- What does the score on the Duolingo English Test look like?
- Is there a comparison table with TOEFL and IELTS?
If you are unfamiliar with the test, even if you are told “Your score is … !”, you do not know what level it is, right? So, in this article, I will introduce you to:
- How to Read Your Duolingo English Test Score
- Score conversion table with other English tests (TOEFL and IELTS)
How to read the score report for the Duolingo English Test
A sample score report can be found on the official Duolingo English Test website. It’s like this.
At the top of the report is your photo, name, and the date you took the test.(The displayed photo was taken with a computer camera on the day of the test.) There are two types of scores: “Overall” and “Subscores”.
- “Overall” is the overall score
- “Subscores” is your proficiency in a particular area
What is a Duolingo English Test “Subscores”?
Duolingo English Test subscores are defined in the following four abilities:
- Literacy – Ability to read and write
- Comprehension – Ability to read and listen
- Conversation – Ability to listen and speak
- Production – Ability to write and speak
Common English tests are divided into four categories: Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening. The Duolingo English Test is divided into these four competencies because it believes that these skills are not actually disjointed and require the use of multiple skills at the same time.
Literacy – Ability to read and write
“Literacy” is the ability of “reading” and “writing”. It’s a skill you need to do homework at school or write an email at work.
Comprehension – Ability to read and listen
“Comprehension” is the ability of “reading” and “listening”. These skills are necessary for attending classes and seminars.
Conversation – Ability to listen and speak
“Conversation” is the ability of “listening” and “speaking”. It is a skill necessary for talking with friends, colleagues, bosses, etc.
Production – Ability to write and speak
“Production” is the ability of “writing” and “speaking”. Skills required for presentations.
Subscore corresponding to each question
The Duolingo English Test has the following questions.
- 11 question types
- Writing sample
- Speaking Sample
You can check which subscore each question corresponds to on the official Duolingo English Test website. You can check it on the official guide, but I summarized it in a table so that you can see it at a glance.
| Name | Literacy | Comprehension | Conversation | Production |
| 1 : Read and Complete | ✔️ | ✔️ | ||
| 2 : Read and Select | ✔️ | ✔️ | ||
(Removed from May 1, 2023) | (Removed from May 1, 2023) | (Removed from May 1, 2023) | ||
| 3 : Listen and Type | ✔️ | ✔️ | ||
| 4 : Read Aloud | ✔️ | ✔️ | ||
| 5 : Write About the Photo | ✔️ | ✔️ | ||
| 6 : Speak About the Photo | ✔️ | ✔️ | ||
| 7 : Read, Then Write | ✔️ | ✔️ | ||
| 8 : Read, Then Speak | ✔️ | ✔️ | ||
| 9 : Listen, Then Speak | ✔️ | ✔️ | ||
| 10 : Interactive Reading | ✔️ | ✔️ | ||
| 11 : Interactive Listening (Added from May 1, 2023) | ✔️ (Added from May 1, 2023) | ✔️ (Added from May 1, 2023) | ✔️ (Added from May 1, 2023) | ✔️ (Added from May 1, 2023) |
| Writing Sample | ✔️ | ✔️ | ||
| Speaking Sample (Scored from May 1, 2023) | ✔️ (Scored from May 1, 2023) | ✔️ (Scored from May 1, 2023) |
The score report shows the scores for “Literacy”, “Comprehension”, “Conversation”, and “Production”, so you can clearly see your strengths and weaknesses. I have a low score in “Production”, so I know that writing and speaking are not as good as reading and listening. I’m not good at “Write About the Photo” and “Speak About the Photo”, so I’m concentrating on explaining photos now!
Please see the article below for my study recommendations.
>> Duolingo English Test Study Recommendations
Comparison with other English tests
For comparison with other English tests, please refer to the comparison chart published on the Duolingo English Test official website. There is a comparison table with “TOEFL”, “IELTS”, and “CEFR”, and you can convert it by comparing your Duolingo English Test score. There is no “TOEIC” comparison chart.
I noticed in August 2022, but apparently the comparison table was updated around that time. It has become a little stricter, for example, a score of 95 on the Duolingo English Test used to be 6.0 when converted to IELTS, but now it is equivalent to 5.5.
Conclusion
In this article, I explained how to read the score report of the Duolingo English Test. The score is divided into an “Overall score” and a “Subscore” that shows the level of proficiency in a specific field.
“Subscores” are classified into the following four skills.
- Literacy
- Comprehension
- Conversation
- Production
Each question has a corresponding subscore, so once you know your weak points from the score report, you can focus on the corresponding questions.
A comparison table with the scores of “TOEFL”, “IELTS”, and “CEFR” is published on the official website, so if you do not know what level your Duolingo English Test score is, you can refer to the comparison table.
Grasp your strengths and weaknesses in your score report and use it for your English learning!
