- I heard that the Duolingo English Test is easy to invalidate, is that true?
- What should I do to avoid being disabled?
When I’m researching the Duolingo English Test(DET) on the internet, I often see complaints like “The test is invalid…”. The DET is an online test, so it’s convenient, but it’s strict to check if you’re cheating. Therefore, in this article, I will introduce the following.
- Reasons why tests is invalid
- What to do when a test is invalid
- Measures to prevent test invalidation
I’ll also talk about when my tests were actually invalidated. Depending on the reason for invalidation, you can file an objection from the “Appeal” button!
Why is it invalid for the Duolingo English Test?
A test will be voided if it is suspected of violating the rules of the DET.
Test Rules
- Must be alone in a quiet, well-lit room
- No outside materials including mobile devices, notes, or textbooks
- No copying or memorizing responses from other sources
- No communication with anyone else
- Do not look away from the screen
etc.
Duolingo English Test: Test Policies, Rules, and Requirements
Suspected violations of these rules and requirements may result in disabling the test or blocking your account.
What to do if the Duolingo English Test is disabled
Depending on the content of the violation, DET will respond differently.
- When you can retake the test
- When you cannot retake the test
If your test is invalidated, you will receive an email notification to that effect.
When you can retake the test
If your test is disabled, you will receive an email notification stating that. Even if your test result is not certified, you can retake the test as long as it doesn’t state that your account has been blocked! You must retake the exam within 21 days of your original test purchase date. You have to be even more careful not to be invalid again when you take the exam again. (As of April 2022)
When you cannot retake the test
If the email notification states that your account has been blocked, you will not be able to retake the exam. However, for any reason, you can file an objection within 72 hours by clicking the “APPEAL THIS RESULT” button.
Appeals can also be made in your own language. I tried to file an objection in Japanese, but I got a reply without any problems. I think that they are probably using automatic translation, so if it is difficult to convey with automatic translation, it may be better to write it in simple English if possible. (As of April 2022)
How to avoid being disabled on the Duolingo English Test
In this section, I will introduce points to avoid being invalidated in the test, based on the official website of the Duolingo English Test and my experience.
Remind yourself to always look at the screen during the test
At the Duolingo English Test, each test is staffed by a proctor who constantly monitors that candidates are not receiving outside assistance. Taking your eyes off the computer is taken as a sign of cheating.
It’s pretty difficult to look at the screen all the time, isn’t it? I usually have a habit of looking up when I’m thinking, so I was careful to look at the computer as much as possible during the test. Still, I feel like I took my eyes off the screen a few times during testing. In the three times I’ve taken the test, I’ve never had it invalidated by looking away, so I figured if it wasn’t for a long time, it would be okay to look away for a little while. (No cheating, absolutely) I can touch type when typing, but I may have looked at the keyboard once in a while. However, the test has never been invalidated for this reason. The official website of the Duolingo English Test also has a description about it.
It’s natural to want to look up when thinking or trying to find the right words, but try to remember to look at the question as you answer it. You may need to occasionally glance at the keyboard as you type your answers—don’t worry, that’s okay!
Duolingo English Test: 4 tips for making sure your Duolingo English Test results are certified
Close all programs on your computer except Duolingo English Test
Only the Duolingo English Test app must be running on your computer when you take the test. If you are not confident about your computer, I recommend that you completely shut down your computer before taking the test and then launch only the Duolingo English Test desktop app. This is also stated on the official website.
If in doubt, you can shut down your computer entirely and only launch the Duolingo English Test desktop application. In addition to passing a security check, this also helps ensure you have a stable test experience!
Duolingo English Test: 4 tips for making sure your Duolingo English Test results are certified
The easiest and most obvious way is to shut down completely!
Prevent other people from entering the room during the test
No one should enter the room during the test, as you are not allowed to ask anyone to tell you the answers during the test. So if anyone is in the vicinity of the room where you are taking the test, let them know not to enter the room. It is recommended to keep devices such as smartphones in another room during the test.
