations.
- Dictation practice. Write down short sentences from recordings, then compare with a transcript. This is close to Listen and Type.
- Summarizing. After listening to a short conversation, write three or four sentences about who, what and why. This builds the skill needed for interactive listening.
Common mistakes
- Missing small words such as "a", "the", "to" and "of" in Listen and Type.
- Spelling errors in typed answers.
- Choosing replies that sound polite but do not answer in interactive listening. The best reply fits both the tone and the content.
- Writing a summary of only the last part of the conversation. Cover the whole exchange.
- Using headphones. They are not permitted during the test.
Check yourself
- In Listen and Type, what are the most common small errors?
- Are headphones allowed during the Duolingo English Test?
- In interactive listening, what do you do at each turn of the conversation?
- What do you write after the conversation ends?
- Where can you check the current list of listening tasks?
More guides are on the Duolingo hub.