Also, it’s best to put your phone, smart watch, or connected device in another room to be certain you won’t get distracted or disturbed during the test
Duolingo English Test: 4 tips for making sure your Duolingo English Test results are certified
Write naturally, speak naturally
The Duolingo English Test is a test of your natural English proficiency, so in the open-ended section you should be able to answer spontaneously on the spot. You may want to create your own writing or speaking template to make it easier to answer. However, for example, there is only one template, and if you always answer using that template, it will always be the same phrase and flow, which is unnatural, so you need to practice so that you can use various expressions.
Even if you have practiced answers to similar types of questions, your response should be specific to the topic, and in your own words.
Duolingo English Test: 4 tips for making sure your Duolingo English Test results are certified
I memorize the flow of sentences and useful phrases and use them in my tests, and they have never invalidated my tests. If you speak something that doesn’t fit the topic, it may be perceived as just speaking what you have memorized.
The story of when I was disabled on the Duolingo English Test
I just recently had my test invalidated. The reason was not because I looked away, but because I took the test using multiple email addresses. A rule of the Duolingo English Test is that the test must only use one email address.
You may only use one email address or account to test. Otherwise, we may reserve the right to suspend the refund or block the secondary account due to any malicious violations against this rule.
Duolingo English Test: May I use more than one email address / Duolingo account to complete a test?
There is also a rule that “you can purchase up to 3 tests in 30 days”. I knew about the “3 tests in 30 days” rule, but I had no idea that only one email address per person was allowed. (If I think about it properly, I would understand, but I couldn’t at that time.) I simply wanted to take the test with a different email address in the future, so I created a Duolingo English Test account with a different email address and took the test. As a result, the test is invalid. And that email address was blocked. It was my fault that I didn’t fully understand the rules, but I didn’t try to break the rules, so I filed an objection with the following content.
- Didn’t know the rules
- I would like to take the test with a new email address in the future, so I would like you to cancel the old account.
The response from Duolingo was as follows:
- The new email address is blocked.
- The original email address is still alive, so please continue to use it.
- We will refund the money for this test.
There was no change in the block of the second email address, but it was very helpful to receive a refund. I received a refund 4 days after receiving a reply. So, even if the test is invalid, if there is any reason, I recommend that you try to appeal just in case!
Depending on the reason for invalidation of the test, there are patterns in which it is not possible to file an objection.
If your results could not be certified because of a technical issue, you are not eligible to submit an appeal and will need to take the test again.
Duolingo English Test: How can I appeal my results?
How to change the email address registered for the Duolingo English Test
By the way, you can easily change the email address associated with your Duolingo English Test account. (If I had known this ahead of time, I wouldn’t have been disabled.)
Just log in to http://duolingo.com/ and change your email address in Settings!
So it seems that creating an account on Duolingo English Test is creating an account on Duolingo. (As of April 2022)
Conclusion
In this article, we introduced why tests are disabled, what to do when they are disabled, and what you can do to prevent them from being disabled. A test will be voided if it is suspected of violating the rules of the Duolingo English Test. Depending on the reason why the test was invalidated, there are “cases where you can retake the test” and “cases where you cannot retake the test”. If you wish to retake the exam, you must retake the exam within 21 days of the original test purchase date. If it says that your account has been blocked, you cannot retake the exam. If you have any reason, you can file an objection within 72 hours by clicking the “APPEAL THIS RESULT. (As of April 2022)
Here’s how to prevent it from being disabled.
- Always look at the screen during the test
- Close all programs on your computer
- Keep other people out of your test environment
- Write naturally, speak naturally
Be careful not to be invalidated, and even if you are invalidated, you may be able to retake the exam or file an objection, so I think you do not have to be so nervous.
In the next article, I will introduce how to use the Duolingo English Test Help!
